• Pfizer’s PARP inhibitor Talzenna has gained European approval when used in combination with Pfizer and Astellas’ Xtandi to treat adult patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in whom chemotherapy is not clinically indicated. This approval makes Talzenna the first PARP inhibitor in Europe to be licensed in combination with Xtandi in mCRPC, Pfizer said in a release. The European Commission approved Pfizer’s application based on data from the phase 3 TALAPRO-2 trial, which showed that the combo cut the risk of disease progression or death in patients with mCRPC compared with placebo and Xtandi. Last June, the FDA approved the combination to treat adults with HRR gene-mutated mCRPC. • In another regulatory win for Pfizer, the FDA is reviewing the company’s full approval application on Genmab-partnered Tivdak. Under its priority review timeline, the FDA is assessing whether to convert Tivdak’s accelerated approval into a full nod to treat ...
While some Merck & Co. investors may still get the heebie-jeebies when thinking about Keytruda’s patent cliff in 2028, but the company’s CEO Rob Davis now thinks “it’s just another year.” Make no mistake, given Keytruda’s size, an overall business decline will likely still hit. But Merck is focused on making “the hill to dip as small as possible and the return to growth as fast as possible,” Davis said Monday at the 2024 annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. Davis and Merck Research Laboratories President Dean Li, M.D., Ph.D., pointed to the breadth of Merck’s portfolio across oncology, infectious disease, cardiometabolic, immunology and neuroscience to explain Merck’s potential for growth. “I know that the conversation continues to be about Keytruda and 2028,” Davis said. “But increasingly, we’re not focused on 2028. 2028, it’s just another year, it’s just another point. We’re focused on 2030 to 2040.” At last year’s J.P. ...
On January 9, 2024, NOVARTIS China announced that its innovative biologic Cosentyx® (stavudine) was approved by the NMPA for the treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis. This is the third indication for which Cosentyx® has been approved in China, following “moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis” and “ankylosing spondylitis”. Psoriasis is an immune-related, chronic, relapsing, inflammatory, systemic disease. Currently, there are more than 7 million psoriasis patients in China. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthropathy closely related to psoriasis, with most patients experiencing joint symptoms secondary to skin lesions, and a few patients experiencing joint symptoms prior to or concurrently with skin lesions. Joint symptoms may include swelling, pain, morning stiffness and limited joint movement. Psoriatic arthritis is prone to recurrence. If not treated in time, the long-term inflammation caused by psoriatic arthritis will bring irreversible structural damage to the joints, which will seriously affect the patient’s physical function and ...
SHANGHAI, China, January 9, 2024 – MSD announced that it has received approval from the State Drug Administration of China (SDA) for a new two-dose vaccination program (0, June to December) for females aged 9 to 14 years for its nine-valent human papillomavirus vaccine (brewer’s yeast) (trade name: Gardasil®9). This approval means that Gardasil®9 will be added to the previous three-dose vaccination program for women aged 9~45 years old, providing more economical and convenient health protection for more women of the appropriate age group, and helping them to stay away from cervical cancer and cervical lesions associated with HPV infection. Gardasil®9 is indicated for the prevention of cervical cancer caused by HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58; cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN grades 1/2/3) and adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) of the cervix caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58; and ...
Cancer, particularly lung cancer driven by pollution and smoking, is expected to increasingly afflict populations in low- and middle-income countries. To catch lung cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages, it’s recommended that heavy smokers over 50 years get annual CT scans. Yet, many in this demographic do not undergo these scans, and the high rate of false positives from the scans can lead to unwarranted and invasive follow-up tests. Now, a breakthrough diagnostic method that combines inhaling nanoparticle sensors with a simple urine test can detect the presence of a tumor. This innovative approach, which could potentially replace or complement low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans, could be especially promising for regions with limited access to CT technology. Developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA), this new technology is the culmination of a decade’s work on nanosensors aimed at cancer and other diseases diagnosis. These ...
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a major microvascular complication arising from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), leading to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Despite advancements in treatment options such as hyperglycemic and blood pressure control and renin-angiotensin system blockades, DKD continues to prevail at alarming rates. Clinically, DKD often progresses from microalbuminuria to macroalbuminuria, marked by increased levels of albumin in the urine and an initial hyperfiltration phase followed by a gradual decline in renal function. However, variations in clinical presentations and progression rates to ESRD have been noted in recent studies. As scientific understanding evolves, the need for specific biomarkers for DKD has become increasingly vital. Now, an analysis of urinary and exosome proteome profiling by a team of scientists has led to the discovery of biomarkers for DKD, offering the potential for early diagnosis and treatment. The research carried out by scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing, ...
Pharmaceutical Executive Editorial Staff Rinatabart sesutecan (Rina-S; PRO1184) is under evaluation for the treatment of patients with FRα-expressing high-grade serous or endometrioid platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. The FDA has granted Fast Track designation to ProfoundBio’s rinatabart sesutecan (Rina-S; PRO1184) to treat patients with FRα-expressing high-grade serous or endometrioid platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.1 The novel folate receptor alpha (FRα)–targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) is comprised of an FRα-directed antibody linked to sesutecan, which is an investigational, cleavable hydrophilic linker, and the topoisomerase 1 inhibitor payload exatecan. “Our receipt of Fast Track designation from the FDA underscores our belief in the tremendous promise of Rina-S as a potential best-in-class FRα ADC to address the significant need for improved treatment options for advanced ovarian cancer,” said Naomi Hunder, chief medical officer of ProfoundBio, in a press release.1 “FRα is a highly prevalent antigen in ovarian cancer and Rina-S has shown encouraging antitumor activity and tolerability in ...
Johnson & Johnson’s acquisition of antibody drug conjugate developer Ambrx Biopharma comes as Novartis and Merck also unveiled M&A deals on the first day of the J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference. In a report, the investment bank said big pharmas are looking for deals involving de-risked assets. By FRANK VINLUAN Big pharmaceutical companies splashed out big bucks in 2023 to acquire or license antibody drug conjugates, or ADCs. The trend is continuing into the new year with Johnson & Johnson reaching a $2 billion deal to acquire clinical-stage Ambrx Biopharma. According to deal terms announced Monday, J&J will pay $28 cash for each Ambrx share, which is a 105% premium to the biotech’s closing stock price on Friday. In other biopharma deal announcements, Merck is paying $680 million to acquire Harpoon Therapeutics, a developer of targeted cancer therapies, and Novartis is buying autoimmune disease drug developer Calypso Biotech for $250 ...
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing that it considers vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) to be an established method of sterilization for medical devices, recognizing VHP’s long history of safety and effectiveness. The FDA has revised the final guidance, Submission and Review of Sterility Information in Premarket Notification (510(k)) Submissions for Devices Labeled as Sterile, to list VHP as an example of an Established Category A method of sterilization. This update will facilitate broader adoption of VHP as a sterilization method for the medical device industry, is part of the agency’s multi-pronged approach to reducing the use of ethylene oxide (EtO) where possible and further supports the agency’s efforts to advance medical device supply chain resiliency. Effective sterilization processes are necessary for certain devices to be safe because sterilization inactivates or kills potentially harmful microorganisms. In addition to effectively inactivating or killing potentially harmful microorganisms, sterilization processes must ...
SHANGHAI, Jan. 07, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Shanghai Argo Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Argo”), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of next-generation RNAi therapeutics, today announced that it has entered into two exclusive license and collaboration agreements with Novartis PHARMA AG (“Novartis”). Under the first agreement, Argo has granted Novartis exclusive global licenses to develop and commercialize a Phase 1 stage program. The first agreement also includes a research collaboration and Novartis also receives an option to potentially license compounds directed against up to two additional targets for cardiovascular disease treatment. Under the second agreement, Argo granted Novartis an exclusive ex-Greater China license to develop and commercialize a Phase 1/2a clinical-stage program for cardiovascular disease treatment. Discovered and developed with Argo’s cutting-edge RNAi platform technology, these clinical-stage assets offer industry-leading efficacy and durability therapies. The transactions have a combined potential value of up to $4.165 billion for Argo and ...
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