PharmaFocus Today – Page 22 – media

Fentanyl-Linked Overdose Deaths Among Seniors Soar 9,000% in 8 Years

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, Oct. 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Fentanyl overdose deaths are surging among seniors, particularly in cases where the powerful opioid is mixed with stimulants like cocaine or methamphetamine, a new study says. Fentanyl-stimulant overdose (OD) deaths skyrocketed by an astonishing 9,000% during the past eight years, approaching rates found in younger adults, researchers reported Saturday at an American Society of Anesthesiologists’ meeting in San Antonio, Texas. “A common misconception is that opioid overdoses primarily affect younger people,” lead researcher Gab Pasia, a medical student at the University of Nevada-Reno School of Medicine, said in a news release. “Our analysis shows that older adults are also impacted by fentanyl-related deaths and that stimulant involvement has become much more common in this group,” Pasia said. “This suggests older adults are affected by the current fourth wave of the opioid crisis, following similar patterns seen in younger populations.” ...
- Source: drugdu
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- October 15, 2025
Clover Biopharmaceuticals’ Phase I clinical data for its respiratory combination vaccine and RSV vaccine are positive.

　　On October 14, Clover Biopharmaceuticals (02197) announced positive data from Phase I clinical trials of its respiratory combination vaccine (RSV-hMPV-PIV3) and repeat RSV vaccine in the elderly population. Both Phase I clinical trials in Australia and the United States demonstrated favorable safety and immune responses. 　　Specifically, in the Australian trial, the mean doubling rates of RSV neutralizing antibodies induced by SCB-1022 (RSV+hMPV) and SCB-1033 (RSV+hMPV+PIV3) were approximately 6-8 times, and the mean doubling rates of hMPV-A and hMPV-B neutralizing antibodies were 6-7 times and 8-9 times, respectively. 　　In repeat vaccination trials in the United States, heterologous repeat vaccinations of SCB-1019 (an RSV vaccine candidate) resulted in a mean RSV neutralizing antibody doubling rate of approximately 3.0-3.3 times. In contrast, homologous repeat vaccinations of AREXVY only boosted antibody levels to approximately 60-65% of the peak levels induced after the first dose. The company plans to advance SCB-1022 and SCB-1033 into Phase ...
- Source: drugdu
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- October 15, 2025
Ascletis Pharmaceuticals initiates clinical development of ASC35, leveraging AI and platform technologies to develop an ultra-long-acting dual-target weight loss drug.

On October 13, Ascletis Pharma (01672) announced that its GLP-1R/GIPR dual-target agonist peptide, ASC35, has entered clinical development. In a head-to-head non-human primate study, the drug demonstrated a mean apparent half-life of approximately 14 days, six times longer than tilpotide, supporting once-monthly subcutaneous administration. ASC35’s drug exposure after intravenous and subcutaneous injection is approximately 80% and 70% higher than that of tilpotide, respectively. Furthermore, ASC35’s agonist activity at GLP-1 and GIP receptors is approximately four times stronger than that of tilpotide. In a study of diet-induced obese mice, ASC35 achieved a 33.6% weight loss effect, compared to 19.6% for tilpotide, representing a relative improvement of approximately 71% in weight loss. The company expects to submit a new drug clinical trial application for ASC35 to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the second quarter of 2026. The announcement mentioned that ASC35 was independently developed based on the company’s AI-assisted drug ...
- Source: drugdu
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- October 15, 2025
Hengrui Medicine’s multiple injectable drugs received approval for clinical trials

Beijing Business News reported on October 13 that Hengrui MedicineThe company announced that its subsidiaries, Suzhou Shengdia Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shanghai Hengrui Medicine Co., Ltd., and Shanghai Shengdi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., have received approval from the National Medical Products Administration for the issuance of “Drug Clinical Trial Approval Notices” for SHR-A2102 for injection, Adebelimumab injection, and SHR-1802 for injection. Clinical trials will commence soon. This will be a multicenter, open-label Phase IB/II study investigating the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of SHR-A2102 for injection, combined with Adebelimumab and SHR-1802, in subjects with advanced solid tumors. The announcement shows that SHR-A2102 for injection is independently developed by the company and has intellectual property rights.The company’s nectin-4-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) contains a topoisomerase I inhibitor (TOP1i) as its payload. SHR-1802 for injection is a humanized monoclonal antibody independently developed by the company that activates and promotes anti-tumor T cell responses, exerting anti-tumor effects. ...
- Source: drugdu
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- October 15, 2025
Kelun Biotech’s ADC wins a major indication

Recently, Kelun Biotech announced that its TROP2-targeted ADC drug sac-TMT (sac-TMT, R&D code SKB264/MK-2870) was approved by the NMPA for a third indication for the treatment of adult patients with EGFR-positive non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that progressed after EGFR-TKI treatment. Lung cancer is the number one malignant tumor in my country. Its pathological classification mainly includes non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). NSCLC is the most common pathological type, accounting for approximately 80%-85% of all lung cancer patients. EGFR mutations are the most common tumor-driving gene mutations in lung cancer. First-line treatment is primarily with third-generation EGFR-TKI targeted therapy, but patients inevitably develop drug resistance after receiving this type of therapy. Treatment options for EGFR-TKI resistance are very limited, and platinum-based doublet chemotherapy is currently the primary standard of care. However, these treatment options are suboptimal, particularly in extending overall patient survival. This ...
- Source: drugdu
- 116
- October 14, 2025
New drug TQB2102 is included in the breakthrough therapy program

On October 13, Sino Biopharmaceutical (01177) announced that its independently developed Class 1 new drug TQB2102 for injection, a HER2 bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), has been included in the Breakthrough Therapy Program by the Center for Drug Evaluation of the China National Medical Products Administration for the treatment of HER2 IHC 3+ advanced colorectal cancer that has failed prior treatment with oxaliplatin, irinotecan, or fluorouracil. https://finance.eastmoney.com/a/202510133532526140.html
- Source: drugdu
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- October 14, 2025
Trivalent influenza virus split vaccine approved for clinical trials

Nancai Intelligence reported on October 13th that Beike BioAnnouncement: Changchun Baike Biotechnology Co., Ltd. received the National Medical Products Administration’s announcement on the trivalent influenzaThe clinical trial approval notice for the viral split vaccine (BK-01 adjuvant) was issued. This vaccine is designed to prevent influenza caused by specific influenza virus types, specifically targeting people aged 60 and above, aiming to enhance the immune response in this age group. https://finance.eastmoney.com/a/202510133532452731.html
- Source: drugdu
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- October 14, 2025
Roche/Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s blood test gets approval, sparking anticipation among drug manufacturers

Roche announced on Monday that it and Eli LillyElecsys, a blood test for Alzheimer’s disease developed in collaboration with the two companies, has been approved for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (Source: Company website) The Elecsys test is reportedly suitable for patients aged 55 and above who have signs, symptoms or complaints of cognitive decline. It helps determine whether a patient has Alzheimer’s disease by measuring the level of phosphorylated Tau (pTau) 181 protein in plasma. Earlier in May, the FDA approved an Alzheimer’s disease blood test kit from Japan’s Fujirebio Diagnostics, which was the first product of its kind to be approved. The blood test could speed up the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease　　compared with traditional methods , including a lumbar puncture to collect cerebrospinal fluid and PET brain scans, which are expensive and may not be covered by health insurance. In a clinical trial involving ...
- Source: drugdu
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- October 14, 2025
Lvzhu Biotech LZ901 Phase I clinical trial in the United States has been completed, with a low adverse reaction rate in the low-dose group.

　　On October 9, Lvzhu Biotech (02480) announced the successful completion of its Phase I clinical trial of LZ901 in the United States. The trial, which began in February 2023 and enrolled 66 healthy subjects aged 50 to 70, showed good safety and immunogenicity in both high- and low-dose groups of the LZ901 vaccine. 　　During the trial, only mild vaccine-related adverse reactions were reported in the low-dose group, with an incidence of 4.35%. Neither the high-dose group nor the placebo group experienced any such adverse reactions. LZ901 is a recombinant herpes zoster vaccine independently developed by the company, designed to prevent herpes zoster and its related complications in adults aged 40 and older. The vaccine’s Phase III clinical trial in China has achieved pre-specified objectives and anticipated results. 　　Currently, LZ901 biological productsThe license application has been accepted by the China National Medical Products Administration and is currently under evaluation. The Company reminds ...
- Source: drugdu
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- October 13, 2025
Another rare disease drug has entered China. A similar product for systemic myasthenia gravis has passed the preliminary review catalog of this year’s national negotiation.

　　On October 11, multinational pharmaceutical company UCB announced that the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved the marketing authorization of Zelukeblen sodium (trade name: Zobequel), which can be used in combination with conventional treatment drugs to treat adult patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (GMG) who are positive for anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies. 　　According to the information, Zelukeblen sodium is the world’s first and only new generation C5 complement inhibitor that can be injected subcutaneously, self-administered and has dual inhibitory effects. It can effectively block complement-mediated neuromuscular junction damage. Patients can complete the subcutaneous injection at home in only 5 to 8 seconds, reducing the burden of traveling to and from the hospital. 　　Generalized myasthenia gravis is a rare, chronic, and heterogeneous autoimmune disease with approximately 220,000 patients in China. Common pathogenic antibodies include AChR antibodies and muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK) antibodies. Among them, AChR antibodies are the ...
- Source: drugdu
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- October 13, 2025

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