PharmaFocus Today – Page 59 – media

Ascentage Pharmaceuticals is out with its powerful weapon

On July 10, according to the official website of NMPA, Ascentage Pharma’s highly anticipated pipeline product, lisatoclase tablets (APG-2575), has been conditionally approved for marketing for adult chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) patients who have previously received at least one systemic treatment including a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor. You should know that before this, there was only one Bcl-2 inhibitor in the world – venetoclax. Since then, the research and development boom of Bcl-2 drugs can be said to have lasted for ten years. Now, it has finally borne fruit in the biotech company Ascentage Pharmaceuticals. A major target for crossing the cycle Bcl-2 is the founding member of the Bcl-2 regulatory protein family, the most notable feature of which is its regulatory role in mitochondrial apoptosis. The Bcl-2 family of proteins consists of members that promote or inhibit apoptosis, and controls apoptosis by controlling mitochondrial outer membrane ...
- Source: drugdu
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- July 15, 2025
$10 billion! Merck bets on respiratory drugs

On July 9, Merck announced that it had reached a final agreement with Verona Pharma (VRNA), a biopharmaceutical company focusing on respiratory diseases. According to the agreement, Merck will acquire Verona’s American Depositary Shares (ADS) through a subsidiary at a price of US$107 per share, with a total transaction value of approximately US$10 billion. Through this acquisition, Merck will acquire Ohtuvayre, a first-in-class new COPD drug, expanding its R&D pipeline and product portfolio for the treatment of cardiopulmonary diseases, which is expected to drive growth over the next decade. This is not the first time Merck has made a big investment. According to public data, the patent for PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda, which accounts for nearly half of Merck’s revenue, is about to expire, and the US government is expected to negotiate for Keytruda under the IRA in 2026. Another best-selling drug of Merck, HPV vaccine Gardasil, is facing severe challenges ...
- Source: drugdu
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- July 15, 2025
Kanghua Biotechnology plans to change ownership! Before the suspension, there was a significant increase in trading volume and a three-year consecutive decline in net profit. Shareholders are reducing their holdings and leaving the market

On the evening of July 13th, Kanghua Biotechnology (300841) announced that its controlling shareholder and actual controller, Wang Zhentao, is planning to change the company’s control rights, which may lead to a change in the company’s controlling shareholder and actual controller. Upon application to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, the company’s stock will be suspended from trading starting from Monday, July 14th, with an expected suspension period of no more than 2 trading days. It should be noted that before the suspension, Kanghua Biotechnology saw a significant increase in trading volume on July 11th, with the latest stock price reaching 72.01 yuan per share. According to the data, Kanghua Biotechnology is mainly engaged in the research and development, production, and sales of human vaccines. The company has obtained drug registration certificates for vaccines such as freeze-dried human rabies vaccine (human diploid cell) and ACYW135 meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine. Kanghua Biotechnology’s net profit ...
- Source: drugdu
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- July 15, 2025
Why Too Much May Harm Your Patients’ Weight Loss Efforts

Although many of your patients may think that increasing protein is the key to fat loss and successful weight management, there’s a consensus in the medical community that patients should be aware that there can, indeed, be too much of a good thing. “I feel like protein intake, although important, is grossly overemphasized in weight loss, and a strong focus on protein can miss other critical goals necessary for weight loss — chief among them [being] caloric restriction but also fiber intake and adequate nutrients,” said Matthew Badgett, MD, internal medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. “I discuss protein but advise to not overdo it.” While protein is one of the key macronutrients our bodies need to build muscle and repair tissue, patients should know of varying sources. “Lean proteins are a great option and can come from both animal and plant-based sources like lentils, peas, and other high-protein ...
- Source: drugdu
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- July 15, 2025
Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in early life linked to cravings for sugary and fatty foods

Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in early life, including during gestation and infancy, results in a higher preference for sugary and fatty foods later in life, according to an animal study being presented Sunday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are substances in the environment (air, soil or water supply), food sources, personal care products and manufactured products that interfere with the normal function of the body’s endocrine system. To determine if early-life exposure to these chemicals affects eating behaviors and preferences, researchers from the University of Texas at Austin conducted a study of 15 male and 15 female rats exposed to a common mixture of these chemicals during gestation or infancy. “Our research indicates that endocrine-disrupting chemicals can physically alter the brain’s pathways that control reward preference and eating behavior. These results may partially explain increasing rates of obesity around the world,” ...
- Source: drugdu
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- July 15, 2025
Is Drug Working? Still Needed?

A new allergy medication is prompting clinicians to adjust their approach to oral food challenges — medically supervised tests in which clinicians give increasing doses of an allergen like peanut or milk to see how a patient reacts. The FDA in 2024 approved omalizumab (Xolair) to help reduce allergic reactions in adults and children aged 1 year or older with immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergy. Patients receiving the injections are supposed to avoid foods to which they are allergic. In the event of an accidental exposure, the medication can afford protection against a serious reaction. The approval opened a new frontier in allergy therapy but also raised questions without clear answers, like: How can patients be sure the medication is working? And how will they know if they “outgrow” an allergy, as some people do? After the approval, clinicians wrote to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology seeking advice. ...
- Source: drugdu
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- July 14, 2025
FDA Grants Orphan Drug Designation to Adcentrx Therapeutics’ ADRX-0405 STEAP1 ADC

Adcentrx Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapies for cancer treatments and other life-threatening diseases, announced on July 8, 2025, that FDA has granted orphan drug designation to ADRX-0405, Adcentrx’s treatment of patients with gastric cancer. “Receiving orphan drug designation from FDA is a notable milestone for Adcentrx and reinforces the potential for ADRX-0405 to improve the lives of patients with gastric cancer,” said Hui Li, Ph.D., founder and chief executive officer of Adcentrx. “We are encouraged by the progress of our Phase 1a trial and look forward to further evaluating the safety, tolerability and anti-tumor activity of ADRX-0405 in gastric and other cancer.”1 ADRX-0405 is currently under evaluation in Phase 1a of Phase 1a/b clinical trials for treatment of select advanced solid tumors such as metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer, gastric cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer. This is a 2-part study. Phase 1a will consist ...
- Source: drugdu
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- July 14, 2025
KYS2301 gel approved for clinical use in atopic dermatitis

Kangyuan Pharmaceutical announced that the company recently received the “Drug Clinical Trial Approval Notice” for the Class 1 chemical new drug KYS2301 gel (three specifications) issued by the National Medical Products Administration. KYS2301 gel is the world’s first peptide inhibitor targeting the CCR8 target, and its indication is atopic dermatitis. Preclinical studies have shown that KYS2301 has a high affinity for the CCR8 target, and topical application of KYS2301 gel has a good pharmacodynamic effect on the treatment of atopic dermatitis. Toxicology and pharmacokinetic studies have shown that KYS2301 gel is highly safe. At present, the treatment drugs for atopic dermatitis mainly include topical corticosteroids, which have many adverse reactions and are not suitable for long-term use. The development of localized atopic dermatitis treatment drugs with better safety has important clinical significance. https://www.nbd.com.cn/articles/2025-07-03/3932088.html
- Source: drugdu
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- July 14, 2025
Innovent Biologics’ Enzeshu was approved for marketing, becoming China’s first targeted drug for all patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer

Recently , Innovent’s innovative drug subsidiary, Innovent, announced that its new generation of anti-angiogenesis (anti-VEGF antibody) first-class biological new drug Enzeshu (generic name: Suvicitamab for injection) developed in China has been officially approved for marketing by the China National Medical Products Administration. Enzeshu is approved for the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer or primary peritoneal cancer in adults who have received no more than one systemic treatment after platinum resistance in combination with paclitaxel, liposome doxorubicin or topotecan. It is reported that Enzeshu is the first targeted drug in my country to obtain indications for the entire population of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, breaking the dilemma of limited treatment options in this field. In recent years, the innovative transformation of the old pharmaceutical company Innovent Biologics has begun to show results. The company currently has 10 innovative drugs on the market, and 8 of them have been approved ...
- Source: drugdu
- 146
- July 14, 2025
CStone Pharmaceuticals and Istituto Gentili Enter into European Commercialization Collaboration

Recently , CStone Pharmaceuticals announced that it has reached an exclusive strategic cooperation with Istituto Gentili (hereinafter referred to as Gentili) on the commercialization of Sugemalimab in Western Europe and the United Kingdom. Gentili has obtained the exclusive commercialization rights of Sugemalimab in 23 countries, and CStone Pharmaceuticals will receive a payment of up to US$192.5 million, including an initial payment, registration and sales milestone payments, and a revenue share of nearly 50% of the net sales of Sugemalimab in the authorized area. This cooperation shows that CStone Pharmaceuticals’ products have been recognized in the international market, which will help enhance its influence in the field of global cancer treatment. In the long run, this cooperation will enhance investors’ confidence in the company’s future growth and lay the foundation for the company to further expand its overseas market. https://www.nbd.com.cn/articles/2025-07-08/3936641.html
- Source: drugdu
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- July 14, 2025

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