Antibodies and immunotherapies are all the rage in the lung cancer drug market, but older, small molecule drugs can still carve out a healthy niche-and AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso is set to be the leader in that market. That’s according to a new report out by analysts at GlobalData who see more than $7 billion in sales by 2029 for Tagrisso, a small molecule kinase inhibitor. It was first approved in 2015 for certain non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with an EGFR mutation, later receiving a first-line green light in 2018 and an adjuvant approval in 2020. Tagrisso is AstraZeneca’s biggest-selling drug, making $5.44 billion in 2022, up 15% in 2021 and more than double its newer oncology drugs Imfinzi, an immunotherapy and PARP inhibitor Lynparza. “In the ever-evolving landscape of oncology, small-molecule drugs are carving a significant niche in lung cancer treatment,” said analysts at GlobalData. “Tagrisso is projected to ...
Incyte has activated star power for its latest Opzelura ad campaign, enlisting the actor and singer Mandy Moore to help share the stories of eczema patients. The campaign, Moments of Clarity, is an educational initiative focused on sharing details of the lives of people with atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema, and how they found relief from their symptoms. Moore, who has eczema but doesn’t use Incyte’s Opzelura, discussed her motivation for participating in the campaign in a video she shared with her 5.5 million followers on Instagram. “I’m well aware of the impact it can have on your daily life. Sometimes I feel particularly self-conscious about it, especially when I’m at work. Luckily, my day job allows for it to get somewhat covered up but … I don’t think it ever really feels good to show up for work when you’re not feeling your best. So I ...
After the FDA passed on an approval for mirikizumab in ulcerative colitis earlier this year because of manufacturing shortfalls, the Eli Lilly drug is gaining new momentum with a win in a phase 3 Crohn’s disease study. The interleukin-23p19 antagonist achieved both primary endpoints and all of its major secondary endpoints in the VIVID-1 study, Lilly said in a Thursday release. The trial results will serve as the basis of regulatory submissions in the disease next year, the company added. In the study, Lilly’s drug helped 54.1% of participants achieve clinical remission at week 52, compared with 19.6% for those on placebo. However, the drug couldn’t prove superiority in the endoscopic response measure when pitted against Johnson & Johnson’s star immunosuppressant Stelara (ustekinumab). Still, mirikizumab’s results were “numerically higher” than its J&J counterpart, Lilly said. Lilly will pursue approval in Crohn’s in 2024, when it will submit a marketing application ...
Dive Brief Haemonetics has struck a deal to buy the interventional cardiology company OpSens for around $253 million. OpSens sells two pressure-sensing guidewires for use in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures. The devices helped OpSens generate sales of C$34.2 million ($25.2 million) over the first nine months of its current fiscal year. Analysts at Needham told investors the takeover is consistent with the M&A strategy outlined by management and will give Haemonetics devices that complement its vascular closure products. Dive Insight Haemonetics created its vascular closure business early in 2021 by acquiring Cardiva Medical for $510 million. On a quarterly results conference call in May, an analyst said the subsequent growth has been “phenomenal.” Haemonetics voiced an appetite for more deals on its next quarterly call, when CFO James D’Arecca set out plans to accelerate growth through M&A. D’Arecca and the rest of the ...
People with early Alzheimer’s disease have difficulty turning when walking, according to a new study using virtual reality led by UCL researchers. The study, published in Current Biology, used a computational model to further explore the intricacies of navigational errors previously observed in Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers, led by Professor Neil Burgess and colleagues in the Space and Memory group* at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, grouped participants into three categories: healthy younger participants (31 total), healthy elderly participants (36 total) and patients with mild cognitive impairment (43 total). They then asked them to complete a task while wearing virtual reality goggles, which allowed them to make real movements. In the trial, participants walked an outbound route guided by numbered cones, consisting of two straight legs connected by a turn. They then had to return to their starting position unguided. The task was performed under three different environmental conditions aimed ...
By Kate Goodwin Pictured: Roche Building in Pleasanton/iStock, JHVEPhoto Roche’s Genentech claimed victory for the subcutaneous formulation of its multiple sclerosis blockbuster Ocrevus on Wednesday, with plans to submit Phase III data for regulatory approval. In the OCARINA II study, twice-yearly, 10-minute subcutaneous injections of Ocrevus were pitted against the currently approved IV formulation for multiple sclerosis (MS). The subcutaneous dosing proved as effective in patients with relapsing or primary progressive MS over a 24-week period as the IV version on pharmacokinetic, biomarker and MRI measures. Ocrevus works by targeting and removing a type of B cells that attack the myelin covering around the brain and spinal cord nerve cells. In the Phase III study, the subcutaneous injection provided rapid and sustained B-cell depletion similar to the IV infusion—97% and 98%, respectively, had levels of 5 cells/µL or less at two weeks, which was sustained over 24 weeks. Both formulations ...
By Tristan Manalac Novo Nordisk is ending its Phase III FLOW trial ahead of schedule after an interim analysis of the kidney outcomes study of semaglutide found a very high likelihood of study success, the company announced Tuesday. FLOW, a large randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled superiority trial, was assessing the effects of Novo’s GLP-1 agonist semaglutide on the progression of renal impairment and on the risk of renal and cardiovascular mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Novo’s diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss treatment Wegovy, approved in January 2020 and June 2021, respectively. The study enrolled more than 3,500 patients worldwide and administered semaglutide as an adjunct to standard of care. FLOW’s protocol allowed for an interim analysis once a specific and pre-determined number of primary endpoint events had already occurred. At this interim analysis, an independent Data Monitoring ...
Biogen just closed its Reata Pharmaceuticals buyout in September. Now, 100-plus Reata staffers are losing their jobs because their roles were already covered at the Massachusetts Big Biotech. That didn’t take long.Just two weeks after Biogen completed its buyout of Reata Pharmaceuticals, the combined company is trimming its staff. In a recent Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice sent to state officials in Texas, Reata said it’s cutting 113 positions. The layoffs will take effect late next month. Reata employed 321 people at the start of the year, an annual Securities and Exchange Commission filing (PDF) shows, so the layoffs are set to affect about a third of the acquired company’s staff. Biogen inked its Reata buyout in July, picking up the potential blockbuster Skyclarys, which is approved by the FDA to treat the rare, inherited neurological disorder Friedreich ataxia. The companies completed the deal in September. At the ...
Pfizer has agreed to pay $50 million to resolve a class-action, antitrust case which alleged the company teamed up with others to delay the entry of a generic version of the EpiPen allergy relief medicine.The lawsuit, which dates to 2020 and was brought in federal court in Kansas, was filed by direct purchaser plaintiffs who claimed Pfizer and its EpiPen marketing and distribution partner Mylan conspired with Teva to delay the entry of a generic version of EpiPen. The settlement was revealed in a court filing this week. The suit claimed Mylan agreed to delay entry of its generic version of Teva’s branded blockbuster drug Nuvigil in exchange for Teva delaying entry of its EpiPen generic. The direct purchasers claimed they paid more for EpiPen than they would have if Teva’s generic was on the market. Under a prior partnership with Mylan, a Pfizer subsidiary was responsible for manufacturing EpiPen ...
AstraZeneca (AZ) has shared positive results from a late-stage trial evaluating its oral SGLT2 inhibitor Forxiga (dapagliflozin) in children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes (T2D). T2D is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for over 90% of cases worldwide, and its prevalence in children and adolescents is increasing globally. The disease is characterised by pathophysiologic defects leading to elevated glucose levels, which over time contribute to further disease progression. “Despite the growing global burden of T2D among children and adolescents, the treatment options available are currently limited,” said Ruud Dobber, executive vice president, BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit, AZ. “It is well documented that some patients find injectable therapies challenging, making the need for effective oral treatment alternatives paramount,” he added. AZ’s phase 3 T2NOW, which is one of the largest paediatric T2D studies performed to date, assessed the efficacy and safety of Forxiga as an add-on treatment in children ...
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