Chinese pharmaceutical industry insiders have warned that foreign takeovers may damage the sector and even threaten national security. Since December, five Chinese biotech drug makers have been sold to global pharmaceutical giants. Industry insiders have warned that this could have a negative impact, especially given the risk that the United States could extend its technology sanctions to essential medicines. John Cai, chairman of China Healthcare Innovation Platform Academy, a healthcare think tank in Shanghai, said: “When national conflicts occur and drugs are sanctioned as strategic products, it will affect the health of a country’s population. “Considering that China’s biopharmaceutical and broader healthcare industry are now facing international competition and restrictions, Beijing should act with a sense of urgency.” He also said that research and development was a long process and if innovative products were sold as soon as they were developed, it would be difficult for China to cultivate world-class ...
Recent financing news includes several companies raising money to advance their research to the clinic. Here’s a look back at funding rounds from companies such as Outpace Bio, GRO Biosciences, and Confo Therapeutics. By Frank VinluanOne challenge for developing drugs for autoimmune diseases is that biologic therapies can spark an immune response against them. Immunology and inflammation research is coming up with new approaches to reduce the risk of such responses. That science is progressing in the hands of new companies raising fresh rounds of capital. Inflammation and immunology figures prominently in recent funding news, which includes several companies approaching the clinic with novel biologic drugs. Here’s a recap of recent biotech financings, grouped according to therapeutic area: Immunology & Inflammation —Abiologics unveiled an artificial intelligence-driven platform technology for designing novel biologic drugs based on non-standard amino acids. The startup, which has been incubating within Flagship Pioneering for the past ...
Cancer is estimated to affect more than three million people living in the UK, according to Macmillan Cancer Support Researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have revealed in a study that CAR-enhancer (CAR-E) therapy could help patients overcome cancer relapse. In the findings published in Nature Biotechnology, researchers report on a technique to prevent relapse and researchers hope to launch the first trial in the near future. It is estimated that there are more than three million people living in the UK with cancer, according to Macmillan Cancer Support, with breast cancer being the most prevalent, accounting for more than 55,000 new cases every year. A common challenge faced when using CAR T-cell therapies is that many patients, including those whose cancer has gone into full remission, eventually relapse. To eliminate this problem, the new techniques create what researchers consider a CAR-E therapeutic platform, which causes CAR T cells to ...
Otsuka Pharmaceutical is acquiring Jnana Therapeutics, whose lead drug is a potential treatment for the rare metabolic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU). Jnana’s drug could provide an alternative to two FDA-approved PKU medicines from BioMarin Pharmaceutical. By Frank VinluanOtsuka Pharmaceutical is broadening its scope in rare disease, striking a deal to acquire Jnana Therapeutics and its lead drug candidate, a small molecule on track for pivotal testing in a metabolic disorder with few treatments. Per deal terms announced Thursday, Otsuka is paying $800 million up front to buy Boston-based Jnana. The Japanese pharma company could shell out up to $325 million more if the lead drug candidate of privately held Jnana achieves development and regulatory milestones. Jnana’s lead program, JNT-517, is in development for phenylketonuria (PKU), an inherited disorder that leads to deficiency of an enzyme needed to break down phenylalanine, an amino acid found in certain foods. Buildup of phenylalanine in ...
Bowel cancer, commonly referred to as colorectal cancer, can develop anywhere in the large bowel, including the colon and rectum. It ranks among the most prevalent cancers globally, with 1.9 million new cases recorded in 2020. The current protocols for determining the need for chemotherapy for patients with early-stage bowel cancer are not consistently reliable. As a result, some patients receive chemotherapy unnecessarily, while others who might benefit from it do not receive it and may face cancer recurrence. This decision is particularly challenging for stage II colon cancer, where the risk of recurrence post-surgery is generally lower. Now, a new artificial intelligence (AI) test can predict the risk of recurrence in bowel cancers, potentially helping patients avoid unnecessary chemotherapy. This test employs an AI algorithm to measure the concentration of immune cells known as CD3 in tumors at the early stages of bowel cancer. Previous studies have indicated that ...
Otsuka Pharmaceutical is looking to acquire US-based Jnana Therapeutics in a deal worth up to approximately $1.1bn. The Japanese company will pay Jnana’s shareholders $800m through its US subsidiary, Otsuka America. Jnana will also be in line to receive up to $325m in milestone-based payments. The deal is expected to close in Q3 this year. Otsuka plans for Jnana to operate as its subsidiary following the acquisition. To achieve this, it plans to merge Jnana with a special purpose company, established under Otsuka America, with the Jnana remaining as the surviving company. Jnana’s lead asset is JNT-517 being developed to treat phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare inherited metabolic disorder that causes an amino acid called phenylalanine to build up in the body. JNT-517 inhibits SLC6A19 or solute carrier family 6 member 19, a transmembrane protein that regulates phenylalanine absorption and reuptake in the small intestine and kidney. In June, Jnana reported ...
US-based vaccine company HilleVax is slashing its workforce by 40% after its lead vaccine failed a Phase IIb study last month. HilleVax announced that it will let go of 41 employees, after a Phase IIb trial (NCT05836012) with its norovirus vaccine, HIL-214, failed to meet primary and secondary endpoints. The company’s stock plummeted by more than 80% following the 8 July announcement of the failed results. The vaccine showed an efficacy of 5% in the 2,800 infants enrolled in the study aged four months of age at the time of enrolment in the US and Latin American countries, who had norovirus-related acute gastroenteritis (AGE). The study did not meet the key endpoint of demonstrating efficacy against moderate or severe AGE events caused by the GI.1 or GII.4 norovirus genotypes. The experimental vaccine had previously shown success in adults, with one Phase IIb field efficacy trial (NCT02669121) in 4,712 adults showing ...
A revolutionary microarray immunoassay enables patients to receive results for multiple allergens using just a single blood sample, thereby minimizing the necessity for multiple tests and appointments. AliveDx’s (Eysins, Switzerland) groundbreaking microarray immunoassay is specifically designed to detect specific IgE antibodies directed against protein allergens in human serum and runs on the company’s proprietary MosaiQ platform. This multiplex immunoassay microarray is capable of detecting over 30 allergens, including those from both inhalants and foods and represents a significant leap in diagnostic capabilities by allowing simultaneous testing for various conditions. This method streamlines the diagnostic process, simplifies laboratory workflows, and reduces the manual labor typically associated with singleplex testing methods. Consequently, it saves significant time for both laboratories and clinicians, enhancing the ability to efficiently diagnose and exclude multiple conditions. For patients who are sensitized to multiple allergens, this technology offers a rapid, comprehensive diagnostic process and supports more targeted ...
BIO-THERA Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd (SSE: 688177) is a global science-based and innovative biopharmaceutical company based in Guangzhou, China, hereinafter referred to as “BIO-THERA” or the “Company”. The Company is dedicated to the development of a new generation of innovative drugs and biosimilars for the treatment of oncology, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, ophthalmology, and other major diseases that threaten human life or health. The Company recently received notification from the European Commission that Avzivi (BAT1706), a biosimilar developed by BIO-THERA with reference to Avastin® (bevacizumab), Intravenous Solution, has been granted marketing authorization by the European Commission for the treatment of metastatic colorectal, metastatic breast, non-small-cell lung, renal-cell, epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal, and cervical cancer. The decision was based on a positive review opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). In September 2021, BIO-THERA signed a commercialization and license ...
The European Medicine Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended approval of a new indication of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Spevigo (spesolimab) injection for the prevention of generalised pustular psoriasis (GPP) flares in adults and adolescents from 12 years of age. Spevigo originally received a European Commission approval for the infusion in December 2022, for the treatment of GPP flares in adults as a monotherapy. However, this approval would offer younger patients the chance to use Spevigo to prevent flare-ups. Spevigo attaches to the interleukin-36 receptor (IL-36), which plays a crucial role in the immune system’s signalling pathway and is implicated in the pathogenesis of GPP. GPP is a rare, severe type of psoriasis where patients suffer from widespread pustules on red skin, often accompanied by systemic symptoms like fever and fatigue. It is distinct from other forms of psoriasis, as it can become life-threatening due to complications ...
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