Researchers led by Dr Suman Chakrabarty from S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, in collaboration with Sarfez Pharmaceuticals, have explored a new frontier in computer-aided drug discovery that can help develop medicines that can prevent harmful protein-protein interactions which can lead to conditions like elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or cholesterol level. Traditionally, scientists have tried to develop small molecules as drugs that would preferentially bind to the protein-protein interaction (PPI) sites and act as competitive inhibitors. However, finding drugs that can effectively block these protein interactions has been difficult because the areas where proteins interact are often large and smooth, with no clear spots for a drug to latch onto. A commonly used alternative approach is to use large peptides or antibodies to inhibit PPIs. But these are often undesirable due to the increased cost, difficulty of ...
Following positive guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the CRISPR-based gene therapy Casgevy has been made available to patients with transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT) in England. Today (8 August), NICE released their final draft guidance recommending Casgevy coverage via the NHS. Casgevy was developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics. The recommendation concerns patients aged 12 and older with severe beta-thalassemia needing blood transfusion, for whom blood and bone marrow transplant is suitable, but no matching donor is available. Consequently, Vertex announced a reimbursement agreement with NHS England making the treatment available beginning today. Casgevy will be accessible through the Innovative Medicines Fund for up to 460 eligible patients, as per NICE. The NICE decision came after an independent committee heard statements on how TDT impacts the lives of patients. TDT is a life-threatening inherited disease in which genetic mutation reduces or prevents production ...
2024 European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress will take place from September 13-17 in Madrid, Spain. During the conference, Henlius will release multiple results on its first innovative product HANSIZHUANG (serplulimab) as well as its trastuzumab biosimilar approved in China, Europe and U.S., HANQUYOU. The results to be displayed include the smoking-related genomic mutation patterns in patients with small cell lung cancer treated in ASTRUM-005 study, a pivotal phase 3 clinical study of serplulimab for the first-line treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) led by Professor Ying Cheng from Jilin Cancer Hospital, and the exploratory biomarker analysis of ASTRUM-004 study, a pivotal phase 3 clinical study of serplulimab plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (sqNSCLC) led by Professor Caicun Zhou from Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University. HANSIZHUANG (serplulimab) is a recombinant humanised anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody(mAb)injection independently developed by Henlius, ...
Recently, Hengrui Pharmaceuticals’ subsidiary, Suzhou Shengdia Bio-pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has received a Notice of Approval for Clinical Trial of Drugs issued by the State Drug Administration, agreeing to conduct a clinical trial for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in children and adolescents aged 6 to less than 18 years old, who are suitable for systemic therapy or phototherapy. Psoriasis is a chronic, relapsing, immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease that most often involves the scalp, knees, elbows, hands and feet. The prevalence of psoriasis ranges from 0.09% to 11.4% of the global population [1][2], and the prevalence of psoriasis in our country is about 0.5% [3]. About 80%-90% of psoriasis cases are of the common type of psoriasis (plaque psoriasis) and 10%-20% of cases are of moderate to severe psoriasis involving more than 5% of the body surface area (BSA) [4]. It is estimated that approximately 1/3 of adults with psoriasis ...
Recently, Hengrui Pharmaceuticals’ subsidiary, Guangdong Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. received a Notice of Approval for Clinical Trial of Drugs approved by the State Drug Administration, agreeing to conduct a clinical trial of SHR-1819 Injection for patients with Prutigo nodularis (PN). PN is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease clinically characterized by episodes of intense itching and multiple nodular lesions. The main clinical symptom is intense, recurrent itching accompanied by uncontrollable scratching, which leads to hyperkeratosis of the skin to the point of forming dome-shaped nodules.1 PN leads to the development of psychological disorders in patients who face a significant reduction in quality of life, reduced sleep quality, and anxiety and depression. According to Frost & Sullivan, the number of PN patients in China will be approximately 2 million in 2022 and is expected to reach 2.1 million in 2030. To date, there is no standard diagnosis and treatment program for PN, ...
Aurelle Health, a D2C Nutraceutical brand aimed to prioritise women’s hormonal health, has been launched in India. Taking its lineage from Balaxi Pharmaceuticals, the inception of the brand is based on the statistics that 1 out of every 5 Indian women suffer from hormonal issues like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). The brand further aims to educate women about their hormone health. As part of the launch phase, the company has introduced products across four categories – hair health, skin health, gut health and weight management. The novel products namely Clear Canvas, Mane and Maintain, Gut Health and Tone it Down, claim to be non-GMO, clinically proven, sugar-free and vegan. Paridhi Maheshwari, Founder, Aurelle Health explains that the brand incorporates her journey through PCOS, along with her experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Aurelle products are currently available on their website, Amazon and in select skin/hair clinics. The products are slated to ...
By Don Tracy, Associate Editor The study aims to explore Anktiva as a potential cornerstone of future immunotherapy treatments for endometrial cancer and other forms of the disease. ImmunityBio has initiated a clinical trial to evaluate the combination of Anktiva, their IL-15 superagonist, with the investigational AdHER2DC cancer vaccine, a product of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), as a potential treatment for endometrial cancer. According to the company, the purpose of the trial is to assess the safety and efficacy of this combination therapy in patients with HER2-positive endometrial cancer. The trial comes amid Anktiva’s recent FDA approval for treating BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.1,2 “We are pleased to partner with the NCI on this important cancer control study involving Anktiva, which has demonstrated in clinical trials that activation of memory T cells may help deliver long-duration response well beyond that of checkpoint inhibitors alone,” said Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, executive ...
The FDA approved Servier Pharmaceuticals’ Voranigo as a treatment for two types of low-grade gliomas. The drug, which is projected to become a blockbuster product, comes from Servier’s $1.8 billion acquisition of Agios Pharmaceuticals’ oncology business. By Frank VinluanA Servier Pharmaceuticals drug designed to penetrate the brain to hit its targets is now FDA approved for treating two rare types of brain cancer. The FDA approval announced Tuesday covers the treatment of adults and adolescents 12 and older who have Grade 2 astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma. The drug, vorasidenib, may be prescribed after surgery, as long as the cancers have mutations to the IDH1 or IDH2 enzymes the once-daily pill is designed to inhibit. The FDA said this regulatory decision marks the agency’s first for a systemic therapy for these cancers driven by either the IDH1 or IDH2 mutations. France-based Servier, which has its U.S. headquarters in Boston, will commercialize its ...
The CDSCO, with approval from the Central government, has notified a list of countries under rule 101 of the New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules, 2019 that would, subject to conditions, consider the waiver of local clinical trials for several drugs if already approved in well-regulated markets. The countries on the list include the US, UK, Japan, Australia, Canada and the European Union. The categories of new drugs specified are: • Orphan drugs for rare diseases • Gene and cellular therapy products • New drugs used in pandemic situation • New drugs used for specific defence purpose • New drugs having significant therapeutic advance over the current standard care The move is expected to accelerate access to innovative therapies within the country. Lauding the decision, Anil Matai, Director General, OPPI, says that this move will significantly benefit both domestic and foreign drug manufacturers by expediting the approval process and facilitating ...
Barrett’s esophagus is a condition where the lining of the esophagus changes due to chronic gastroesophageal reflux. Individuals with Barrett’s esophagus are at a slightly increased risk of developing esophageal cancer and require regular surveillance endoscopies. During these procedures, gastroenterologists collect numerous biopsies from the affected tissues. These samples are then cut into thin sections and placed on glass slides for examination under a microscope by pathologists. However, the tissue sections that pathologists view represent only about 1% or less of the actual biopsies and provide just a two-dimensional view, which can be misleading. Researchers are now conducting clinical studies of archived tissues from patients with the condition to develop computational 3D pathology methods for Barrett’s esophagus risk stratification. The research team at UW College of Engineering (Seattle, WA, USA) had previously invented 3D pathology methods to assess prostate cancer risk and shifted their focus on gastrointestinal applications of their ...
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