Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have been studying DNA repair by homologous recombination, where the RecA protein repairs breaks in double-stranded DNA by incorporating a dangling single-strand end into intact double strands, and repairing the break based on the undamaged sequence. They discovered that RecA finds where to put the single strand into the double helix without unwinding it by even a single turn. Their findings promise new directions in cancer research. Homologous recombination (HR) is a ubiquitous biochemical process shared across all living things, including animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria. As we go about our daily lives, our DNA is subjected to all kinds of environmental and internal stress, some of which can lead to breakage of both strands in the double helix. This can be disastrous, and lead to imminent cell death. Luckily, processes like HR are continuously repairing this damage. During HR, one of the two exposed ...
Hai Zheng Pharmaceutical (hereinafter referred to as “Hai Zheng Pharmaceutical”) signed a strategic cooperation agreement on retail project with Sinopharm Holdings Corporation (hereinafter referred to as “Sinopharm”) in Shanghai. (hereinafter referred to as “Sinopharm”) signed a strategic cooperation agreement on retail project in Shanghai, both parties will carry out in-depth cooperation in healthcare and retail channels, through the integration of the advantageous resources of both parties to maximize the synergistic effect, and to bring more personalized, convenient and efficient drug purchasing experience for the majority of patients to improve the level of service. At the meeting, HANHUI Pharmaceutical and Guozhong Quanzai introduced the company profiles and project plans of the two sides respectively, and launched in-depth exchanges and discussions on the strategic cooperation of the two sides’ retail projects. Chairman Shen Xinghu and his entourage also visited the corporate showroom in Sinopharm Building to understand the development history, business innovation ...
US-based Comanche Biopharma has raised $75m in an oversubscribed Series B financing round to develop its small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy, CBP-4888, as a treatment for preeclampsia. The financiers included Google Ventures, F-Prime Capital, Lilly Asia Ventures, Longview Healthcare Ventures, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), and Atlas Venture. Furthermore, Scott Gottlieb from NEA and David Grayzel from Atlas will join Comanche’s board. Preeclampsia is persistent high blood pressure that develops during the second trimester of pregnancy or up to six weeks following delivery. It can be associated with high levels of proteins in the blood, decreased blood platelets, fluid in the lungs, or seizures. It occurs in 2-9% of pregnancies and the only management is premature delivery. Recent studies have found that excess circulating placental soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1) is present in patients with preeclampsia, and can therefore, contribute to its pathogenesis. A 2023 study found that the administration ...
As global leaders and industry power players gather in Davos to address the world’s most pressing problems, the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) AI Governance Alliance (AIGA) has called for stronger collaboration to create a framework for advanced AI. In a series of three new reports, AIGA has focused on unlocking the value and creating a framework for generative AI (GenAI) usage. AIGA said a global effort is needed to create equitable access to AI. According to Cathy Li, head of AI, data and metaverse at the WEF: “The AI Governance Alliance is uniquely positioned to play a crucial role in furthering greater access to AI-related resources, thereby contributing to a more equitable and responsible AI ecosystem globally.” “We must collaborate among governments, the private sector and local communities to ensure the future of AI benefits all,” she added. AIGA has called for experts in various sectors to address key areas ...
After crowning Keytruda as the first immunotherapy for advanced cervical cancer back in 2021, the FDA has awarded the drug another industry-first designation in an earlier stage of the tumor type. But again, the achievement was not perfect for Merck. Thanks to a new FDA nod, Merck’s Keytruda is the first PD-1 drug to be approved in combination with chemoradiotherapy to treat patients with stage 3 to 4a cervical cancer, the New Jersey pharma giant said Friday. This marks Keytruda’s 39th indication in the U.S. The approval, however, was narrower than expected. It came on the back of results from the Keynote-A18 trial, which showed a tumor progression benefit for the Keytruda-chemoradiation regimen in a broader patient population with earlier-stage cervical cancer. Keynote-A18 tested the Keytruda combo in patients whose cancer was as early as stage 1b2. Among the entire trial population, adding Keytruda to chemoradiotherapy slashed the risk of ...
Lundbeck wants migraine suffers to say “nope” to doing more and “yep” to doing less with their condition as the core message of its new campaign for Vyepti. The “Say Yep” initiative plays on the yep in Vyepti, the pharma’s intravenous migraine prevention therapy that was approved by the FDA exactly four years ago next month. The therapy brought in DKK 1 billion ($145.9 million) in 2022, double what it made in 2021 and driven by what Lundbeck said was “strong demand.” The multi-channel media campaign is trying to reach the 40 million Americans who suffer from the often-debilitating condition. The message is to slow down and not push through the pain of a migraine. The campaign “brings to life the brand’s empathetic understanding that people are doing a lot to manage migraine and deserve to do a little less, if possible,” a spokesperson from Lundbeck said. “Say Yep subtly ...
Considering trial setbacks and cash concerns, Satsuma Pharmaceuticals faced an uphill climb to even file for approval of its migraine spray treatment at the FDA. Now, the agency has thrown another wrench in the company’s commercial hopes by issuing a manufacturing-related complete response letter. In rejecting the application, the agency cited chemistry, manufacturing and controls concerns, Satsuma’s parent company, Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories, said in a press release. The agency did not flag issues with the clinical data package or request new trials. “We remain committed to working expeditiously with the FDA to complete the review for STS101 as soon as possible,” Satsuma’s CEO Ryoichi Nagata, M.D., Ph.D., said in the release. The company will detail potential timing for a resubmission after consulting with the FDA. The update is just the latest in a series of setbacks for Satsuma and its migraine asset, dubbed STS101. After coming up short two ...
CEO Bill Anderson said despite prior cost-cutting measures, Bayer still has too many layers of management and bureaucracy. A new restructuring will come with layoffs but the corporate shakeup plan does not yet include a separation of Bayer’s business units. By FRANK VINLUAN Bayer is implementing a corporate restructuring that will slash an unspecified number of jobs, particularly within management. But the strategy does not include a breakup of the conglomerate—at least not yet. In announcing its new strategy late Wednesday, Bayer said it aims to reduce hierarchies and eliminate bureaucracy in the company. The job cuts will happen over the coming months and will be completed by the end of next year at the latest, the company said. Bayer’s corporate shakeup is not entirely a surprise. CEO Bill Anderson, who joined Bayer last June after serving as the chief executive of Roche’s pharmaceuticals division, has been critical of bloat ...
Pharmaceutical Executive Editorial Staff Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ and CRISPR Therapeutics’ Cas9 therapy Casgevy approved as a one-time treatment for transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia on the heels of its approval last month for sickle cell disease. The FDA has granted another approval to Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ and CRISPR Therapeutics’ gene-editing therapy Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel [exa-cel]) as a one-time treatment for transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT) in patients 12 years of age and older.1 Last month, Casgevy became the first FDA-approved novel genome editing technology for sickle cell disease (SCD), which was a significant advancement in gene therapy. The latest approval was months ahead of the FDA’s assigned Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date. “We are pleased with the approval of Casgevy in TDT well ahead of the PDUFA date,” said Samarth Kulkarni, PhD, chairman and chief executive officer of CRISPR Therapeutics.2 “The approval is a reflection of the power and versatility of the CRISPR ...
Two cancer therapies have topped Clarivate Analytics’ Drugs to Watch in 2024, an annual report that identifies potential blockbusters and other medicines that could “transform treatment paradigms.” Clarivate predicts Johnson & Johnson’s combination treatment Akeega and Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca’s datopotamab deruxtecan will generate $2.7 billion in sales each in 2029. On the list of 15 transformative medicines, these are the only ones expected to exceed $2 billion in sales by 2029. Clarivate’s report, which is in its 12th year, highlights drugs that have recently been approved or are expected to be approved in 2024. Its sales estimates cover the G7 countries—U.S., U.K., Japan, France, Italy, Germany and Canada. J&J was the only company with more than one drug on the list. Clarivate also spotlighted J&J’s Talvey, a first-in-class bispecific antibody to treat multiple myeloma. The analysts forecast Talvey’s sales will reach $850 million in 2029. The only other cancer ...
Go to Page Go
your submission has already been received.
OK
Please enter a valid Email address!
Submit
The most relevant industry news & insight will be sent to you every two weeks.