Pharmaceutical Executive Editorial Staff If approved by the FDA, Xolair would be the first drug indicated to lower allergic reactions to multiple foods after an accidental exposure, including peanut, milk, and egg allergies. The FDA has granted Priority Review to Genentech’s supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Xolair (omalizumab) for the treatment of allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis, that may result from an accidental exposure to one or more foods in patients aged 1 year and older with a food allergy. If the FDA approves the application, Xolair would be the first drug indicated to lower allergic reactions to multiple foods after an accidental exposure. Roche said it expects the FDA to decide on the approval in the first quarter of 2024. “Despite the significant and growing health burden from food allergies, treatment advances have been limited,” said Levi Garraway, MD, PhD, Genentech’s chief medical officer and head of Global ...
GSK gains rights to a Hansoh Pharma antibody drug conjugate that targets a protein abundant on lung cancer cells and other types of solid tumors. The pharmaceutical giant plans to start its own slate of clinical trials with this ADC in 2024. By FRANK VINLUAN GSK’s cancer drug pipeline is getting bigger with the addition of another antibody drug conjugate, or ADC. It’s the second time in as many months that GSK has turned to Hansoh Pharma for one of the China-based biotech’s drugs. Per deal terms announced Wednesday, GSK is paying $185 million up front for rights to HS-20093, a Hansoh ADC that has been tested in lung cancer. GSK gains global rights to the drug candidate excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. ADCs are made by chemically linking an antibody to a toxic drug payload. The targeting ability of the antibody is meant to provide a ...
Despite bluebird bio winning a recent FDA nod for its much-anticipated sickle cell disease gene therapy Lyfgenia, the regulatory triumph left something to be desired for the company because the agency didn’t grant a lucrative priority review voucher (PRV). That came as a surprise to bluebird, which had previously inked a deal to sell a potential PRV to Novartis for $103 million. Now, bluebird is hurrying to raise millions of dollars—through two separate avenues—to fund the launch of its new sickle cell disease gene therapy and others. In one fundraising approach, bluebird said it reached an agreement to hand over future gene therapy revenues to Alterna Capital Solutions in exchange for up-front funding. The deal covers a maximum credit of $100 million for bluebird, the company said in an SEC filing (PDF). Additionally, bluebird is working with Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Securities to sell $150 million in new shares. ...
Detecting cancer in the body or monitoring it during therapy is typically a time-consuming process, often conducted in later phases when signs become obvious. Researchers engaged in cancer research are continuously seeking reliable and sensitive techniques to detect a developing tumor at a very early stage and to closely monitor the success or failure of cancer therapy. Therefore, a breakthrough in early cancer diagnosis is a significant advancement. Researchers have now achieved a breakthrough with the development of a test for early diagnosis of cancer. Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute (Würenlingen, Switzerland) have demonstrated that changes in the organization of the cell nucleus of certain blood cells can reliably indicate the presence of a tumor in the body. Using fluorescence microscopy, the team examined the chromatin of these blood cells – DNA packaged into a complex structure. They analyzed about 200 different characteristics, including the external texture, the packing ...
Illumina has decided against further appeals of U.S. and European antitrust litigation challenging its acquisition of liquid biopsy company Grail. Illumina expects to have terms of the divestiture set by the end of the second quarter of 2024. By FRANK VINLUAN Illumina is done fighting in the courts to keep cancer-detection company Grail. The gene-sequencing giant had previously pledged to divest Grail if it did not win either the U.S. or European appeals of anti-trust cases challenging the acquisition. A U.S. appeals court came down against the Federal Trade Commission’s case on Friday, but in a narrow way that hardly handed Illumina a clear victory. After reviewing the decision, Illumina said Sunday that it has decided against further litigation. The company will divest Grail. The planned divestiture is the latest step in a journey that started within Illumina. Grail began as research within the San Diego company. Grail spun out ...
On December 12, 2023, local time, Chilean President Gavriel Borich met with Yin Weidong, Chairman, President and CEO of SINOVAC, and his delegation at the Presidential Palace. The two sides reached an agreement on the localization of vaccine production and cooperation in the research and development of health products, and the Chilean government will strongly support SINOVAC’s project promotion in the region. President Borich began by recalling his successful visit to China not long ago, emphasizing that when he met with President Xi Jinping, they jointly identified the need to further deepen cooperation in the health sector among the many bilateral cooperation between China and Chile. He also indicated that the Chilean government has set the strategic goal of developing vaccine R&D and industrialization in Chile. Chairman Yin Weidong responded, “His Excellency the President’s visit to China was indeed a great success, and the charisma you displayed attracted many Chinese ...
EMA and the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMAs) have published an Artificial Intelligence (AI) workplan to 2028, setting out a collaborative and coordinated strategy to maximise the benefits of AI to stakeholders while managing the risks. The workplan will help the European medicines regulatory network (EMRN) to embrace the opportunities of AI for personal productivity, automating processes and systems, increasing insights into data and supporting more robust decision-making to benefit public and animal health. The AI workplan, prepared under the joint HMA-EMA Big Data Steering Group (BDSG), ensures the EMRN remains at the forefront in benefiting from AI in medicines regulation. The workplan was adopted by EMA’s Management Board at its December meeting. The field of AI is developing swiftly. Pharmaceutical companies increasingly use AI-powered tools in research, development and monitoring of medicines. National competent authorities are responding to the new opportunities and challenges by starting to use and develop ...
To identify true growth opportunities, investors must consider how companies are using AI to revolutionize the treatment journey. Some companies are doing just that via Software as a Medical Device (SaMD), particularly by developing prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs). By DAVID B. KLEIN The excitement around artificial intelligence has been palpable for some time, dominating industry discussions and mobilizing capital for investment opportunities, but as of late, there’s been a change in the air. The optimism that reached a fever pitch in the first half of the year has dissipated. Now begins the hard work of sorting through what it all means. As the healthcare industry responds to the burgeoning opportunities AI presents, especially in developing new, more effective therapeutics and enabling access to treatment, it’s critical that investors prioritize proof over positivity. They must determine if a company’s AI strategy will lead to a high return on investment, or if ...
On December 15, 2023, BIO-THERA Bio-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced that it had received a Notice of Approval of Drug Clinical Trial from the State Drug Administration, which approved the application for a Phase II/III clinical trial of the investigational drug BAT1308 injection in combination with platinum-containing chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of advanced or recurrent mismatch-modification-repaired protein-deficient (dMMR) endometrial cancer. BAT1308 is a humanized anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody independently developed by BIO-THERA, which belongs to IgG4κ subtype and is expressed by Chinese hamster ovary cells.PD-1 is mainly expressed by activated T-lymphocytes, and is an inhibitory immune checkpoint.PD-L1 and PD-L2 are the two ligands of PD-1, and when PD-L1 or PD-L2 bind to PD-1, it can inhibit immune activation of T-cells through the downstream signaling pathway to inhibit immune activation of T cells. It has been found that a variety of tumor cells can express PD-L1 and PD-L2 and bind to PD-1 ...
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts has entered a consent decree of permanent injunction ordering Pharmasol Corporation, a Massachusetts-based company, and President Marc L. Badia to stop distributing drugs until the company complies with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act and other requirements listed in the consent decree. According to the complaint, which was filed along with the consent decree by the U.S. Department of Justice, Pharmasol and Badia unlawfully distributed adulterated drugs, meaning they do not comply with manufacturing quality requirements within the U.S. marketplace. “When drug manufacturers violate the law and disregard safety standards, they put consumers at significant risk. In this case, the defendant’s company distributed adulterated, poor-quality drugs without regard for patients and consumers,” said Jill Furman, director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “The FDA plays an important role in protecting consumers, ...
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.