Hepatitis B, a significant global health concern, is responsible for chronic liver diseases like cirrhosis and liver cancer which is one of the most common cancers worldwide. The challenge with hepatitis B is that most carriers are asymptomatic, remaining unaware of their infection, which can lead to its unintentional spread. Thus, early diagnosis is vital to halt the spread, initiate timely treatment, and reduce the risk of liver complications primarily caused by the hepatitis B virus. However, conventional tests for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) are complex, requiring specialized skills and large, expensive machine-based assays typically found in major hospitals. To overcome the problem of inadequate access to screening for Hepatitis B, researchers have developed a wireless, point-of-care test for the Hepatitis B Virus that can make diagnosis simpler and faster. Researchers from Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok, Thailand) have developed a testing kit that enables ...
Davy James Novartis’ and Roche’s Xolair (omalizumab) is indicated to treat severe allergic reactions after accidental exposure to one or more foods in individuals aged one year and above. The FDA has approved an expanded indication for Novartis’ and Roche’s Xolair (omalizumab) as the first medication indicated to reduce allergic reactions from exposure to one or more food allergens in individuals over 1 year of age with immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy. Xolair is a monoclonal antibody that binds to and inhibits IgE, which is involved in the pathophysiology of the allergic inflammation characteristic of asthma. Through this mechanism of action, IgE down-regulates the immune response to help gain control over allergy-driven inflammation. “Many people with food allergies and their loved ones live in constant fear of accidentally coming into contact with the food they are allergic to and the life-threatening allergic reaction that could happen as a result. Today’s ...
Following an eventful couple of months with Elevidys (delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl), Sarepta Therapeutics has announced that the efficacy supplement for its biologics license application (BLA) of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) gene therapy has received priority review by the FDA. As per the 16 February press release, the purpose of the efficacy supplement is to change Elevidys’ accelerated approval to a traditional approval while also expanding the therapy’s label to treat all DMD patients with a confirmed mutation in the DMD gene. The FDA has set a priority review goal date of 21 June 2024 and will not discuss the supplement in an advisory committee meeting. Elevidys, which was granted approval in June 2023, is currently indicated to treat ambulatory pediatric DMD patients between the ages of four and five years with a confirmed mutation in the DMD gene. The single-dose gene transfer therapy uses a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector serotype ...
Mass spectrometry, known for its higher sensitivity and specificity compared to immunoassays, is particularly effective for testing molecules like Vitamin D and certain hormones where antibody-based tests struggle to differentiate between similar forms. This method allows for more precise testing. Researchers and clinicians have been investigating the use of mass spectrometry for such assays for several years. However, due to its complexity compared to standard immunoassays, mass spectrometry has largely been limited to large clinical reference laboratories and specialized testing companies that have the necessary resources and expertise to develop and conduct these tests. Now, a fully automated clinical mass spectrometry system being developed for routine lab testing could change that. Roche Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) is currently developing a fully automated, standardized liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) solution that will seamlessly integrate into existing clinical chemistry and immunochemistry testing as part of its cobas Pro integrated solutions, as well as laboratory ...
Merck’s unique approval for Keytruda as a postsurgical treatment for resectable kidney cancer has gained new backing in the form of data showing the PD-1 inhibitor can extend patients’ lives. Keytruda slashed the risk of death by 38% compared with placebo when used after kidney removal in patients with clear cell renal carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer, according to newly released trial results. After four years of treatment, investigators estimated that 91.2% of patients in the Keytruda arm were still alive, versus 86% for the control group. The results, which reached statistical significance, come from an update of the Keynote-564 trial. Previously, disease-free survival results from the same trial supported Keytruda’s 2021 approval as an adjuvant therapy for certain kidney cancer patients at risk of recurrence after surgery. Keytruda’s survival win comes just as Bristol Myers Squibb’s rival PD-1 inhibitor, Opdivo, failed for a second time in ...
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 ...
Bayer is launching a sweeping business overhaul as the German conglomerate sees “no viable alternative.” Bayer on Wednesday unveiled a restructuring of its organization that will “come at the expense of many managerial employees,” according to chairwoman of the executives committee on Bayer’s supervisory board, Barbara Gansewend. The job cuts will begin in the coming months and will end in 2025, the company said without providing a specific number for the jobs impacted. But the reductions will be “significant” at the group in Germany, the company said. Bayer declined to comment on the scale of the layoff or the functions involved. Reducing bureaucracy is the “central component” of the adjustments, a Bayer spokesperson told Fierce Pharma. The company’s new operating models are developed with customers at the center. “For this reason, there are no top-down targets and we will only gradually know what scale is really realistic here,” the spokesperson ...
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 ...
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 ...
In his first presentation as the new CEO of BioMarin, Alexander Hardy left no doubt about his mission for the rare and genetic disease specialist. The top priority for the former Genentech CEO is to accelerate and maximize the commercial potential of dwarfism drug Voxzogo, Hardy said Tuesday at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. His second objective is to ramp up the commercialization of Roctavian, a newly approved gene therapy for hemophilia A. Thirdly, it is up to Hardy to identify BioMarin’s most promising R&D projects and make tough decisions about what to cut. Given his experience heading up Roche subsidiary Genentech for the last five years, Hardy is equipped to take on these challenges. During his time in charge, Genentech launched 10 medicines, including blockbuster macular degeneration drug Vabysmo. The company’s revenue jumped 24% and did so efficiently as profit-per-employee grew by 69%. “Why did I choose BioMarin? I ...
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