The pharma industry briefing

The latest news, approvals and clinical trials you need to know about this month

Data:
News
in Numbers

$68m  

Karuna Therapeutics has raised $68m to further develop its neurology drug KarXT

Two 

US FDA commissioner Dr Scott Gottlieb is set to resign in April after two years at the helm of the organisation

$100m 

The amount of funding Deerfield has committed for a translational research deal with Harvard

93%

The amount of medications that contain 'potential allergens' according to research published in Science Translational Medicine

$63m  

US biotech Imara has raised $63m for clinical development of its sickle cell disease drug, which is in mid-stage development.

Data:
News
in Numbers

$68m 

Karuna Therapeutics has raised $68m to further develop its neurology drug KarXT

Two

US FDA commissioner Dr Scott Gottlieb is set to resign in April after two years at the helm of the organisation

$100m 

The amount of funding Deerfield has committed for a translational research deal with Harvard

93% 

The amount of medications that contain 'potential allergens' according to research published in Science Translational Medicine

$63m 

US biotech Imara has raised $63m for clinical development of its sickle cell disease drug, which is in mid-stage development.

 Scientists call for a global moratorium on creating ‘CRISPR babies’

Following He Jiankui’s ‘CRISPR babies’ scandal, leading scientists from seven countries have called for “a global moratorium on all clinical uses of human germline editing” — that is, changing DNA in sperm, eggs, or early embryos to make genetically altered children, alterations that would be passed on to future generations. They say a moratorium should be in place for at least five years.

Source: Stat News

 EU seeks 'greener' pharmaceuticals

Measures to reduce the impact pharmaceutical products have on the environment have been outlined by the European Commission, which has said medicines manufacturers, policy makers, regulators and health care professionals all have a role to play.

Source: Out Law

Reprocell to boost drug development in UK biotechs

A Glasgow-based human tissue research company has partnered with Medicines Discovery Catapult to help accelerate drug development at UK biotechnology firms.

Reprocell, which supports stem cell research and pre-clinical drug trials, can provide live human tissue which is able to predict how drugs will behave in patients and whether they are likely to succeed in clinical trials.

Source: The Scotsman

 Germany’s partnership with CARB-X is a critical step in the global push against antibiotics resistance

The German government has committed €40m to the development of products that tackle the rise of drug-resistant bacteria. German officials put up the money as part of their decision to join US and UK authorities in the CARB-X partnership.

CARB-X, a global partnership against drug-resistant bacteria, is set to receive €39m of the German money, bringing the total amount committed to the group up to €480m. The commitment from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research will support four years of antibiotic, vaccine and diagnostic early development.

Source: Fierce Biotech

 NASA calls for new vaccinations to combat virus reactivation during spaceflight

Researchers from NASA’s Johnson Space Center have discovered that dormant herpes viruses reactivate during spaceflight, leading to an urgent need to develop counter-measures, including vaccination, to ensure the success of deep-space missions.

Currently only vaccinations are available for varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and shingles, but three further varieties of herpes were detected in astronauts tested by the team: herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus and Epstein–Barr virus.

Source: Pharmaceutical Technology

Approvals

Tecentriq® (atezolizumab)

The US FDA has approved Roche's Tecentriq in combination with chemotherapy for the initial treatment of adults with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer

Source: Roche

Esketamine

The US FDA has approved Johnson & Johnson’s Esketamine nasal spray for the treatment of patients with treatment-resistant depression.

Source: BBC

Keytruda

The EU has approved MSD’s anti-PD-1 therapy Keytruda for use in combination with carboplatin and either paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel for first-line treatment of adults with metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

Source: The Pharma Times

Praluent

The European Commission has approved Sanofi and Regeneron’s Praluent for reducing cardiovascular risk in adults with established atherosclerotic CV disease

Source: Pharmaphorum

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