Pharma News

A groundbreaking study published in the journal iScience presents crucial insights into the ocular effects of Zika virus infection during pregnancy and offers promising avenues for therapeutic intervention.

Mayo Clinic scientists have developed an immunotherapy strategy that potentially lays the groundwork for treating a spectrum of autoimmune diseases.

The new technique, detailed in a preclinical study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, involves combining chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), resulting in engineered stem cells known as CAR-MSCs.

Researchers have used computational models to understand what drives the accumulation of alpha-synuclein protein, a key culprit in the development of Parkinson’s disease.

A novel treatment for leukemias and lymphomas that arise from immune system T cells,  developed by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Ludwig Center and Lustgarten Laboratory, was found to be effective at killing these cancers in mice bearing human T-cell tumors.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Vanda) (Nasdaq: VNDA) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Fanapt® (iloperidone) tablets for the acute treatment of manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adults. Fanapt® is an atypical antipsychotic agent that has been used for the acute treatment of patients with schizophrenia since its FDA approval in 2009.

Genmab A/S and ProfoundBio, Inc. announced  that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement for Genmab to acquire ProfoundBio in an all-cash transaction. ProfoundBio is a privately-owned clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation ADCs and ADC technologies for the treatment of certain cancers, including ovarian cancer and other FRα-expressing solid tumors. Genmab will acquire ProfoundBio for USD 1.8 billion in cash, payable at closing (subject to adjustment for ProfoundBio’s closing net debt and transaction expenses). 

Abbott announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the company's first-of-its-kind TriClip transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system that's specifically designed for the treatment of tricuspid regurgitation (TR), or a leaky tricuspid valve. This approval follows the recent recommendation of the Circulatory System Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee for the FDA, whose vote confirmed 13 to 1, with 0 abstention that the benefits of TriClip outweighed the risks.

A new approach to analysing exome sequencing data reliably detects large-scale genetic changes and could reduce the number of genetic tests a child might need. A single genetic test could potentially replace the current two-step approach to diagnosing rare developmental disorders in children. This shift could enable earlier diagnoses for families and save the NHS vital resources.

Researchers from Rutgers Health believe they are among the leaders in a race to find an oral COVID-19 treatment to supplement or replace Paxlovid – an antiviral medication that helps keep high-risk patients out of the hospital.

Their report, published in Science, shows that an alternative medication, a viral papain-like protease inhibitor, inhibits disease progression in animals, a necessary step before human drug trials.