Pharma News

WHO has added the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine to its list of prequalified vaccines. In October 2023, WHO recommended its use for the prevention of malaria in children following the advice of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization and the Malaria Policy Advisory Group. The prequalification means larger access to vaccines as a key tool to prevent malaria in children with it being a prerequisite for vaccine procurement by UNICEF and funding support for deployment by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Takeda announced that LIVTENCITY (maribavir) has been approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China for the treatment of adult patients with post-hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) or solid organ transplant (SOT) cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection/disease that is refractory to treatment (with or without genotypic resistance) with ganciclovir, valganciclovir, cidofovir or foscarnet. LIVTENCITY is the first and only inhibitor of CMV-specific UL97 protein kinase in China for this indication.

Sanofi is discontinuing the global clinical development program of tusamitamab ravtansine. The decision is based on the outcome of a prespecified interim analysis of the Phase 3 CARMEN-LC03 trial evaluating tusamitamab ravtansine as monotherapy compared to docetaxel in previously treated patients with metastatic non-squamous (NSq) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors express high levels of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 5 (CEACAM5).

FOREMOST MEDITECH has received the award for best promising company for healthcare medical devices by Medgate.

The event was honored with the presence of  Cmdr.Surender Singh War Veteran & Leader BJP who was chief guest. Other guests include Rajiv Nath, Forum coordinator AiMED and Dr Girdhar Gyani, Director General AHPI.

A research team from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has successfully harnessed artificial intelligence (AI) and deep-learning techniques to model atomic-level RNA 3D structures from primary RNA sequences. Called DRfold, this novel AI-based method improves the accuracy of RNA models by more than 70 percent, compared to traditional approaches.

Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a leading multinational pharmaceutical company, has announced today a strategic exclusive licensing agreement with mAbxience (a Fresenius Kabi majority-owned group with partial ownership from Insud Pharma) for a biosimilar for Etanercept. Etanercept is a dimeric fusion protein with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocking action that was approved for use over 20 years ago, offering patients a valuable therapeutic option for treating various autoimmune diseases.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first test that uses DNA in assessing whether certain individuals may have an elevated risk of developing opioid use disorder (OUD). As part of a clinical evaluation, the AutoGenomics, Inc. AvertD test is intended to be used prior to first exposure to oral opioid pain medications in patients being considered for a 4-30 day prescription for the treatment of acute pain, such as in patients scheduled to undergo a planned surgical procedure.

A new study led by the University of Oxford has demonstrated that diverse communities of resident bacteria can protect the human gut from disease-causing microorganisms. The researchers found that protective communities block the growth of harmful pathogens by consuming nutrients that the pathogen needs. The findings, published today in the journal Science, could help to develop new strategies to optimise gut health.

JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (JB Pharma) agreed to acquire the ophthalmology portfolio of Novartis for INR 964 Crore. It will include INR 125 Crores (excluding applicable taxes, stamp duty and working capital) under the Promotion and Distribution Agreement to Novartis Healthcare Private Limited, India.