Biotechnology traces its roots to the Neolithic era when early civilizations discovered how to ferment grains to prepare alcoholic brews and bread. It wasn’t until genetic engineering became mainstream in the mid-1970s, however, that biotechnology, as we know it today, was launched. The field continues to evolve today. The advent of new technology has revolutionized the market…
Amylyx Pharmaceuticals wins orphan drug designation from FDA
The neurodegenerative-diseased-focused biotech Amylyx Pharmaceuticals announced that it had received orphan drug designation for AMX0035, a proprietary blend of sodium phenylbutyrate and tauroursodeoxycholic acid. The Cambridge, Mass.-based company won that designation to treat Wolfram syndrome, a rare genetic disease associated with diabetes, progressive optic atrophy, hearing loss and severe neurological disabilities. The prognosis for patients…
U.S. pharmaceutical industry sees total prescriptions drop
The U.S. pharmaceutical industry has fared better than most sectors in 2020, but the industry still faces tailwinds, according to recent IQVIA research. Total prescription sales are down 2.1% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2020 to date, according to an analysis of the IQVIA data by the investment bank UBS. New prescriptions…
FDA funds studies of 6 rare-disease drugs
The FDA announced that it awarded six new clinical trial research grants to principal investigators totaling more than $16 million over four years. Awarded through the Congressionally-funded Orphan Products Grants Program, the research grants seek to enhance the development of medical products for patients with rare diseases, according to a news release. More than 90…
The top 10 medical disruptors of 2021
For the past 18 years, the Cleveland Clinic has predicted what the top 10 medical disruptors will be for the following year. The list of technologies, cultivated by a panel of physicians and scientists at the clinic, was led by Dr. Will Morris, executive medical director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations, and Dr. Akhil Saklecha, managing…
Siemens, Novartis team up on MS drug development
Siemens Healthineers (ETR:SHL) and Novartis (NYSE:NVS) have agreed to jointly design, develop and commercialize diagnostic tests for therapeutic products across Novartis’ therapeutic pipeline, the companies announced today. The first project will be a serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) immunoassay for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases. NfL is a highly specific biomarker for nerve…
Johnson & Johnson to acquire Momenta for $6.5B
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) announced today that it entered into an agreement to purchase Momenta Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:MNTA) for $6.5 billion. New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson will pay $6.5 billion in an all-cash transaction for the developer of novel therapies for immune-mediated diseases, according to a news release. Momenta felt the full effect of the news…
Feds accuse Teva of $300M in kickbacks for MS drug
Massachusetts federal prosecutors today claimed that Teva Pharmaceuticals funneled $300 million from a pair of charitable foundations to subsidize Medicare copayments for a multiple sclerosis drug. Teva Pharmaceuticals and Teva Neuroscience, the maker of Copaxone, simultaneously raised the drug’s price by 329%, allegedly violating the Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act, according to the complaint…
Sanofi to acquire MS drug-development partner for $3.68B
Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) announced today that it agreed to acquire all outstanding shares of Principia Biopharma (NSDQ:PRNB) in a deal worth approximately $3.68 billion. The deal sets all outstanding shares of Principia at $100 per share, which will be acquired in cash. Sanofi and Principia both received unanimous approval from their respective boards of directors, according to…
The most innovative pharmaceutical agents of 2020
The Galien Foundation recently announced nominees for most innovative pharmaceutical agents for its 14th Annual Prix Galien USA Awards. The foundation bestows the Prix Galien Award annually to examples of outstanding biomedical, pharmaceutical drugs and medical technology products that are designed to improve the human condition. “As we celebrate 50 years of the Prix Galien…
Triplet Therapeutics launches with $59 million in funding
Biotechnology company Triplet Therapeutics announced that it launched earlier this week with $59 million in financing as it develops ways to treat certain types of genetic disorders at their source. The $59 million includes a $49 million Series A financing round led by MPM Capital and Pfizer Ventures U.S. Co-founder Atlas Venture seeded Triplet with…
Using Experimental Models, Researchers Hope to Target Down Syndrome Gene
Nanotechnology Treatment Shows Promise Against Multiple Sclerosis
Diabetes Drug Alleviates Anxiety in Mice
Stopping Parkinson’s Disease Before it Starts
An Osaka University-led research team has recently published findings that provide a ray of hope for the millions of Parkinson’s disease (PD) sufferers worldwide. Although more common in those aged over sixty, PD can strike at any age, with an estimated prevalence of 41 per 100,000 people in their forties. And while not fatal in…
Synthetic Version of CBD Treats Seizures in Rats
Coat of Proteins Makes Viruses More Infectious, Links Them to Alzheimer’s
New research from Stockholm University and Karolinska Institutet shows that viruses interact with proteins in the biological fluids of their host which results in a layer of proteins on the viral surface. This coat of proteins makes the virus more infectious and facilitates the formation of plaques characteristic of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.…
