Pharma News

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.

In a landmark study led by the University of Maryland School of Medicine, researchers discovered for the first time that a certain kind of protein similar to hemoglobin, called cytoglobin, plays an important role in the development of the heart. Specifically, it affects the correct left-right pattern of the heart and other asymmetric organs. The findings, published today in the journal Nature Communications, could eventually lead to the development of new therapeutic interventions to alter the processes that lead to these defects.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is extremely common, affecting nearly two-thirds of the world’s population, according to the World Health Organization.

Once inside the body, HSV establishes a latent infection that periodically awakens, causing painful blisters on the skin, typically around the nose and mouth. While a mere nuisance for most people, HSV can also lead to dangerous eye infections and brain inflammation in some people and cause life-threatening infections in newborns.

Zydus Lifesciences Limited (including its subsidiaries/affiliates, hereafter referred to as “Zydus”) has received final approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to manufacture and market Lacosamide Tablets USP, 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, and 200 mg (USRLD: Vimpat® Tablets).

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has posed unprecedented challenges worldwide. While extensive efforts have focused on understanding the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, certain aspects of the virus behavior, such as reactivation and recurrence, remain elusive.