Pharma News

BeiGene a global, science-driven biotechnology company focused on developing innovative and affordable medicines to improve treatment outcomes and access for patients worldwide today announced that its BTK inhibitor BRUKINSA™ (zanubrutinib) has been approved by the Ministry of Health in Kuwait, the National Health Regulatory Authority in Bahrain and the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar for the treatment of adult patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who have received at least one prior therapy.

Eli Lilly and Company and Incyte announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved OLUMIANT (baricitinib), a once-daily pill, as a first-in-disease systemic treatment for adults with severe alopecia areata (AA), available as 4-mg, 2-mg and 1-mg tablets.  The recommended dose is OLUMIANT 2-mg/day, with an increase to 4-mg/day if treatment response is inadequate. For patients with nearly complete or complete scalp hair loss, with or without substantial eyelash or eyebrow hair loss, consider treating with 4-mg/day.

Novartis announced long-term results from the ELIANA pivotal clinical trial of Kymriah® (tisagenlecleucel), the first-ever approved CAR-T cell therapy, in children and young adult patients with relapsed or refractory (r/r) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), with a maximum survival follow-up of 5.9 years. For the 79 patients treated with Kymriah in this study, the five-year overall survival (OS) rate was 55% (95% CI, 43-66), while the median event-free survival (EFS) for patients in remission within three months of infusion (n=65) was 43.8 months.

A stress protein that is overactive in many types of tumor cells also has a key role in tumor-supporting cells called fibroblasts, and may be a good target for future cancer treatments, suggests a study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

University of Leeds Virus Host Interaction Team researchers have discovered that the molecule, called sialokinin, makes it easier for a number of viruses to pass from mosquitoes to humans, where they can then take hold – leading to unpleasant and potentially deadly diseases.

These viruses include Yellow Fever, which causes serious illness in about 15% of people infected; dengue, which can develop into the potentially fatal disease dengue fever, and Zika, which caused a global medical emergency in 2016.

The Joint Action Forum of Pharmaceutical Organisations expressed concern to take note on the development of sale of medicines through online mode as well as enhancement of medicine prices in recent periods.

The Joint Action Forum of Pharmaceutical Organisations (JAFPO) comprising the Chemists & Druggists Association of Assam, Centre of Medical & sales Representative union, North East Region, Association of Advanced Pharmacy Practitioners & Assam Pharmaceutical Association.

Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Aurigene Discovery Technologies Limited announced an exclusive global license agreement to research, develop and commercialize novel small molecule inhibitors of an undisclosed oncology target.

Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited announced that it has received tentative approval from the US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Dasatinib Tablets, 20 mg, 50 mg, 70 mg, 80 mg, 100 mg, and 140 mg. The tentatively approved ANDA is therapeutically equivalent to the reference listed drug product (RLD) Sprycel Tablets, 20 mg, 50 mg, 70 mg, 80 mg, 100 mg, and 140 mg, of Bristol Myers Squibb Company (BMS).

A blood clot in the brain that blocks the supply of oxygen can cause an acute stroke. In this case, every minute counts. A team from Empa, the University Hospital in Geneva and the Hirslanden Clinic is currently developing a diagnostic procedure that can be used to start a tailored therapy in a timely manner, as they write in the current issue of the scientific journal Scientific Reports.