Pharma News

AstraZeneca’s Calquence (acalabrutinib), a next generation, selective Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, has been approved in China for the treatment of adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) who have received at least one prior therapy.

Cipla South Africa, a 100% owned subsidiary of Cipla Limited signed a binding term sheet with Actor Holdings (Pty) Limited to acquire 100% of the issued ordinary shares of Actor Pharma (Pty) Limited. This development underpins Ciplas commitment and investment in its over the counter (OTC) business and supports its journey to be a leading healthcare player in South Africa. This is a strategic acquisition for Cipla South Africa to unlock the future growth opportunities and leverage cost synergies in the South African market.

Scientists from Queen Mary University of London have discovered two new genes that cause head and neck cancer patients to be resistant to chemotherapy, and that silencing either gene can make cancer cells previously unresponsive to chemotherapy subsequently respond to it.

The two genes discovered actively ‘work’ in most human cancer types, meaning the findings could potentially extend to other cancers with elevated levels of the genes.

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have identified stem cells in the human thymus for the first time. These cells represent a potential new target to understand immune diseases and cancer and how to boost the immune system.

Zydus Lifesciences Limited has received final approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for Isotretinoin Capsules USP, 10 mg, 20 mg 30 mg and 40 mg (RLD: Accutane® Capsules, 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg: RS: Claravis 10 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg and 40 mg).

Sandoz, a global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, has successfully completed the acquisition of worldwide brand rights for leading systemic antifungal agent Mycamine (micafungin sodium, Funguard in Japan) from Astellas.

Through this acquisition of the leading global echinocandin, one of three major antifungal classes, Sandoz significantly reinforces its global hospital offering and leading anti-infectives portfolio.

Griffith University researchers are on the brink of a technological breakthrough in vaccine development with a possible new vaccine modality. Professor Bernd Rehm and Dr Shuxiong Chen from the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD) and Griffith’s Centre for Cell Factories and Biopolymers have succeeded in developing a new vaccine modality that is a stable particulate vaccine.

Soliris (eculizumab) has been approved in Japan for expanded use to include the treatment of generalised myasthenia gravis (gMG) in paediatric patients who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody-positive and whose symptoms are difficult to control with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy or plasmapheresis (PLEX). Soliris is the first and only targeted therapy approved for the treatment of children and adolescents with gMG in Japan.

Lupin is an innovation-led transnational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Mumbai, India. The Company develops and commercializes a wide range of branded and generic formulations, biotechnology products, and APIs in over 100 markets in the U.S., India, South Africa, and across the Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LATAM), Europe, and Middle East regions.

Daiichi Sankyo announced that ENHERTU® (trastuzumab deruxtecan) has been approved in Japan for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with HER2 (ERBB2) mutations that has progressed after chemotherapy.