Pharma News

People who contract COVID-19 but never develop symptoms the so-called super dodgers may have a genetic ace up their sleeve. They’re more than twice as likely as those who become symptomatic to carry a specific gene variation that helps them obliterate the virus, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco researchers. 

Additional heartbeats from cardiac chambers, so-called ventricular extrasystoles, may be associated with severe diseases. Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) use machine learning for their non-invasive localization. This may facilitate and improve future diagnosis and therapy. The researchers use artificial neural networks trained with synthetic data from a realistic simulation model. They report in Artificial Intelligence in Medicine.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc, whose mission is to focus on unmet needs and apply proven science and new technology to revolutionize treatment for patients, starting with eye care, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved XDEMVY (lotilaner ophthalmic solution) 0.25% for the treatment of Demodex blepharitis. XDEMVY, formerly known as TP-03, is the first and only FDA approved treatment to directly target Demodex mites, the root cause of Demodex blepharitis.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved RiVive, 3 milligram (mg) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray for over-the-counter (OTC), nonprescription use for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose. This is the second nonprescription naloxone product the agency has approved, helping increase consumer access to naloxone without a prescription. The timeline for availability and the price of this nonprescription product will be determined by the manufacturer.

Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, announced that it has entered a definitive purchase and licence agreement for a portfolio of preclinical gene therapy programmes and enabling technologies from Pfizer Inc. (Pfizer). The agreement furthers Alexion and AstraZeneca’s commitment to advancing next-generation genomic medicines with the addition of complementary pipeline assets and innovative technologies.

University of Utah Health researchers have discovered that Metformin, a common drug that’s been used in diabetes treatment for more than half a century, has surprising applications on a cellular level. It can target “zombie-like cells,” called senescent cells, which impact muscle function. Senescent cells secrete factors associated with inflammation that may underlie fibrotic tissue, a hardening or scarring of tissues. Metformin also reduces muscle atrophy. Their findings published in Aging Cell.

Scientists have unraveled the step-by-step activation process of a protein with a deep evolutionary history in all domains of life, opening the door to harnessing its functions for use as a biotechnology tool.

The protein belongs to the “superfamily” of Argonaute proteins, which previous research has suggested to be involved in gene silencing, a fundamental process known as RNA interference.

Asprius Lifesciences has announced that it has developed treatment for Diabetic Neuropathy, a condition that results in nerve damage in peripheral areas of the body. The company said it has already filed a patent for the Fixed-Dose Combination that holds promise in treating peripheral neuropathy.

CDSCO has taken serious action against companies which were alerted by WHO for suspicious activities and involved in production of hazardous products in the market.

WHO has issued alerts in three cases of syrup products exported from India. Subsequent to the reports, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) in coordination with State Drug Controllers carried out joint investigations.

The Indian government has taken a dominant step towards treatment of patients suffering from rare diseases. So far in this fiscal year, the government has allocated Rs. 92.84 crore for treatment of rare diseases.

As per the data available with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 9,675 patients have been enrolled since November, 2019 on the portal of National Registry for Rare and Other Inherited Disorders (NRROID) out of which 4,408 patients are from centrally governed Hospitals.