Pharma News

Pfizer Inc announced it is seeking Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of its investigational oral antiviral candidate, PAXLOVID™ (PF-07321332; ritonavir), for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in patients at increased risk of hospitalizations or death. This submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes clinical data from the Phase 2/3 EPIC-HR (Evaluation of Protease Inhibition for COVID-19 in High-Risk Patients) interim analysis. Rolling submission of non-clinical data for PAXLOVID was initiated with the U.S. FDA in October 2021.

Sanofi announced an equity investment of $180 million and a new strategic collaboration with Owkin comprised of discovery and development programmes in four exclusive types of cancer, with a total payment of $90 million for three years plus additional research milestone-based payments. Owkin, an artificial intelligence (AI) and precision medicine company, builds best-in-class predictive biomedical AI models and robust data sets.

Icure Pharmaceutical Inc a biopharmaceutical company in Korea, announced that its donepezil patch, a treatment of Alzheimer’s-type dementia, received a drug product approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of Korea.

The drug product approval process took 7 months after it filed an application in April 2021. With the approval, Icure marks the first commercialization of the donepezil patch in the world.

Nicox SA an international ophthalmology company, today announced that patent EP 3,769,753, expiring in 2040 and covering the Company’s product candidate in development for blepharitis, NCX 4251, has been issued by the European Patent Office (EPO). The patent covers ophthalmic suspensions comprising a specific form of fluticasone propionate nanocrystals and the method for manufacturing the ophthalmic suspensions. Examination of corresponding patent applications providing exclusivity in the United States (U.S.), China, Japan and other territories is in process.

ONWARD Medical N.V a medical technology company creating innovative therapies to restore movement, independence, and health in people with spinal cord injury, today announced Grégoire Courtine, Ph.D., Professor of Neuroscience at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) and co-Director of NeuroRestore, demonstrated the effectiveness of ONWARD’s ARC Therapy to stabilize blood pressure after spinal cord injury during his Presidential Special Lecture at NEUROSCIENCE 2021.

New research led by the University of Bristol, has shown the drug losartan, normally used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), is not effective in slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in people with mild-to-moderate disease after 12 months of treatment. However, the drug could still be of benefit if prescribed for longer and if given to people with very early disease. The findings are from the phase 2 multi-centre clinical trial known as RADAR ((Reducing pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease through Angiotensin taRgeting).

A large analysis of health records from 87 health care centers across the United States found that people taking a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), particularly fluoxetine, were significantly less likely to die of COVID-19 than a matched control group.

Zydus Cadila has received an order to supply one crore doses of ZyCoV-D, the world’s first Plasmid DNA Vaccine, to the Government of India at Rs. 265 per dose and the needle-free applicator being offered at Rs. 93 per dose, excluding GST. The pricing has been decided in consultation with the Government of India.

Zydus Cadila has received final approval from the USFDA to market Glycopyrrolate Injection in the strengths of 0.2 mg/mL and 0.4 mg/2 mL (0.2 mg/mL) Single-Dose Vials and 1 mg/5 mL (0.2 mg/mL) and 4 mg/20 mL (0.2 mg/mL) Multiple-Dose Vials, (US RLD: Robinul). Glycopyrrolate is used before surgery to decrease the volume of secretions from mouth, lungs and stomach.