Pharma News

People who have survived a heart attack could be at a greater risk of experiencing faster declines in memory and thinking abilities as they age, according to a new study published in the journal Stroke.

Researchers found that adults with a prior heart attack had a significantly higher likelihood of developing cognitive impairment over time compared to individuals without a history of heart attack. The findings highlight a growing connection between heart health and brain health, especially among older adults.

A recent mouse model based study suggests that blocking TGF-β may improve osteoporosis treatment by helping quiescent osteoblasts in inactive bone surfaces return to an active state. Using spatial transcriptomics, single-cell analysis, and functional experiments, researchers identified TGF-β signaling as a regulator of osteoblast activation. In a bone-loss mouse model, dual inhibition of TGF-β and sclerostin increased bone mass more effectively than sclerostin inhibition alone, highlighting a promising combination strategy.

A surprising breakthrough in anti-aging research raises hopes of delaying muscle aging and weakness by harnessing the potential of a garlic-derived compound, S-1-propenyl-L-cysteine (S1PC). Researchers identify a key role for S1PC in orchestrating a key inter-organ communication between fat tissue and the hypothalamus in the brain, thus supporting muscle function in aged mice. Elements of this signaling mechanism were also observed in humans, highlighting the potential of S1PC-based anti-aging interventions.

Short QT syndrome is a genetic disease that leads to sudden cardiac death at a young age. Mutations in the SLC4A3 gene, which regulates bicarbonate-chloride exchange, were recently described as a potential cause. An international research team including a group from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, investigated this possibility. The researchers discovered how different variants of the gene affect heart muscle cells: Specifically, the pH level increased and the flow of ion channels was altered. This insight could aid in providing better personal care for persons affected by the disease.

Cancer cells frequently develop the ability to expel anticancer drugs before they can work -- a phenomenon called multidrug resistance (MDR) - which is one of the leading reasons why chemotherapy fails in patients. This research addresses that problem with a fundamentally new strategy: instead of simply increasing drug doses or switching drugs, researchers engineered nanoparticles that first disable the cancer cell's drug-expulsion mechanism, and only then release the anticancer drug.

Partner Therapeutics, Inc. (PTx), a private, fully integrated biotechnology company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded a Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (CNPV) pilot program voucher for BIZENGRI® (zenocutuzumab-zbco) for the treatment of adults with advanced, unresectable or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma harboring a neuregulin 1 (NRG1) gene fusion with disease progression on or after prior systemic therapy.

Moderna, Inc. announced a publication in the New England Journal of Medicine of the positive Phase 3 study results evaluating mRNA-1010, its vaccine candidate for seasonal influenza. The peer-reviewed article summarizes the safety and efficacy data from Moderna's Phase 3 study (P304) evaluating the relative vaccine efficacy (rVE) of mRNA-1010 against influenza illness compared to a licensed standard-dose seasonal influenza vaccine in adults aged 50 years and older.