Pharma News

PHD Chamber in association with Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India and Department of AYUSH, State Govt. of Tamil Nadu inaugurated 3 day Conference cum Exhibition on 13th December 2019 at Codissia Trade Fair Complex, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

Caption: L-R: Padamshree Dr. P.R. Krishna Kumar, CMD, Arya Viadya Pharmacy,  Mr. Vivek Seigell, Principal Director, PHD Chamber, Dr.  K. Kanakavali, Director General, Central Council for Research in Siddha, Chennai, Thiru S. Ganesh, IAS, Director, Indian Medicine and Homeopathy, Government of Tamil Nadu, Mr. E. V. Shiril, Chairman-Kerala Chapter, PHD Chamber.

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced the completion of the acquisition of all rights to the investigational compound bermekimab, which has multiple dermatological indications, along with certain employees, from XBiotech Inc., for $750 million. Should Janssen pursue bermekimab indications outside of dermatology, XBiotech may be eligible to receive additional payments upon the receipt of certain commercialization authorizations. Janssen Research & Development, LLC will develop bermekimab. The agreement was executed through Janssen Biotech, Inc. The transaction will be accounted for as a business combination.

Parasites in the genus Plasmodium, which cause malaria, are transmitted to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes. The parasites manage to acclimatize to these two completely different hosts because the plasticity of their genome enables them to adapt as necessary. Scientists at the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS decided to investigate the epigenetic mechanisms behind this plasticity, in particular DNA methylation. They identified molecules capable of inhibiting DNA methylation and effectively killing even the most resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites. The results of their research were published on November 27, 2019 in the journal ACS Central Science.

A preventive treatment for dementia may proceed to clinical trials after successful animal testing.

The US-led research is looking to develop effective immunotherapy via a new vaccine to remove 'brain plaque' and tau protein aggregates linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Recent success in bigenic mice models supports progression to human trials in years to come, the researchers say.

Recent evidence suggests a link between cholesterol metabolism and innate immunity. Upon viral infection, macrophages show reduced cholesterol synthesis accompanied by enhanced expression of antiviral genes, including type I interferon (IFN-I).

Over the last 20 years, three families have been unsuspectingly linked by an unknown illness. Researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and other organizations have now identified the cause of the illness, a new disease called CRIA syndrome. The results were published in the journal Nature.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Ubrelvy (ubrogepant) tablets for the acute (immediate) treatment of migraine with or without aura (a sensory phenomenon or visual disturbance) in adults. Ubrelvy is not indicated for the preventive treatment of migraine. It is the first drug in the class of oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonists approved for the acute treatment of migraine.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two applications for the first generics of Eliquis (apixaban) tablets to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Apixaban is also indicated for the prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which may lead to pulmonary embolism (PE), in patients who have undergone hip or knee replacement surgery. Additionally, apixaban is indicated for the treatment of DVT and PE and for the reduction in the risk of recurrent DVT and PE following initial therapy.

In this age of “big data,” artificial intelligence (AI) has become a valuable ally for scientists. Machine learning algorithms, for instance, are helping biologists make sense of the dizzying number of molecular signals that control how genes function. But as new algorithms are developed to analyze even more data, they also become more complex and more difficult to interpret. Quantitative biologists Justin B. Kinney and Ammar Tareen have a strategy to design advanced machine learning algorithms that are easier for biologists to understand.