Pharma News

Enterococci are hardy microbes that thrive in the gastrointestinal tracts of nearly all land animals, including our own, and generally cause no harm. But their ruggedness has lately made them leading causes of multi-drug-resistant infections, especially in settings like hospitals where antibiotic use disrupts the natural balance of intestinal microbes.

Bharat Biotech announced that the World Health Organization (WHO Geneva) has awarded prequalification to the developing world’s first rotavirus vaccine, ROTAVAC®.

Eli Lilly and Company announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation (MA) for Taltz® (ixekizumab), alone or in combination with methotrexate, for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in adult patients who have responded inadequately to, or who are intolerant to, one or more disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) therapies.

Biocon Ltd Asia's premier biopharmaceuticals company, and Sandoz, a Novartis division and a global leader in biosimilars, announced a global partnership to develop, manufacture and commercialize multiple biosimiiars in immunology and oncology for patients worldwide.

Kite, a Gilead Company announced it has entered into a clinical trial collaboration with Pfizer, Inc. to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the investigational combination of Yescarta™ (axicabtagene ciloleucel) and Pfizer's utomilumab, a fully humanized 4-1BB agonist monoclonal antibody, in patients with refractory large B-cell lymphoma. A multi-center Phase 1/2 study sponsored by Kite is expected to begin in 2018. The results of this study will be used to evaluate options for further development of this combination, or similar combinations between Kite’s engineered T cell products and utomilumab.

Smt. Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare reviewed the activities of National Centre for Disease Control and issued necessary directions for disease surveillance, monitoring of health status, educating the public, providing evidence for public health action and enforcing public health regulations. She also visited the Epidemiology & Disease Control Complex and interacted with India Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers undergoing two years training at NCDC in collaboration with CDC Atlanta under Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). During her visit at the Strategic Health Operations Centre (SHOC), the MoS (Health) reviewed the Seasonal Influenza (H1N1) status through video conferencing with the States of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd announced that its wholly owned subsidiaries have reached an agreement with Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Allergan plc  to resolve the patent litigation regarding submission of an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for a generic version of Linzess® (Linaclotide capsules) in the US.

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced findings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Mini-Sentinel assessment, confirming the positive safety and efficacy profile of XARELTO® (rivaroxaban) established in the phase III ROCKET AF clinical trials, were published in Pharmacoepidemiology & Drug Safety. Building on the mounting real-world evidence studied in more than 200,000 people, these findings are consistent with conclusions from other analyses and again confirm XARELTO®’s safety and effectiveness across a wide range of patients. The FDA Mini-Sentinel report also notes a lower risk of ischemic stroke was associated with the use of XARELTO® compared to warfarin and lasted throughout the more than three-year analysis.

 A unique platform that resulted in a promising HIV vaccine has also led to a new, highly effective vaccine against tuberculosis that is moving toward testing in humans.

Women have many options for oral contraceptives that are safe, effective and reversible, but despite decades of research, men have none. Now, scientists report a rat study in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry that shows they finally have a good lead for a male birth control pill. It's based on ouabain, a plant extract that African warriors and hunters traditionally used as a heart-stopping poison on their arrows.