Pharma News

Biogen announced that aducanumab, its investigational treatment for early Alzheimer’s disease (AD), was granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA’s Fast Track program supports the development of new treatments for serious conditions with an unmet medical need such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Perrigo Company plc announced it has received tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the generic version of Epiduo® Gel (adapalene and benzoyl peroxide 0.1%/2.5%).

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for once-daily dosing of valbenazine in treating tardive dyskinesia.

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced it has completed the rolling submission of the New Drug Application (NDA) for its investigational anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor, brigatinib, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ARIAD is seeking U.S. marketing approval of brigatinib for patients with metastatic ALK-positive (ALK+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are resistant or intolerant to crizotinib.

Biologists from Bochum and Bonn have detected a cannabinoid receptor in spermatozoa. Endogenous cannabinoids that occur in both the male and the female genital tract activate the spermatozoa: they trigger the so-called acrosome reaction, during which the spermatozoon releases digestive enzymes and loses the cap on the anterior half of its head. Without this reaction, spermatozoa cannot penetrate the ovum. The researchers published their findings in Scientific Reports.

For the first time, national data on 30-day mortality for patients with breast and lung cancer treated with chemotherapy have been collected and analysed in order to help clinical teams review and improve patient care, and identify groups of patients who may have additional needs.

Healthy fat tissue is essential for extended survival in the event of tumor-induced wasting syndrome (cachexia). In Nature Medicine, researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München show that selective manipulation of an enzyme can stop unwanted metabolic processes.