Pharma News

Astellas Pharma Inc. and Chromocell Corporation collaborate for the development and commercialisation of therapeutics to treat neuropathic and other pain conditions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed marketing of a new hearing aid that uses a laser diode and direct vibration of the eardrum to amplify sound. The combination of laser light pulses and a custom-fit device component that comes in direct contact with the eardrum is designed to use the patient’s own eardrum as a speaker and enables amplification over a wider range of frequencies for some hearing impaired persons. The EarLens Contact Hearing Device (CHD) is indicated for use by adults with mild to severe sensorineural hearing impairment.

U. S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to nivolumab (Opdivo Injection, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company) in combination with ipilimumab for the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 wild-type, unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

UbiVac, a privately held clinical stage immuno-oncology company, collaborate with Janssen Biotech, Inc. (Janssen), one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. The Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center in California facilitated the research agreement on behalf of the Janssen Disease Interception Accelerator.

In adults, previous studies have suggested that stress promotes habits and reduces cognitive flexibility. Psychologists from Germany's Ruhr University Bochum have revealed that the same is true for infants. While under stress, even infants are inclined to resort to habits, rather than try out new things. The findings were published in PNAS.

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NuMedii, Inc. announced the formation of a research alliance with Allergan to explore new therapeutic options for the potential treatment of psoriasis. NuMedii has already generated multiple lead compounds/candidates by utilising its data intelligence technology for psoriasis, which will be the focus of the research alliance with Allergan.

Novartis's pivotal Phase III FUTURE 1 study for secukinumab in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Secukinumab is the first interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibitor to demonstrate efficacy in a Phase III study in patients with active PsA, a painful, debilitating condition causing inflammation of joints and skin. PsA is part of a family of long-term diseases impacting joints, known as spondylorarthritis.

Pfizer Inc., in partnership with five leading breast cancer advocacy organizations, today announced the next chapter of the Breast Cancer: A Story Half Told initiative, launched in 2014 to identify public misperceptions and gaps in knowledge surrounding metastatic breast cancer (MBC), the most advanced form of breast cancer. Research conducted as part of this initiative revealed that the majority of Americans (60%) reported they know little to nothing about MBC.1The new chapter aims to address this lack of understanding through the perspectives of women living with MBC, as chronicled by prominent photographers.