Pharma News

Philogen S.p.A and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited are pleased to announce positive results from the Phase III PIVOTAL trial in patients with locally advanced fully resectable melanoma (NCT02938299). The study compared neoadjuvant intratumoral Nidlegy™ (Daromun) followed by surgery (treatment arm) vs. surgery alone (control arm). Patients were allowed to receive approved adjuvant systemic therapies after surgery in both arms.

A novel therapeutic approach that combines human epidermal growth receptor factor 2 (HER2)-targeted therapies with the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin can reduce the number of cancer treatments required to prevent tumor growth. Monitored by immuno-PET scans, this combination therapy has the potential to personalize treatment for cancer patients and spare them from harmful side effects. This research was published in the October issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Building upon its sizeable presence in the oncology space in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, Venus Remedies Ltd, a well-known provider of affordable cancer drugs worldwide, has received marketing approval from the Philippines, the second largest ASEAN market, for six key chemotherapy drugs.

Liquid biopsies are blood tests that can serially measure circulating tumor DNA (cell-free DNA that is shed into the bloodstream by dying cancer cells). When used in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer undergoing immunotherapy, they may identify patients who could benefit from treatment with additional drugs, according to a phase 2 clinical trial in the U.S. and Canada.

A University of Massachusetts Amherst team has demonstrated in theory that a protein antigen from a childhood vaccine can be delivered into the cells of a malignant tumor to refocus the body’s immune system against the cancer, effectively halting it and preventing its recurrence.

The bacteria-based intracellular delivering (ID) system uses a non-toxic form of Salmonella that releases a drug, in this case a vaccine antigen, after it’s inside a solid-tumor cancer cell.

The Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group (PDG) announced the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) as a PDG member on October 5, 2023 during PDG Stakeholder’s meeting in Hyderabad. IPC officially joined as a member in the PDG at the PDG’s Annual Meeting which was held on October 3-4, 2023 in Hyderabad. The World Health Organization (WHO) also continues to serve as observer of the PDG.

A new combination of treatments safely decreased growth of pancreatic cancer in mice by preventing cancer cells from scavenging for fuel, a new study finds.

A new, bio-inspired drug restores the effectiveness of immune cells in fighting cancer, a team led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin has found. In mouse models of melanoma, bladder cancer, leukemia and colon cancer, the drug slows the growth of tumors, extends lifespan and boosts the efficacy of immunotherapy. The research is published in the journal Cancer Cell and could be a game changer for many cancer patients.

The Indian Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR) celebrated its 39th Foundation Day on October 5, 2023, with an event filled with significance and achievements.

The event commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp, symbolizing knowledge and wisdom, followed by the felicitation of distinguished dignitaries. Saraswati Vandana, a traditional invocation to the goddess of knowledge, set a spiritual tone for the event.