Industry News

Novartis announced today a collaboration with Qualcomm Incorporated through its subsidiary, Qualcomm Life, Inc., in digital innovation with the Breezhaler(TM) inhaler device to treat COPD. Under this collaboration, Qualcomm Life will provide the technology solution for the connectivity of the next generation of the Breezhaler(TM) inhaler, a device used for Novartis' portfolio of COPD treatments of Onbrez(TM) Breezhaler Seebri(TM) Breezhaler, and Ultibro(TM) Breezhaler, the leading LABA/LAMA treatment.

Baxalta Incorporated, a global biopharmaceutical leader dedicated to delivering transformative therapies to patients with orphan diseases and underserved conditions, and Symphogen, a private biopharmaceutical company developing recombinant antibodies and antibody mixtures, announced a broad strategic immuno-oncology collaboration.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued two final orders to manufacturers and the public to strengthen the data requirements for surgical mesh to repair pelvic organ prolapse (POP) transvaginally, or through the vagina. The FDA issued one order to reclassify these medical devices from class II, which generally includes moderate-risk devices, to class III, which generally includes high-risk devices, and a second order that requires manufacturers to submit a premarket approval (PMA) application to support the safety and effectiveness of surgical mesh for the transvaginal repair of POP.

Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (“Hikma”) ,  the fast growing multinational pharmaceutical group, announces that its Abbreviated New Drug Application (“ANDA”) for Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection USP, 5 mg/10 mL and 10 mg/10 mL, multiple-dose vials has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”)  and that it has launched this product in the US market.

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Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.  and Active Biotech  announced the discontinuation of higher doses of laquinimod in two ongoing studies in multiple sclerosis after the occurrence of cardiovascular events, none of which was fatal, in eight patients.

Animal health products and knowledge services firm Elanco on Tuesday announced it had finalised its acquisition Novartis Animal Health India.

Addex Therapeutics, a leading company pioneering allosteric modulation-based drug discovery and development, announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to dipraglurant for the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD-LID). Orphan drug status provides Addex with a number of benefits including reduced development costs and seven years US market exclusivity from launch. Dipraglurant is a novel small molecule inhibitor of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) that has successfully completed Phase II proof-of-concept testing in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients suffering from debilitating levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID), an indication that has no approved treatment options. Addex is currently conducting an mGlu5 receptor occupancy clinical trial and is preparing to start a Phase III pivotal trial in PD-LID.

NANOBIOTIX, a late clinical-stage nanomedicine company pioneering novel approaches for the local treatment of cancer, announces the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application on the 30th of December. This allows Nanobiotix to launch its first clinical study in the US for its lead product NBTXR3 in prostate cancer, a new and very significant indication.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Pfizer and Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that they have entered into a collaboration agreement to evaluate avelumab*, an investigational fully human anti-PD-L1 IgG1 monoclonal antibody, in combination with Syndax’s entinostat, an investigational oral small molecule that targets immune regulatory cells (myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T-cells), in patients with heavily pre-treated, recurrent ovarian cancer. Avelumab is currently under clinical investigation across a broad range of tumor types by the alliance between Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and Pfizer. This is an exclusive agreement between the alliance and Syndax to study the combination of these two investigational agents in ovarian cancer. Syndax will be responsible for conducting the Phase Ib/II clinical trial in ovarian cancer.

NeuroDerm Ltd., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing drugs for CNS disorders, announced the start of patient enrollment in a first efficacy trial of ND0612H, the company’s continuously administered subcutaneous levodopa/carbidopa solution. This treatment is intended to be an alternative to current treatments for patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease that require surgical intervention.