Industry news

U.S. Panel Endorses Designer Babies to Avoid Serious Disease

Antonio Regalado / MIT Technology Review

Since its invention four years ago, a powerful and precise technology for editing DNA called CRISPR has transformed science because of how it makes altering the genetic makeup of plants and animals easier than ever before.

16 February 2017

Clearside Biomedical, Inc. Announces First Patient Randomized in Phase 3 Clinical Trial of Zuprata™ Used Together With Eylea in Subjects With Retinal Vein Occlusion

Clearside Biomedical, Inc.  (NASDAQ:CLSD), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class drug therapies to treat back-of-the-eye diseases, today announced the enrollment of the first patient in a Phase 3 clinical trial (“SAPPHIRE”) of Zuprata™, its proprietary suspension formulation of the corticosteroid triamcinolone acetonide, used together with EYLEA® (aflibercept) for the treatment of macular edema associated with retinal vein occlusion (“RVO”).

Pharma industry shuns Trump push for radical shift at FDA

Deena Beasley / Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump's vow to roll back government regulations at least 75 percent is causing anxiety for some pharmaceutical executives that a less robust Food and Drug Administration would make it harder to secure insurance coverage for pricey new medicines.

Analysts predict a moderate growth of the pharmaceutical market for 2017

Market Access Solutions

According to IMS data, in 2016 the pharmaceutical market grew by 9% in ruble terms by 2% in units. Also last year, analysts noted a sharp reversal in the retail segment in the direction of recovery of consumption.

MSU chemists work on biosensors for diagnostic wearables

Chemists at the Moscow Lomonosov State University (MSU) have come up with a range of biosensors based on what’s known as Prussian Blue (PB). The MSU  website quoted  Elena Karpova, one of the key developers and a postgraduate at the university’s Department of Chemistry, as saying that “the new biosensors could be used in an array of wearable devices, which are getting so popular these days, for noninvasive monitoring of glucose and lactic acid.” 

EU’s Post-Authorization Study Register Reaches One Thousand Entries

BioPharm International

The European Union’s electronic Register of Post-Authorization Studies (EU PAS Register) has received its 1000^th upload, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced on Feb. 10, 2017. The open access platform, which was developed through the European Network of Centres for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance, houses information on post-authorization research for drugs marketed in Europe. The information includes study protocols, study results, related publications, and more.

Looking for life sciences opportunities in a post-Brexit world

Dr Penny Owen / European Pharmaceutical Review

Now it is clear that the UK is leaving both the European Union and the single market, all sectors of the economy are working out how this so-called hard Brexit will affect them.

PhRMA Urges USTR to Protect American Innovators Abroad

Mark Grayson / PhRMA

Yesterday, PhRMA submitted comments for the 2017 Special 301 Report the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) will publish in April. The comments highlight serious intellectual property and market access barriers in 18 countries that harm biopharmaceutical innovators in the United States and the patients they serve around the world.

14 February 2017

Ganaxolone Reduces Seizures and Improves Behaviors in Angelman Syndrome Preclinical Model

Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of innovative therapeutics to treat epilepsy and neuropsychiatric disorders, today announced the publication of preclinical data in the January issue of Neuropharmacology, showing that its positive allosteric modulator of GABAA, ganaxolone ameliorates many of the behavioral abnormalities in a  mouse model of adult Angelman syndrome (AS). Evidence from experimental models suggests that AS may be associated with deficient extrasynaptic GABAA receptor function. AS is a rare neurogenetic disorder characterized by severe developmental delay, motor impairments and epilepsy. 

Why the Internet of Medical Things is the future of healthcare

Niamh Marriott / Europian Pharmaceutical Review

The technology is astounding and has the potential to revolutionise the healthcare industry, give better treatment and diagnosis to patients, ensure productivity and communication within medical facilities and can provide personalised, targeted medicine. But what about the dangers, the privacy and security of information, and the risks to personal patient data? Do the benefits outweigh the risks? With IoT establishing itself in modern life, is IoMT the future of healthcare?