Drug Discovery and Development Archives - Page 27 of 159

The growing influence of digital pathology in preclinical R&D: Spotlight on Proscia’s Concentriq

Proscia’s Concentriq for Research is an example of an advanced digital pathology platform.

As drug discovery evolves, digital pathology platforms are playing a vital role in streamlining preclinical R&D processes and accelerating drug discovery. Proscia‘s Concentriq for Research reflects this trend.

Earlier this year, we profiled PathAI’s AISight, a digital pathology platform designed to support AI-driven research. To learn more about Proscia’s digital pathology technology, we caught up with Nathan Buchbinder, co-founder and chief product officer at Proscia, who discussed how the Concentriq for Research digital pathology platform streamlines the preclinical R&D process and accelerates studies. In the following Q&A, he highlights the benefits of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) compliance, the role of AI in unlocking new insights and how the platform facilitates collaboration…

Astellas Pharma’s $1.7B Iveric Bio buy aims to bolster its ophthalmology market position

Astellas Pharma, the second largest Japanese pharma firm after Takeda, plans on scooping up the biopharma Iveric Bio for roughly $1.7 billion. Iveric focuses on discovering and developing novel therapies for retinal diseases, for approximately $1.7 billion.

Astellas believes the acquisition of Iveric Bio will strengthen its standing in the ophthalmology market, by adding the latter’s pipeline products to its portfolio. The companies expect the deal to close in the third quarter of 2023.

Zimura, a potential geographic atrophy breakthrough

The centerpiece of the Astellas-Iveric Bio deal is the drug candidate, Zimura (avacincaptad pegol), which is now in phase 3 clinical trials for geographic atrophy. The condition trails age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as a leading cause of irreversible blindness among the elderly. Geographic atrophy is an advanced form of the disease. No therapies are now approved to treat the condition.

Zimura, inhibitor of …

Janssen exec discusses company’s precision neuroscience strategy and partnerships

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In mid-April, San Diego–based Pipeline Therapeutics announced a global license and development agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV (NYSE:JNJ), focusing on PIPE-307, an investigational compound targeting nervous system disorders. As a pioneer in precision neuroscience, Pipeline Therapeutics aims to create targeted treatments for patients. PIPE-307, an oral, highly selective antagonist of the muscarinic M1 receptor, embodies this approach, having completed two phase 1 clinical trials and obtained FDA clearance for clinical development in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients. Janssen received a worldwide, exclusive license to research and develop PIPE-307 in all indications.

Under the agreement, Pipeline will receive $50 million upfront from Janssen, with the possibility of receiving an additional $25 million in equity investments from J&J and Pipeline’…

Tirzepatide versus semaglutide: Which contender will prevail in the battle against obesity and type 2 diabetes?

Eli Lilly‘s (NYSE:LLY) tirzepatide achieved up to 15.7% weight loss in the SURMOUNT-2 study, sparking a potential tirzepatide vs semaglutide competition in the obesity and type 2 diabetes treatment markets. The phase 3 study enrolled 938 participants with diverse backgrounds.

Tirzepatide promises to be a megablockbuster with a number of analysts pegging peak annual sales hitting $25 billion. Few drugs have surpassed the $20 billion threshold. One notable example is AbbVie’s monoclonal antibody Humira (adalimumab), which hit $21.2 billion in sales in 2022 and $20.7 billion a year earlier. The drug was the world’s bestseller until the COVID-19 pandemic stoked demand for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, whose cumulative annual sales hit $59.1 billion in 2021.

Lilly has signaled its plans to submit tirzepatide to the FDA, potentially leading to competition between tirzepatide and semaglutide in the obesity and type 2 diabetes treatment markets.

Tirzepatide&#…

AI in drug development: Janssen exploring potential of AI in everything from target discovery to clinical trials

As enterprise AI adoption surges, the life science industry stands at a pivotal juncture. “We are truly at a tipping point,” remarked Najat Khan, chief data science officer at Janssen, during the 2023 Stanford Drug Discovery Symposium. “It’s amazing how quickly we’ve been able to make progress across the whole value chain in terms of drug development,” she said. “The reality is that there’s a lot of hype, but there is already a lot that’s happening.”

While most Big Pharma companies are exploring AI applications, as a 2022 Clinical Trials Arena article noted. It’s easy to understand why. While developing a given drug might take more than a decade, AI could potentially enable the development of “drugs in one-tenth of the time, from being discovered to being able to treat patients,” wrote McKinsey partner Alex Deverson in late 2022.

Janssen is aiming to distinguish itself by building a team of “bilingual”…

The pizza box problem — and why it might kill everything from Teflon to drugs

By Mark Jones

It looks innocuous in my hand, yet there are growing calls to ban it. It may use technology created for the Manhattan Project, but, in my hand, it doesn’t feel like a weapon. It feels natural, in spite of the very unnatural materials it may contain. I’m not at all cautious as I open it. Reaching in, I grab a slice. I do love pizza.

Pizza predates the Manhattan Project. Although pizza technically isn’t the problem, it’s the box. Cardboard for pizza boxes have been made resistant to both grease and steam using fluorocarbons. Five years ago, almost certainly, per- or polyfluorinated alkyl substances, PFAS, would have been used. Some states have now banned PFAS in things like pizza boxes. I’m not in one of those states. I can’t be sure whether the box in my hand uses PFAS or not.

PFASes were initially identified as a health concern at hotspots. There are many maps with marke…

Spotlight on the top 10 pharma employers of 2023

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This roundup explores the top 10 pharma employers of 2023, highlighting their strengths and areas for improvement based on employee reviews and industry trends. In our ranking of top employers, we combined data from multiple sources using a weighted approach, emphasizing employee satisfaction, company benefits and industry recognition. Topping the list are Recursion Pharmaceuticals and Ultragenyx. Both won employee support for their strong culture, supportive leadership and commitment to employee well-being.

Criteria for ranking the top 10 pharma employers of 2023

Before diving into the top 10 pharma employers of 2023, it’s important to note the factors contributing to their success. We considered multiple metrics in this listing. To rank the companies, we used a weighted approach, assigning 0.7 weight to Glassdoor ratings and 0.3 weight to Comparably ratings. On…

Discover the 25 top pharma employers of 2023

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The pharma and biotech sectors continue to face rapid change. On one hand, top pharma employers have continued to face talent shortages as demand increases for experienced workers. But on the other, the pharma sector has not been immune to layoffs. One factor driving the trend is the increased clip of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity, which can result in restructuring but also new job opportunities as companies sharpen their focus on pipeline gaps and developing novel therapeutics. The pharma industry is in the process of reassessing long-term strategies in domains such as sourcing, manufacturing and supply chain management, according to McKinsey. These trends have gained steam in recent years as a result of factors such as inflation, the ongoing pandemic, the shifting geopolitical climate and the development of novel therapeutic methods and new ways of working. The rapid evolution …

The future of rapid and enduring neuropsychiatric treatments: From psychedelics to non-hallucinatory psychoplastogens

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Neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are among the leading causes of disability worldwide. Almost one billion people globally — roughly one out of eight individuals — live with a mental disorder, with anxiety and depressive disorders the most common, according to the World Health Organization. Yet current therapies such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) offer limited efficacy and come with undesirable side effects. Additionally, they may take weeks to produce noticeable benefits.

These challenges have sparked interest in alternative treatments, including psychedelics and psychoplastogens, for mental health treatment, as noted by Dr. Kurt Rasmussen, Delix‘s chief scientific officer. “There are now a lot of researchers looking at psychoplastogens as a way to help remodel those circuits and treat depression and anxiety mor…

Pharma M&A resurgence: An overview of recent deal-making trends

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After something of a slow year in 2022, mergers and acquisition (M&A) activity is ramping back up in the pharma and biotech sector. There have been several especially large M&A deals in the past few months. Examples include Pfizer’s (NYSE:PFE) $43 billion acquisition of Seagen, and Merck’s (NYSE:MRK) $11 billion purchase of Prometheus Biosciences. In December 2022, Amgen (Nasdaq:AMGN) said it would scoop up Horizon Therapeutics for almost $28 billion.

What’s fueling the M&A uptick?

Factors driving the uptick include an upcoming patent cliff from 2026 to 2029, pricing pressure from the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and lower equity valuations, according to Moody’s Health Care Quarterly: April 2023.

For instance, the Amgen acquisition of Horizon could help the firm offset a potential $30 billion sales shortfall it may face as a result of growing b…

Unraveling the impact of FDORA and PREVENT Pandemics Acts on the life sciences

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As the world continues to grapple with global health challenges, the role of science and biotech law has taken center stage in shaping public health policy and innovation. The FDORA and PREVENT Pandemics Acts are poised to help shape the landscape.

In a recent interview, life sciences attorney Barbara Binzak Blumenfeld offers insights into significant recent legislative, judicial, and regulatory developments, including the planned end to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), the enactment of the Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act (FDORA), and the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (PREVENT Pandemics Act).

With a Ph.D. in molecular biology, Blumenfeld is well-versed in the scientific, ethical, and legal issues that are pivotal in the life sciences. In a recent interview, she touched on the expiration of the COVID-19 Public Health…

Science unbound: AI and open data accelerate the pace of discovery

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Scientists have long been perceived and portrayed in film as old people in white lab coats perched at a bench full of bubbling fluorescent liquids. The present-day reality of scientific research is quite different from old stereotypes, with AI-driven scientific breakthroughs emerging as a major driving force behind new discoveries. Scientists are increasingly data jockeys in hoodies sitting before monitors analyzing enormous amounts of data. Modern day labs are more likely composed of sterile rows of robots doing the manual handling of materials, and lab notebooks are now electronic, in massive data centers holding vast quantities of information. Today, scientific input comes from data pulled from the cloud, with algorithms fueling scientific discovery the way bunsen burners once did.

Advances in technology and especially instrumentation, enable scientists to collect and process data at an …