AstraZeneca Archives - Medical Design Sourcing

AstraZeneca invests $300 million to establish new cell therapy manufacturing facility in Maryland

AstraZeneca facility in Maryland

Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced that AstraZeneca would invest $300 million to construct a new manufacturing facility in Rockville, a city with roughly 70,000 inhabitants that is about 17 miles from Washington, D.C. The facility will focus on cell therapies for cancer treatment. The 84,000 square-foot facility, slated for completion in 2026, will enable global clinical trials and commercial supply of AstraZeneca’s CAR-T cancer therapies. AstraZeneca estimates the plant to create 150 new high-skilled jobs.

Incentives played a role in new plant

To support AstraZeneca’s new manufacturing facility in Rockville, Maryland, the state and county are providing financial incentives, including a $500,000 conditional loan from the Maryland Department of Commerce’s Advantage Maryland program and a $100,000 conditional grant from Montgomery County’s Economic Developm…

AstraZeneca faces profitability dip in Q3 2023 despite revenue bump; bets big on obesity

Cambridge, UK–based AstraZeneca continued its strong growth trajectory in Q3 2023, expanding its cardiometabolic and obesity pipeline with a focus on GLP-1 receptor agonists. In particular, AstraZeneca has a licensing agreement with Eccogene for ECC5004, a potential oral GLP-1RA for obesity and cardiometabolic conditions, represents the company’s strategic focus on this emerging therapeutic area, which Lilly and Novo Nordisk currently dominate.

Pascal Soriot, CEO of the company noted he was “excited” about the acceleration of the company’s cardiometabolic and obesity pipeline with the licensing agreement for ECC5004, “a potential best-in-class oral GLP-1RA.”

ECC5004 has an oral formulation, in contrast to Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) and the recently approved Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide), which are injectables. This oral GLP-1 receptor agonist could potentially improve patient compliance and accessibility in treating obesity and type 2 diabetes. While …

The recent FDA thumbs-up for Beyfortus could kickstart a new chapter in RSV prevention

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of severe lower respiratory tract infections like pneumonia and bronchiolitis in infants and young children. Traditionally there have been no approved treatments for RSV infections, with care being largely supportive. But the landscape is quickly changing.

The FDA recently approved Beyfortus (nirsevimab), the first immunoprophylactic to prevent RSV disease in newborns, infants and toddlers. On the RSV vaccine front, FDA also approved GSK‘s (NYSE:GSK) Arexvy. Other RSV vaccine candidates are waiting in the wings.

A shift in the RSV treatment landscape

Beyfortus is a monoclonal antibody developed by AstraZeneca and Sanofi that provides protection against RSV with a single intramuscular injection. It is the first innovation in RSV prevention in over two decades. Until recently, the only preventive therapy on the market was Synagis, a monoclonal antibody used to help prevent serious lung disease from RSV in …

AstraZeneca launches pilot program for Cordio Medical’s AI heart failure app

Cordio Medical’s HearO app analyzes the voice of heart failure patients to monitor their condition. [Photo courtesy of Cordio Medical]

AstraZeneca and the Bellvitge University Hospital plan to launch the first pilot program for the Cordio Medical HearO app.

The HearO smartphone app provides widespread access to medical-grade technology for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). It enables the patient to monitor symptoms, manage treatment and improve quality of life.

Astrazeneca said the pilot program aims to assess the feasibility of using the app to monitor CHF patients. The monitoring takes place in both the hospital and at-home settings. It includes tracking HearO’s success rate of patient compliance and its ability to issue notices prior to heart failure events.

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AstraZeneca launches pilot program for Cordio Medical’s AI heart failure app

Cordio Medical’s HearO app analyzes the voice of heart failure patients to monitor their condition. [Photo courtesy of Cordio Medical]

AstraZeneca and the Bellvitge University Hospital plan to launch the first pilot program for the Cordio Medical HearO app.

The HearO smartphone app provides widespread access to medical-grade technology for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). It enables the patient to monitor symptoms, manage treatment and improve quality of life.

Astrazeneca said the pilot program aims to assess the feasibility of using the app to monitor CHF patients. The monitoring takes place in both the hospital and at-home settings. It includes tracking HearO’s success rate of patient compliance and its ability to issue notices prior to heart failure events.

The study takes place over a 6-9 month period. Previous and ongoing studies in Israel and the U.S. tested and vali…

FDA approves expanded use of Farxiga (dapagliflozin) for heart failure patients regardless of ejection fraction status

FDA has approved an expanded indication for AstraZeneca’s Farxiga (dapagliflozin). This decision, marking a significant milestone in Farxiga’s development, opens up its use in patients with heart failure, regardless of their ejection fraction status. This brings the total number of Farxiga’s approved indications to five.

Ejection fraction in heart failure

Ejection fraction is a key measure of how well the heart is pumping and is used in diagnosing and monitoring heart failure. The recent approval means that Farxiga can be used in patients with heart failure, whether their ejection fraction is preserved (a measure above 40%) or reduced (below 40%).

“Initially, we were indicated for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), and with the recent extension we received, we are now approved for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) as well,” says Sarah Walters, VP of U.S. cardiovascular, renal and metabolic di…

10 pioneering companies implementing AI in drug discovery, development and beyond

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The pharma industry is embracing artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline drug discovery and development, although adoption remains early. The field, however, is rapidly expanding. The global AI in drug discovery market was worth about $1.1 billion last year but could grow at a 30% clip from 2023 to 2030, according to Grand View Research.

In the years to come, AI could find use to discover an array of drug targets while improving drug developers’ ability to design molecules based on fine-grained criteria. Here, we spotlight several companies exploring the use of AI in drug discovery and drug development.

1. Exscientia

Oxford, UK–based Exscientia (Nasdaq: EXAI) has pioneered AI in small-molecule drug design. The company has expanded its AI-based platform to develop novel therapeutic antibodies through generative AI design. In early 2020, the company reported the first AI-d…

An overview of the RSV vaccine candidate landscape in early 2023

[RSV image from NIAID]

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains a prominent global health concern. Each year, the virus is to blame for 2.1 million outpatient visits for children under 5 years old, according to CDC. Other vulnerable populations, including older adults and immunocompromised individuals, are also at risk.

Nevertheless, RSV has long been a research focus. Scientists first identified RSV in 1956. A year later, the pediatrician and virologist Robert M. Chanock linked RSV to respiratory infections in children. Attempts to develop a vaccine for the virus soon followed.

Despite numerous attempts beginning in the 1960s, an FDA-approved RSV vaccine has remained elusive until recently. Out front is GSK’s (NYSE:GSK) RSV vaccine for adults aged 60 and older, which has won the backing of an FDA advisory panel. Close behind is Pfizer’s (NYSE:PFE) single-dose vaccine for the same a…

The next wave: 10 promising investigational antihypertensive drugs to watch

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Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. This review highlights ten promising antihypertensive drug candidates with the potential to address pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), resistant hypertension and uncontrolled hypertension.

Aprocitentan, developed by Janssen NYSE:JNJ) and Idorsia (SIX:IDIA), is an experimental oral drug designed to treat resistant hypertension. As a dual endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA), it effectively blocks the binding of ET-1 to both ET A and ET B receptors. The drug has a low likelihood of interacting with other medications and its mechanism of action is well-suited for treating resistant hypertension. In clinical trials, aprocitentan demonstrated better blood pressure reduction than placebo, with the effects lasting up to week 40, and was generally well-tolerated by patients. (Text continues beneath th…

Prominent pharma M&A deals to watch in Q1 2023: Pfizer, Sanofi and others on the hunt

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After a relatively quiet 2022, 2023 is anticipated to be a more robust year for pharma M&A activity. In recent months, players such as Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), Sanofi (NYSE:SNY), Chiesi, AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) and Amgen (Nasdaq:AMGN) have unveiled acquisition plans that could reshape the landscape of the sector. This article delves into the details of prominent recent M&A deals and explores their potential impact on the future of the pharma sector.

Pfizer plans to acquire Seagen

New York City–based Pfizer has recently been on a shopping spree, scooping up Trillium Therapeutics, Biohaven, Global Blood Therapeutics, and Arena Pharmaceuticals. Now, the company has unveiled its plans to acquire Seagen (Nasdaq:SGEN), a Seattle biotech firm focused on oncology. The proposed acquisition, valued at $43 billion, awaits regulatory approval. Pfizer plans to offer $229 per share…

Ranked: The biggest healthcare VC deals of 2022

A company that sends medical teams on house calls had one of the largest venture capital deals of 2022. [Photo courtesy of Dispatch Health]

The $3 billion launch of a biotech focused on cellular rejuvenation was 2022’s largest healthcare venture capital deal in the U.S. and Europe.

That’s according to a ranking provided to Medical Design & Outsourcing by Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), which ranked the deals using its own proprietary information and data from Pitchbook.

The biopharma sector represented three of the 10 largest VC deals. Diagnostics/tools had two deals on the list, taking the No. 2 and 3 spots. The healthtech sector had four deals on the list.

Only one device developer ranked in 2022’s top 10, just like the year before, when CMR Surgical’s $600 million Series D financing round was the fifth-largest deal of 2021. (Healthtech deals dominated the prior-year list by tak…

CinCor stock surges after AstraZeneca announces plan to buy company for up to $1.8B

AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) announced it had reached an agreement to acquire CinCor Pharma (Nasdaq:CINC). After announcing the proposed deal, CinCor’s share price jumped 144% to $28.74.

AstraZeneca has agreed to a tender offer to acquire outstanding shares of CinCor for $26 per share, or $1.3 billion.

CinCor specializes in developing therapies for hypertension and chronic kidney disease.

In an interview with Drug Discovery & Development in December, CinCor Chief Operating Officer Catherine Pearce explained why it was confident that its drug candidate, baxdrostat, could address a large unmet medical need in treatment-resistant hypertension.

AstraZeneca said the acquisition would bolster its cardiorenal pipeline.

The company said it would offer CinCor an additional $10 per share after a specified regulatory filing related to baxdrostat.

AstraZeneca also agreed to acquire the cash and marketable securities on CinCor’s balance sheet for ro…