Don't miss out on the latest business and technology news for chemical engineers, featuring select items in relation to Food, Pharmaceuticals & Bioengineering!
BMS' sBLA for 3rd-line SCLC drug granted FDA priority review status
Bristol-Myers Squibb's supplemental biologics license application for Opdivo, or nivolumab, as a treatment for patients with small cell lung cancer with disease progression after two or more previous lines of therapy was accepted under FDA priority review status with an Aug. 16 PDUFA date. The application was backed by data from the Phase I/II CheckMate-032 study, in which single-agent Opdivo yielded an overall response rate of 10%, a median overall survival of 4.4 months and a one-year OS rate of 33% in 98 previously treated SCLC patients.
Research compares efficacy of different classes of diabetes drugs
UK researchers analyzed 236 trials involving 176,310 patients with type 2 diabetes and found that SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 agonist drugs were associated with a 20% and 18% reduced mortality risk compared with placebo, respectively, while DPP-4 inhibitors were not. The findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that GLP-1 agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors increase natural insulin levels, while GLT-2 inhibitors increase the amount of sugar excreted by the body.
Novo Nordisk teams with Red Cross to fight chronic disease in conflict zones
Danish drug manufacturer Novo Nordisk is teaming up with the Red Cross to improve the treatment of chronic disease in conflict zones such as Syria and Yemen. Novo Nordisk has pledged a $3.58 million contribution and said it will supply the Red Cross with low-cost insulin, start projects aimed at combating diabetes and hypertension, and adapt production and ordering methods to further assist humanitarian organizations.
House Agriculture Committee advances Farm Bill; biotech crops addressed
The amended Farm Bill, which was recently approved by the House Agriculture Committee, would create a Biotechnology and Agricultural Trade Program to challenge foreign trade barriers that restrict the use of biotech commodities. The bill would also set up a national science-based education campaign to inform the public about the technologies used in food and agricultural production, and would require the Department of Agriculture to report to Congress its plans for improving the regulations on biotech products.
Consumers' concept of gut health provides clues to effective product messaging
Success for products that promote digestive health can depend on a nuanced understanding of how the target consumer understands gut health, says Hartman Group Senior Vice President Shelley Balanko. "For a huge CPG brand that's talking to the mainstream consumer, I think it makes a lot of sense to link digestive health to energy, whereas smaller brands with unique ingredients targeting more engaged consumers, we'd say yes, absolutely, talk about the relationship between healthy digestion and the health of the microbiome," she says.
Manufacturers adopt direct-to-consumer models
Direct-to-consumer fulfillment is a challenging but increasingly important avenue for manufacturers looking to keep their top customers happy. Manufacturers are using third-party logistics providers or acquiring the technology needed to do the job themselves.
Ionis expands partnership with Biogen on antisense therapies
Ionis Pharmaceuticals extended its partnership with Biogen in a 10-year collaboration to develop antisense therapies for a range of disease areas, such as dementia and neurological disease. Under the new deal, under which Ionis will get $1 billion cash and milestone payments of up to $270 million plus royalties, Ionis will identify antisense candidates selected by Biogen, who will be responsible for development and commercialization costs and will have the option to license the therapies.
Novartis expands partnership with Pear to develop digital therapeutics
The Sandoz division of Novartis will expand its collaboration with Pear Therapeutics to develop and commercialize a range of digital therapeutics for patients with substance and opioid use disorders. The new deal will advance Pear's Thrive digital therapeutic for patients with schizophrenia and develop a new therapy product for patients with multiple sclerosis.
Tyson plans for its own disruption with alternative meat investments
Tyson Foods' venture capital unit is investing in alternative meat companies such as Beyond Meat and Memphis Meats, despite the fact that Tyson's core business is the processing of meat-based proteins. "If we are not aware of it and participating in our own disruption, we basically deserve what we get," said Tyson Ventures Chief Financial Officer Tom Mastrobuoni.
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