Don't miss out on the latest business and technology news for chemical engineers, featuring select items in relation to Food, Pharmaceuticals & Bioengineering!
Bayer develops biotech corn variety that is shorter, easier to handle
Bayer has been working to develop a shorter biotech corn variety that is less prone to lodging and greensnap and reduces the need for aerial spraying. This shorter variety has been field-tested and will launch this year in Mexico, to be followed by rolled-out releases in the US.
FDA approves Vertex's combo therapy for cystic fibrosis
The FDA has approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Trikafta for treatment of cystic fibrosis in patients ages 12 and older with at least one F508del mutation, which affects 90% of patients who have the disease. The three-drug combination therapy, which consists of elexacaftor, ivacaftor and tezacaftor, will be priced at $311,503 per year.
Study evaluates pegilodecakin as option to treat NSCLC, kidney cancer
Measurable responses were achieved in individuals with non-small cell lung cancer and kidney cancer when they were treated with pegilodecakin plus the combination regimen of pembrolizumab and nivolumab, according to data reported in The Lancet Oncology. Results were based on outcomes from 111 patients with NSCLC, kidney cancer and melanoma who had advanced malignant solid tumors.
Companies partner to study gene therapy/vaccine combo in HIV-positive patients
GeoVax Labs announced it will launch a study with American Gene Technologies and will be the supplier for its MVA-VLP HIV vaccine MVA62B, which is to be tested in an early-stage trial in combination with the gene therapy AGT103-T, developed by American Gene, in HIV-positive patients.
Biofuel advocates challenge EPA's small-refinery waivers in petition
A petition was filed in a federal appeals court by US biofuel groups against the Environmental Protection Agency regarding the process by which it granted biofuel blending exemptions to 31 oil refineries. "We are going to hold the EPA accountable under the law for the damage it has done to rural communities, biofuel producers, and farm families," said Growth Energy Chief Executive Emily Skor.
MD Anderson Cancer Center exec to be nominated to lead FDA
President Donald Trump plans to nominate Dr. Stephen Hahn, a radiation oncologist and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center's chief medical executive, to lead the FDA, according to the White House. If confirmed, Hahn will replace acting commissioner Ned Sharpless, who took over after the departure of Scott Gottlieb.
Administration leans toward backing Senate drug pricing bill
White House spokesman Judd Deere indicated the Trump administration is unlikely to support drug pricing legislation from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and will instead support bipartisan legislation from Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
Johnson & Johnson applies agile mindset to e-commerce
Johnson & Johnson has adopted a startup's mindset to e-commerce by assembling a small team and enabling it to make decisions quickly, says Melissa Dandy, associate director of R&D e-commerce and new business models. This agile approach has allowed the team to successfully launch e-commerce-ready products such as the company's portable Listerine Ready! Tabs, she says.
Study: Young consumers more likely to accept new food technologies
Younger generations are embracing food technologies like cell-cultured meats and fermentation-based products more quickly than Gen X and baby boomers, according to a Ketchum survey. "Consumers want access to information that is understandable and transparent so they can make decisions that are right for them," says Ketchum's Bill Zucker.
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