News

Regulators in both the US and Europe are preparing for the first submissions of a new class of cancer drugs that have been shown to vanquish cancer in some patients b

Kite Pharma Inc plans to make a US regulatory submission for its lead chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma starting at the end of December. Following talks with the Food and Drug Administration, the US company announced in early November that it will make a rolling regulatory submission.

Novartis has taken steps to broaden its portfolio of drugs treating haematologic disorders with the acquisition of Selexys Pharmaceuticals Corp of the US which has a product for treating a complication of sickle cell disease that recently completed Phase 2.

Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet have identified a previously unknown safety mechanism in the immune system that protects the body from autoimmune diseases. The discovery may be the key to countering autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), they contend.

Immunotherapy for treating metastasised melanoma works better when there is a diversity of bacteria in the gut, according to a study by researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in the US.

As embryonic stem cells divide, they are able to express the same genes as the original cell despite all the possibilities of mutation. Now, scientists from the Institut Pasteur have identified a transcription factor, Esrrb (estrogen related receptor beta), that makes this possible.

German scientists have successfully replaced damaged nerve cells in the brains of mice fueling hope that the wreckage caused by Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease might be repaired in the future. Normally, nerve cell losses in the brain cannot be restored.

Cell Medica Ltd has expanded an existing partnership with the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, US to develop allogeneic cell therapies based on engineered immune cells generated from healthy donors. The cells are invariant natural killer T (NKT) cells.

CureVac AG, which is developing vaccines based on messenger RNA technology, has raised $29.5 million from two new German investors to advance its portfolio. This follows a private share placement in 2015 that raised $110 million.

Evotec AG reported a 37% increase in revenue to €120.6 million for the first nine months as its drug discovery business on behalf of Sanofi SA moved into high gear and revenue from other long-term partners increased.