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Monthly Archives: June 2020
Cancer mutation could be used to target CRISPR therapy – Drug Target Review
Posted: June 4, 2020 at 9:48 am
Researchers reveal protospacer adjacent motif mutations (PAM sites) on the NRF2 gene of cancers could be used to guide CRISPR gene editing.
New research suggests a mutation in the NRF2 gene, unique to certain malignant tumours, could be used to enable CRISPR gene editing to be safely targeted towards cancer cells that are resistant to treatment.
This advance addresses a big challenge with using CRISPR in cancer patients, which is ensuring it can distinguish between a tumor cell and a normal cell, said Dr Eric Kmiec, director of Christiana Cares Gene Editing Institute, US, and principal author of the study.
According to a commentary (written by the journal editors) accompanying the paper in the journalMolecular Cancer Research, the process developed by the institute can provide an empirical basis for the use of CRISPR-directed gene therapy in solid tumour cells, and continue to advance the use of this technology closer to clinical implementation.
Kmiec explained that the primary aim of the study was to successfully knock out the NRF2 gene in squamous cell carcinoma tumours, without effecting normal cells. To do this, they used mutations to the NRF2 gene that create a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM site), which is exclusively expressed in tumours, to guide CRISPR gene editing.
According to Kmiec, NRF2 protects tumours from damage caused by chemotherapy and radiation, rendering it resistant to treatment. In their earlier studies, Kmiec and colleagues demonstrated knocking out NRF2 using CRISPR increases sensitivity to chemotherapy. Several other cancers, including oesophageal, head and neck, and certain forms of uterine and bladder cancer, are also frequently protected by the NRF2 gene and have mutations creating PAM sites.
Kmiec revealed that NRF2 mutations show up early in tumour development and can be detected using existing tests. They propose using CRISPR to disable NRF2 early-on in the progression of the tumour could improve the efficacy of conventional treatments and potentially lower the dosages required to shrink tumours.
Lead author Kelly Banas concluded: Without any targeted therapy available for this type of lung cancer, the ability to use CRISPR to safely disarm a key mechanism that allows tumours to grow even when being hit with chemotherapy could be an important advance.
They are now conducting tests to assess the safety of targeting NRF2 in squamous cell tumours on animals, in order to conduct a clinical trial in humans at a later date. Such a trial would test whether using CRISPR to knock out the NRF2 gene in squamous cell carcinoma lung cancer tumours improves the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
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Insights on the Worldwide Viral Vector and Plasmid Manufacturing Industry to 2030 – Analysis and Forecast – ResearchAndMarkets.com – Business Wire
Posted: June 4, 2020 at 9:48 am
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Global Viral Vector and Plasmid Manufacturing Market: Focus on Vector Type, Application, Disease, 5 Region's Data, 15 Countries' Data, Patent Landscape and Competitive Insights - Analysis and Forecast, 2020-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
According to this report the global viral vector and plasmid manufacturing market was valued at $1.16 billion in 2019 and is expected to be $5.86 billion in 2030.
The viral vector and plasmid manufacturing market is expected to grow at a lower double-digit compound annual growth rate in the forecast period 2020-2030. The growing prominence of vector-based gene therapy products and high funding activities in research for the development of novel therapies, coupled with an increasing prevalence of diseases, such as cancer, genetic diseases, and infectious diseases, is prominently driving the growth of the global viral vector and plasmid manufacturing market.
The rising prevalence of diseases has led to an increasing demand for the development of advanced therapies and drugs to meet the needs of the growing patient population. The advent of cell and gene therapy has offered the high potential to treat diseases that are otherwise incurable by conventional treatment modalities. Both therapies encompass the use of vector, as gene delivery vehicles, for the introduction of a therapeutic gene into the target cell in order to provide a cure or remedy to disease. Extensive progress made in gene and cell therapy research since the early 1970s and 1980s has, therefore, accelerated the adoption rate of plasmids and viral vectors for their use in these modern therapies.
Progress made in the field of vaccinology, involving the use of vectors, has further intensified the demand for these vectors. A large number of preclinical and clinical studies evaluating the potential of vectors in these advanced therapies have further displayed promising results. This, in turn, has attracted the attention of investors, making viral vector and plasmid manufacturing market an active area of investment as well as encouraging favorable funding activities from both the private and public sectors.
Currently, the global viral vector and plasmid manufacturing market is witnessing the entry of several contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) and contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) that are striving hard to sustain the competition with the main goal to increase the production of vectors that would be both cost-effective and of superior quality. The market is currently dominated by juggernauts, such as Lonza, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, Merck KGaA, GE Healthcare, Sartorius AG, and other small-medium enterprises, which offer a wide range of vector manufacturing products and services to the market.
Key Questions Answered:
Market Dynamics
Drivers
Restraints
Opportunities
Companies Profiled
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qy82g1
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Prevail Therapeutics Appoints Kira Schwartz, JD, as General CounselMs. Schwartz brings over 16 years of legal experience in the biopharma industry to…
Posted: June 4, 2020 at 9:48 am
NEW YORK, June 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prevail Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: PRVL), a biotechnology company developing potentially disease-modifying AAV-based gene therapies for patients with neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the appointment of Kira Schwartz, J.D., as the Companys General Counsel. In this new role, Ms. Schwartz will lead all aspects of the Companys legal organization.
We are excited to welcome Kira to Prevail as our general counsel and latest member of our executive team, said Asa Abeliovich, M.D., Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Prevail. Prevail will greatly benefit from Kiras significant expertise as a senior legal counselor within the biopharmaceutical industry. She will play a key role in shaping our internal legal function and advising the Board and leadership team on all legal and corporate governance issues as we continue to advance our AAV gene therapy-based pipeline through the clinic for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
Prevail is well-positioned to be a leader in developing transformative treatments for patients with neurodegenerative disorders, and I look forward to joining such a mission-driven team at an important point in the Companys growth and development, with anticipated clinical advancements in the year ahead, said Ms. Schwartz.
Prior to joining Prevail, Ms. Schwartz served as Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary at Allergan plc (formerly Actavis plc), where she led a legal group supporting business development, corporate governance, finance, human resources, supply chain and real estate functions. As Vice President, Associate General Counsel at Actavis, she led Actavis $70.5 billion acquisition of Allergan, Inc. Previously, she held senior leadership positions at Forest Laboratories, Inc. (acquired by Actavis), where she oversaw a variety of projects, including business development, manufacturing and supply chain, R&D and more, and was senior corporate counsel in Pfizer Inc.s business transactions group. Ms. Schwartz started her career at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP. She received her J.D. from Yale Law School and a B.A. in economics from Tufts University.
About Prevail Therapeutics
Prevail is a gene therapy company leveraging breakthroughs in human genetics with the goal of developing and commercializing disease-modifying AAV-based gene therapies for patients with neurodegenerative diseases. The company is developing PR001 for patients with Parkinsons disease with GBA1 mutations (PD-GBA) and neuronopathic Gaucher disease; PR006 for patients with frontotemporal dementia with GRN mutations (FTD-GRN); and PR004 for patients with certain synucleinopathies.
Prevail was founded by Dr. Asa Abeliovich in 2017, through a collaborative effort with The Silverstein Foundation for Parkinsons with GBA and OrbiMed, and is headquartered in New York, NY.
Media Contact:Mary CarmichaelTen Bridge Communicationsmary@tenbridgecommunications.com617-413-3543
Investor Contact:investors@prevailtherapeutics.com
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Food and Drug Allergy Anaphylaxis Could Be Prevented With a Pill – Technology Networks
Posted: June 4, 2020 at 9:45 am
For someone with a food or drug allergy, the risk of life-threatening anaphylactic shock lurks around every corner. A new Northwestern Medicine study shows there might be a pill that can be taken proactively to prevent mild to life-threatening anaphylaxis, no matter the cause.Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening systemic allergic reaction that can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to an allergen. It occurs in about one in 50 Americans, though many believe the rate is higher (closer to one in 20), according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. If a persons blood pressure drops so low during anaphylaxis or their airway closes up enough that they cant get enough oxygen to their organs, they enter anaphylactic shock.
The study used three different BTK inhibitors, which blocked allergic reactions when tested on human mast cells in a test tube. Additionally, the study used one U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved oral drug, which successfully reduced or prevented allergic reactions, including severe, life-threatening anaphylactic reactions, in a new humanized mouse model of anaphylaxis. The mouses organs contained transplanted human cells that, over several months, matured into human mast cells, the primary cells that react during allergic reactions.
This would be the first known treatment to prevent anaphylaxis other than avoiding the allergen. The findings could pave the way for future human clinical trials of such oral drugs to be used as a preventive treatment to avoid serious allergic reactions, said senior and corresponding author Dr. Bruce Bochner, the Samuel M. Feinberg Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
This pill could quite literally be life-changing and life-saving, Bochner said. Imagine being able to take medication proactively to prevent a serious allergic reaction.
Additionally, Bochner said people who are at high risk of allergic exposures to life-saving antibiotics or people about to undergo oral food desensitization (gradually eating foods to build up a threshold to an allergic reaction) could take the pill as a preventive measure. If such drugs turn out to be safe and cheap enough for daily use, theoretically anyone with a serious allergy, including food allergies, could take it and be able to eat the foods theyve been strictly avoiding, Bochner said.
For now, Bochner said the drug would likely be used preventatively, not for emergencies, like an EpiPen, which injects epinephrine into someone experiencing an allergic reaction to reverse the symptoms. But he and his team are considering exploring whether this sort of medication could be reformulated to be added to the EpiPen to be injected along with the epinephrine to see if it would better stop or abort anaphylaxis after it has begun.
Inhibition of skin tests is a kind of a surrogate test for whether the drug is actually working, Bochner said. So, one future goal is to give this medication to food- or drug-allergic subjects, show by skin testing that their allergic sensitivity has been blocked by the drugs effect and then give them the food or drug, expecting they will have little or no reaction.
BTK inhibitors are currently on the market for approximately $500 per day as a successful and less-toxic alternative to chemotherapy for patients with blood cancers like chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma. They are not yet approved for use in children, who are more likely to have food allergies.
This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.
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New map of SARS-CoV-2 infection in nasal cavity provides more support for wearing masks, researchers say – Fox News
Posted: June 4, 2020 at 9:45 am
Scientists have characterized the specific way SARS-CoV-2, which is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, infects the nasal cavity to a great degree.
The new study published in the journal Cell suggests that the virus first tends to firmly establish itself in the nasal cavity, but it can then be aspirated into the lungs -- where it wreaks havoc and can lead to pneumonia.
Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine and the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health believe their study supports the widespread wearing of masks as a way to prevent infection.
"If the nose is the dominant initial site from which lung infections are seeded, then the widespread use of masks to protect the nasal passages, as well as any therapeutic strategies that reduce virus in the nose, such as nasal irrigation or antiviral nasal sprays, could be beneficial," said study co-senior author Richard Boucher, a professor of medicine and director of the Marsico Lung Institute at the UNC School of Medicine, in a statement.
COVID-19 COULD BE SEASONAL ILLNESS THAT RETURNS AS HUMIDITY DECREASES, NEW STUDY SAYS
SARS-CoV-2 (red) infected ciliated cells in the COVID-19 patient's bronchi. (Takanori Asakura, PhD, UNC School of Medicine) (Takanori Asakura, PhD, UNC School of Medicine)
SARS-CoV-2, which first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China and spread around the world, has now infected more than 6.4 million and killed 382,451. The U.S. accounts for almost one-third of the global infections and deaths.
"This is a landmark study that reveals new and unexpected insights into the mechanisms that regulate disease progression and severity following SARS-CoV-2 infection," said Ralph Baric, a professor of epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Public Health. "In addition, we describe a new reverse genetic platform for SARS-CoV-2 allowing us to produce key indicator viruses that will support national vaccine efforts designed to control the spread and severity of this terrible disease."
SOME SCIENTISTS FEAR 'SUPERSPREADERS' MAY PROMPT NEW COVID-19 OUTBREAKS AS STATES REOPEN
Scientists were hoping to gain a stronger understanding of which cells in the airways the virus infects and how it gets into patients' lungs when they develop pneumonia.
Researchers used different isolates of SARS-CoV-2 to see how efficiently they could infect cultured cells from different parts of the human airway for one of the study's experiments. They discovered a pattern of continuous variation, or gradient, from a relatively high infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in cells lining the nasal passages, to less infectivity in cells lining the throat and bronchia, to relatively low infectivity in lung cells.
The scientists also found that ACE2, the cell surface receptor that the virus uses to get into cells, was more abundant on nasal-lining cells and less abundant on the surface of lower airway cells. This difference could explain, at least in part, why upper airway nasal-lining cells were more susceptible to infection.
The hypothesis that aspiration of oral contents into the lung is a strong contributor to COVID-19 pneumonia is consistent with observations that people at higher risk for severe lung disease -- the elderly, obese, and diabetic -- are more prone to aspiration (the process of drawing breath), especially at night.
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Stem Cell Banking Market Scope, Consumption and Opportunities Analysis 2018 2028 – Cole of Duty
Posted: June 4, 2020 at 9:45 am
Global Stem Cell Banking Market: Overview
The demand within the global stem cell banking market is growing on account of advancements in the field of regenerative medicine. The medical fraternity has become extremely focused towards the development of artificial tissues that can infuse with the human body. Furthermore, medical analysis and testing has gathered momentum across biological laboratories and research institutes. Henceforth, it is integral to develop stem cell samples and repositories that hold relevance in modern-day research. The need for regenerative medicine emerges from the growing incidence of internal tissue rupture. Certain types of tissues do not recover for several years, and may even be damaged permanently. Therefore, the need for stem cell banking is expected to grow at a significant pace.
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In a custom report, TMR Research digs into the factors that have aided the growth of the global stem cell banking market. The global stem cell banking market can be segmented on the basis of bank size, application, and region. The commendable developments that have incepted across the US healthcare industry has given a thrust to the growth of the North America stem cell banking market.
Global Stem Cell Banking Market: Notable Developments
The need for improved regenerative medication and anatomy has played an integral role in driving fresh developments within the stem cell banking market.
Gallant has emerged as a notable market entity that has remained as the torchbearer of innovation within the global stem cell banking market. The company has recently launched stem cell banking for dogs, and has attracted the attention of the masses. As people become increasingly concerned about their pets, the new move by Gallant shall help the company in earning the trust of the consumers. Moreover, it can move several notches higher on the innovation index.
Cells4Life has also remained at the forefront of developments within the global stem cell banking market. After suffering backlash for its error in cord blood stem cell promotion, the company is expected to use effective public relation strategies to regain its value in the market.
Global Stem Cell Banking Market: Growth Drivers
Development of improved facilities for storage of stem cells has played an integral role in driving market demand. Furthermore, the unprecedented demand for improved analysis of regenerative medications has also created new opportunities within the global stem cell banking market. Medical research has attracted investments from global investors and stakeholders. The tremendous level of resilience shown by biological researchers to develop stem cell samples has aided market growth. Henceforth, the total volume of revenues within the global stem cell banking market is slated to multiply.
Commercialization of stem cell banks has emerged as matter of concern for the healthcare industry. However, this trend has also helped in easy storage and procurement of cells stored during the yester years of children. Presence of sound procedures to register at stem cell banks, and the safety offered by these entities, has generated fresh demand within the global market. New regional territories are opening to the idea of stem cell banking. Several factors are responsible for the growth of this trend. Primarily, improvements in stem cell banking can have favourable impact on the growth of the healthcare industry. Moreover, the opportunities for revenue generation associated with the development of functional stem cell banks has aided regional market growth.
The global stem cell banking market is segmented on the basis of:
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BeiGene Announces the Approval of BRUKINSA (Zanubrutinib) in China for Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia or Small…
Posted: June 4, 2020 at 9:44 am
First approvals for BRUKINSA in China and its first indication for relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma
BEIJING, China and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BeiGene, Ltd. (NASDAQ: BGNE; HKEX: 06160), a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative molecularly-targeted and immuno-oncology drugs for the treatment of cancer, today announced that its BTK inhibitor BRUKINSA (zanubrutinib) has received approval from the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in two indications the treatment of adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) /small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) who have received at least one prior therapy, and the treatment of adult patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who have received at least one prior therapy. Both new drug applications (NDAs) were previously granted priority review by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the NMPA.
BRUKINSA received accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for MCL in adult patients who have received at least one prior therapy in November 2019.
The concurrent approvals of BRUKINSA in R/R CLL/SLL and R/R MCL are a tribute to the collective expertise and hard work of the BeiGene team. With two product approvals covering four indications in China and one in the United States in merely seven months, we continue to focus on execution in advancing our broad portfolio, commented John V. Oyler, Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of BeiGene.
Following in the footsteps of tislelizumab, BRUKINSA is the second BeiGene internally-developed drug approved in China, another significant expansion in our growing commercial portfolio. These approvals would not have been possible without the many clinicians and patients who participated in our trials and the support of the health authorities, commented Xiaobin Wu, Ph.D., General Manager of China and President of BeiGene. We look forward to launching BRUKINSA in China, a potentially best-in-class BTK inhibitor with extensive global data from nine Phase 3 or potentially registration-enabling studies including a head-to-head comparison trial that was recently presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.
The NMPA Approval in R/R CLL/SLL
The NMPA approval of BRUKINSA in patients with R/R CLL/SLL is based on results from a single-arm pivotal Phase 2 trial conducted in 91 patients (82 with R/R CLL; nine with R/R SLL) in China (NCT03206918; BGB-3111-205). Clinical efficacy data in the BRUKINSA label in China, as assessed by independent review committee (IRC) per iwCLL 2008 criteria for CLL and Lugano Classification 2014 for SLL, include an overall response rate (ORR) of 62.6%, including a complete response (CR) rate of 3.3%, a partial response (PR) rate of 59.3%, and the PR with lymphocytosis (PR-L) rate was 22%.
The most common adverse reactions reported in the label in China (10%) were neutropenia (68.1%), thrombocytopenia (40.7%), hematuria (35.2%), purpura (34.1%), anemia (23.1%), leukopenia (18.7%), pneumonia (18.7%), upper respiratory tract infection (15.4%), hemorrhage (14.3%), and rash (12.1%). The incidence of Grade 3 adverse reactions was 69.2%. The incidence of serious adverse reactions was 19.8%, and the most common serious adverse reaction was pneumonia (11.0%).
The approval of BRUKINSA will provide an important treatment option for Chinese patients with relapsed/refractory CLL/SLL. In addition to BRUKINSAs significant anti-tumor activity evidenced by an ORR of more than 60%, the drug demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile, commented Jianyong Li, M.D., Professor and Director of the Department of Hematology and Director of the Pukou CLL Center at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University.
The NMPA Approval in R/R MCL
The NMPA approval of BRUKINSA in patients with R/R MCL is based on results from a single-arm pivotal Phase 2 trial conducted in 86 patients in China (NCT03206970; BGB-3111-206). Clinical efficacy data in the BRUKINSA label in China, as assessed by IRC per Lugano Classification 2014, include the ORR of 83.7%, including a CR rate of 68.6% and a partial response PR rate of 15.1%.
The most common adverse reactions (10%) reported in the label in China were neutropenia (47.7%), rash (32.6%), leukopenia (31.4%), thrombocytopenia (30.2%), and anemia (11.6%). The incidence of serious adverse reactions was 15.1%, and common serious adverse reactions (2%) included pneumonia (8.1%), hemorrhage (2.3%), and thrombocytopenia (2.3%).
BRUKINSA has shown promise in hematologic malignancies including in patients with relapsed/refractory MCL. With robust results including a 68.6% CR rate in the MCL trial, we are optimistic and excited about the clinical benefits BRUKINSA can bring to these patients, said Jun Zhu, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Department of Internal Medicine and Lymphoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital.
The recommended dose of BRUKINSA in Chinese Package Insert is 160 mg twice daily taken orally with or without food. The dose may be adjusted for adverse reactions, and reduced for patients with severe hepatic impairment and certain drug interactions.
About Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia or Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) are forms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, that arise from B lymphocytes. CLL and SLL are essentially the same disease, with the only difference being the location where the cancer primarily occurs.i When most of the cancer cells are located in the peripheral blood and the bone marrow, the disease is referred to as CLL, although the lymph nodes and spleen are often involved. When the cancer cells are located mostly in the lymph nodes, the disease is called SLL.ii According to epidemiological statistics, 88,200 patients are newly diagnosed with lymphoma each year in China, with NHL accounting for approximately 91%. Among all the NHL incidences, patients with B-cell NHL account for 66%, and CLL or SLL accounts for approximately 6.4% of all B-cell NHL incidences, indicating that the number of patients with CLL/SLL reaches approximately 3,390 in all patients (88,200) newly diagnosed with lymphoma each year.iii
About Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a diverse group of cancers that originate from B-, T- or NK-cells. MCL is typically an aggressive form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) that arises from B-cells originating in the mantle zone.iv According to epidemiological statistics, 88,200 patients are newly diagnosed with lymphoma each year in China, with NHL accounting for approximately 91%. Among all the NHL incidences, patients with B-cell NHL account for 66%, and MCL accounts for approximately 5% of B-cell NHL incidences, equivalent to over 2,600 newly diagnosed cases each year.v MCL usually has a poor prognosis, with a median survival of three to four years,vi and is often diagnosed at a later stage of disease.
About BRUKINSA (zanubrutinib)
BRUKINSA (zanubrutinib) is a small molecule inhibitor of Brutons tyrosine kinase (BTK) discovered by BeiGene scientists that is currently being evaluated globally in a broad pivotal clinical program as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapies to treat various B-cell malignancies.
BRUKINSA was granted accelerated approval by the U.S. FDA to treat adult patients with MCL who have received at least one prior therapy in November 2019. This accelerated approval is based on overall response rate (ORR). Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial. BRUKINSA was granted approval in China for the treatment of MCL in adult patients who have received at least one prior therapy and CLL or SLL in adult patients who have received at least one prior therapy in May 2020.
BRUKINSA is not approved for use outside of the United States and China.
IMPORTANT U.S. SAFETY INFORMATION FOR BRUKINSA (ZANUBRUTINIB)
Warnings and Precautions
Hemorrhage
Fatal and serious hemorrhagic events have occurred in patients with hematological malignancies treated with BRUKINSA monotherapy. Grade 3 or higher bleeding events including intracranial and gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hematuria and hemothorax have been reported in 2% of patients treated with BRUKINSA monotherapy. Bleeding events of any grade, including purpura and petechiae, occurred in 50% of patients treated with BRUKINSA monotherapy.
Bleeding events have occurred in patients with and without concomitant antiplatelet or anticoagulation therapy. Co-administration of BRUKINSA with antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications may further increase the risk of hemorrhage.
Monitor for signs and symptoms of bleeding. Discontinue BRUKINSA if intracranial hemorrhage of any grade occurs. Consider the benefit-risk of withholding BRUKINSA for 3-7 days pre- and post-surgery depending upon the type of surgery and the risk of bleeding.
Infections
Fatal and serious infections (including bacterial, viral, or fungal) and opportunistic infections have occurred in patients with hematological malignancies treated with BRUKINSA monotherapy. Grade 3 or higher infections occurred in 23% of patients treated with BRUKINSA monotherapy. The most common Grade 3 or higher infection was pneumonia. Infections due to hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation have occurred.
Consider prophylaxis for herpes simplex virus, pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia and other infections according to standard of care in patients who are at increased risk for infections. Monitor and evaluate patients for fever or other signs and symptoms of infection and treat appropriately.
Cytopenias
Grade 3 or 4 cytopenias, including neutropenia (27%), thrombocytopenia (10%) and anemia (8%) based on laboratory measurements, were reported in patients treated with BRUKINSA monotherapy.
Monitor complete blood counts during treatment and treat using growth factor or transfusions, as needed.
Second Primary Malignancies
Second primary malignancies, including non-skin carcinoma, have occurred in 9% of patients treated with BRUKINSA monotherapy. The most frequent second primary malignancy was skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of skin), reported in 6% of patients. Advise patients to use sun protection.
Cardiac Arrhythmias
Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter have occurred in 2% of patients treated with BRUKINSA monotherapy. Patients with cardiac risk factors, hypertension, and acute infections may be at increased risk. Grade 3 or higher events were reported in 0.6% of patients treated with BRUKINSA monotherapy. Monitor signs and symptoms for atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter and manage as appropriate.
Embryo-Fetal Toxicity
Based on findings in animals, BRUKINSA can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Administration of zanubrutinib to pregnant rats during the period of organogenesis caused embryo-fetal toxicity, including malformations at exposures that were 5 times higher than those reported in patients at the recommended dose of 160 mg twice daily. Advise women to avoid becoming pregnant while taking BRUKINSA and for at least 1 week after the last dose. Advise men to avoid fathering a child during treatment and for at least 1 week after the last dose. If this drug is used during pregnancy, or if the patient becomes pregnant while taking this drug, the patient should be apprised of the potential hazard to a fetus.
Adverse Reactions
The most common adverse reactions in > 10% of patients who received BRUKINSA were neutrophil count decreased (53%), platelet count decreased (39%), upper respiratory tract infection (38%), white blood cell count decreased (30%), hemoglobin decreased (29%), rash (25%), bruising (23%), diarrhea (20%), cough (20%), musculoskeletal pain (19%), pneumonia (18%), urinary tract infection (13%), hematuria (12%), fatigue (11%), constipation (11%), and hemorrhage (10%). The most frequent serious adverse reactions were pneumonia (11%) and hemorrhage (5%).
Of the 118 patients with MCL treated with BRUKINSA, 8 (7%) patients discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions in the trials. The most frequent adverse reaction leading to treatment discontinuation was pneumonia (3.4%). One (0.8%) patient experienced an adverse reaction leading to dose reduction (hepatitis B).
Drug Interactions
CYP3A Inhibitors: When BRUKINSA is co-administered with a strong CYP3A inhibitor, reduce BRUKINSA dose to 80 mg once daily. For coadministration with a moderate CYP3A inhibitor, reduce BRUKINSA dose to 80 mg twice daily.
CYP3A Inducers: Avoid coadministration with moderate or strong CYP3A inducers.
Specific Populations
Hepatic Impairment: The recommended dose of BRUKINSA for patients with severe hepatic impairment is 80 mg orally twice daily.
INDICATION
BRUKINSA is a kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of adult patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who have received at least one prior therapy.
This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial.
Please see full U.S. Prescribing Information at beigene.com/PDF/BRUKINSAUSPI.pdf and Patient Information at beigene.com/PDF/BRUKINSAUSPPI.pdf
About the Zanubrutinib Clinical Trial Program
Clinical trials of zanubrutinib include:
About BeiGene
BeiGene is a global, commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing, manufacturing, and commercializing innovative medicines to improve treatment outcomes and access for patients worldwide. Our 3,800+ employees in China, the United States, Australia, and Europe are committed to expediting the development of a diverse pipeline of novel therapeutics for cancer. We currently market two internally-discovered oncology products: BTK inhibitor BRUKINSA (zanubrutinib) in the United States, and anti-PD-1 antibody tislelizumab in China. We also market or plan to market in China additional oncology products licensed from Amgen Inc., Celgene Logistics Srl, a Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) company, and EUSA Pharma. To learn more about BeiGene, please visit http://www.beigene.com and follow us on Twitter at @BeiGeneUSA.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws, including statements regarding BeiGenes plans and expectations for the commercialization of BRUKINSA, the potential implications of clinical data for patients, and BeiGenes further advancement of, and anticipated clinical development, regulatory milestones and commercialization of BRUKINSA and its other products and product candidates. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including BeiGene's ability to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of its drug candidates; the clinical results for its drug candidates, which may not support further development or marketing approval; actions of regulatory agencies, which may affect the initiation, timing and progress of clinical trials and marketing approval; BeiGene's ability to achieve commercial success for its marketed products and drug candidates, if approved; BeiGene's ability to obtain and maintain protection of intellectual property for its technology and drugs; BeiGene's reliance on third parties to conduct drug development, manufacturing and other services; BeiGenes limited operating history and BeiGene's ability to obtain additional funding for operations and to complete the development and commercialization of its drug candidates; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Companys clinical development, commercial and other operations, as well as those risks more fully discussed in the section entitled Risk Factors in BeiGenes most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in BeiGene's subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and BeiGene undertakes no duty to update such information unless required by law.
Investor Contact Media Contact
Craig West Liza Heapes or Vivian Ni
+1 857-302-5189 + 1 857-302-7596
ir@beigene.com media@beigene.com
__________________________i Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma Fact Sheet, Lymphoma Research Foundation. Accessed at: https://www.lymphoma.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/LRF_FACTSHEET_CLL_SLL.pdf
ii Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma, Lymphoma Research Foundation. Accessed at: https://www.lymphoma.org/aboutlymphoma/cll/
iii Chen W, Zheng R , Baade P D , et al. Cancer statistics in China, 2015[J]. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 2016, 66(2):115-132.
iv https://www.lls.org/sites/default/files/file_assets/mantlecelllymphoma.pdf
v Li, et al. Journal of Diagnostics Concepts & Practice, 2012,11(2): 111-115
vi Philip J. Bierman, James O. Armitage, in Goldman's Cecil Medicine (Twenty Fourth Edition), 2012.
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Hesperos Human-on-a-Chip System Used to Model Preclinical Stages of Alzheimers Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment – Yahoo Finance
Posted: June 4, 2020 at 9:43 am
-- Peer-reviewed publication in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions validates potential of drug discovery platform and ability to study early stages of disease pathology --
Hesperos Inc., pioneers of the Human-on-a-Chip in vitro system, today announced a new peer-reviewed publication that describes how the companys functional Human-on-a-Chip system can be used as a drug discovery platform to identify therapeutic interventions targeting the preclinical stages of Alzheimers disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The manuscript, titled "A human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical neuron human-on-a-chip system to study A42 and tau-induced pathophysiological effects on long-term potentiation," was published this week in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions. The work was conducted in collaboration with the University of Central Florida and with David G. Morgan, Ph.D., Professor of Translational Neuroscience at Michigan State University, and expert in AD pathology.
To date, more than 100 potential therapeutics in development for AD have been abandoned or failed during clinical trials. These therapeutics relied on research conducted in preclinical animal studies, which often are unable to accurately capture the full spectrum of the human disease phenotype, including differences in drug metabolism and excretion between humans and animals. Therefore, there is a need for human models, especially those that accurately recapitulate the functional impairments during the preclinical phases of AD and MCI.
"Hesperos offers a breakthrough technology that provides a human cell-based assay based on cognitive function metrics to evaluate drugs designed to restore cognition at early stages of the Alzheimers continuum," said Dr. Morgan. "This system can serve as a novel drug discovery platform to identify compounds that rescue or alleviate the initial neuronal deficits caused by A1-42 and/or tau oligomers, which is a main focus of clinical trials."
In 2018, Hesperos received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) division within the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help create a new multi-organ human-on-a-chip model for testing AD drugs. Research conducted under this grant included a study to assess therapeutic interventions based on functional changes in neurons, not neuronal death.
In the recent Alzheimer's & Dementia publication, Hesperos describes its in vitro human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cortical neuron human-on-a-chip system for the evaluation of neuron morphology and function after exposure to toxic A and tau oligomers as well as brain extracts from AD transgenic mouse models.
"Researchers are now focusing on biomarker development and therapeutic intervention before symptoms arise in AD and MCI," said James Hickman, Ph.D., Chief Scientist at Hesperos and Professor at the University of Central Florida. "By studying functional disruption without extensive cell loss, we now have a screening methodology for drugs that could potentially evaluate therapeutic efficacy even before the neurodegeneration in MCI and AD occurs."
The researchers found that compared to controls, treatment with toxic A and tau oligomers or brain extracts on the iPSC cortical neurons significantly impaired information processing as demonstrated by reduction in high-frequency stimulation-induced long-term potentiation (LTP), a process that is thought to underlie memory formation and learning. Additionally, oligomer and brain extract exposure led to dysfunction in iPSC cortical neuron electrophysiological activity, including decreases in ion current and action potential firing.
While exposure to the toxic oligomers and brain extracts caused morphological defects in the iPSC cortical neurons, there was no significant loss in cell viability.
"Clinical success for AD therapies has been challenging since preclinical animal studies often do not translate to humans," said Michael L. Shuler, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Hesperos. "With our recent study, we are now one step closer in developing an AD multi-organ model to better evaluate drug metabolism in the liver, penetration through the blood-brain barrier and the effects on neuronal cells."
Story continues
About Alzheimers Disease/Preclinical Stage AD
AD is a progressive disease that is characterized by memory loss and deterioration of cognitive function. Preclinical AD is the first stage of the disease, and it begins long before any symptoms become apparent. It is thought that symptoms do not manifest until there is a significant death of neuronal cells, which is caused by the aggregation of toxic amyloid beta (A) and tau oligomers, typically during the earliest stages of the disease. Unfortunately, treatment after the diagnosis of MCI may be too late to reverse or modify disease progression.
To read the full manuscript, please visit https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/trc2.12029.
About Hesperos
Hesperos, Inc. is a leading provider of Human-on-a-Chip microfluidic systems to characterize an individuals biology. Founders Michael L. Shuler and James J. Hickman have been at the forefront of every major scientific discovery in this realm, from individual organ-on-a-chip constructs to fully functional, interconnected multi-organ systems. With a mission to revolutionize toxicology testing as well as efficacy evaluation for drug discovery, the company has created pumpless platforms with serum-free cellular mediums that allow multi-organ system communication and integrated computational PKPD modeling of live physiological responses utilizing functional readouts from neurons, cardiac, muscle, barrier tissues and neuromuscular junctions as well as responses from liver, pancreas and barrier tissues. Created from human stem cells, the fully human systems are the first in vitro solutions to accurately predict in vivo functions without the use of animal models. More information is available at http://www.hesperosinc.com.
Hesperos and Human-on-a-Chip are trademarks of Hesperos Inc. All other brands may be trademarks of their respective holders.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200529005128/en/
Contacts
Michelle LinnBioscribe774-696-3803michelle@bioscribe.com
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Hesperos Human-on-a-Chip System Used to Model Preclinical Stages of Alzheimers Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment - Yahoo Finance
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Molecular Genetics Company MiraDx Offers COVID-19 Viral Testing To U.S. Universities and Colleges – Business Wire
Posted: June 4, 2020 at 9:36 am
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MiraDx, a Los Angeles-based molecular genetics company that transitioned its CLIA-certified lab to provide COVID-19 tests for essential workers, is now expanding access to its PCR viral testing to public and private universities and colleges across the country. MiraDx aims to enable students, faculty, and staff to resume on-campus education later this year in an environment that provides a clear framework and easy and comprehensive access to highly accurate testing for the COVID-19 virus.
MiraDx is able to develop testing programs customized to the needs of an individual institution. Notably, the MiraDx lab, which is now exclusively processing COVID-19 tests, has dedicated reserved capacity for college programs, both to optimize turnaround time and mitigate the backlog many other labs are currently experiencing. With specific days allocated to individual schools, MiraDx will be able to deliver test results back to school officials through a secure server within 48 hours of receipt at the lab.
Accurate and sensitiveCOVID-19 testing of all Americans is of the utmost importance, said Dr. Joanne Weidhaas, co-founder of MiraDx. As our company continues to provide testing for thousands of first responders and essential workers, we have also turned our attention to another matter of national importance: enabling our youth to continue their on-campus education as safely and as soon as possible. Our goal is to contribute in a meaningful way to institutions of higher learning to allow students, faculty, and staff to return to campus in good health and give parents peace of mind that their children are safe.
MiraDxs discussions with over 100 schools across the country, along with guidance from health officials, have helped to inform the development of emerging testing protocols, to include day one clearance testing of the entire student body and faculty, followed by repeat sentinel testing throughout the semester.
We are focused on delivering the highest quality, most sensitive and dependable testing programs possible, said Dr. Weidhaas, herself an educator at UCLA. We are only going to commit to programs today we know we can achieve in the fall we are not going to sell capacity we do not have, and in fact, we are building in a buffer of capacity in each college testing day.
MiraDx has a CLIA-certified lab with a high complexity molecular processing designation that allows it to conduct PCR testing, a highly sensitive approach that results in over 90 percent accuracy in COVID-19 testing and is considered the gold standard in testing. To determine whether an individual is infected with COVID-19, a sample is collected from a swab of the back of the throat, where the highest viral load exists for this coronavirus. The MiraDx test includes an air-tight vial, collection swab, a biohazard bag, and simple instructions for collecting the sample, which is collected under the supervision of a healthcare professional. MiraDxs analysis technique can identify as little as four copies of COVID-19 RNA in an individual sample, meaning that the virus can be detected even during the early stages of infection and/or in asymptomatic individuals. Non-PCR based testing approaches are either less sensitive (resulting in more false negatives) or do not tell patients when they are no longer contagious, which either leaves them in quarantine too long or presents the risk of them coming out of quarantine too soon.
MiraDxs COVID-19 test has been developed in line with the FDAs Emergency Use Authorization requirements.
About MiraDx
Dr. Joanne Weidhaas, MD, PhD, MSM is the co-founder of MiraDx and a professor and vice-chair in the department of radiation oncology at UCLA.
MiraDx is a Los Angeles-based molecular genetics company that identifies, validates, develops, and delivers novel germline biomarker tests for individualized cancer treatment, and now performs COVID-19 testing. Its goal is to improve human health and advance personalized medicine through the application of novel functional germline biomarkers. To learn more about MiraDx, please visit miradx.com. Please send inquiries to info@miradx.com
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Molecular Genetics Company MiraDx Offers COVID-19 Viral Testing To U.S. Universities and Colleges - Business Wire
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In the race for a vaccine, children may be last to be vaccinated – ABC News
Posted: June 4, 2020 at 9:36 am
Even as scientists race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, experts acknowledge that children could be among the last members of society to be vaccinated.
At least 10 vaccines are being tested in people across the globe, with the United States' top infectious disease doctor, Anthony Fauci, optimistically estimating we could have a viable vaccine by early 2021. While preliminary data on these vaccines has been encouraging, children have been excluded from early studies.
Fauci told ABC News it's possible that studies in children might "catch up" to those in adults, if they are done correctly.
"There is no reason not to believe that [a vaccine] wouldn't be available simultaneously for adults and children," Fauci said.
But other vaccine experts interviewed by ABC News said studies among children could take much longer to complete, and a hard look at the timeline of ongoing vaccine trials raises questions about whether families can expect their children to be vaccinated at some point in the upcoming academic school year.
"Children will be vaccinated, in time," said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, who sits on the Food and Drug Administration's vaccine advisory committee.
"To date, my sense is that children are not part of these initial studies," Offit added. "It would be unfathomable giving children a vaccine that has not been adequately tested in children."
Work on a COVID-19 vaccine is underway at American biotechnology company Moderna in Massachusetts. Moderna plans to start phase II of its vaccine trials soon and phase III in the summer of 2020.
The process for testing a COVID-19 vaccine in children could take "extra months and maybe years longer," according to Paul Duprex, PhD, Director of the Center for Vaccine Research and professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the University of Pittsburgh.
Throughout history, scientists have constantly been reminded that children are not simply small adults. Their bodies and immune systems work differently than adults, so they need to be studied separately -- preferably after safety has already been well-established in adults.
"Every person is special, but kids are especially special," said Duprex. "They are our charges. The emotional baggage that goes with something going wrong in clinical trials involving kids -- and I'm not saying adults are not important -- it's just different."
For now, vaccine trials remain laser-focused on members of society deemed to have the highest risk, such as front-line workers and adults. Although some groups have announced their intention to test vaccines in children, ABC News contacted four vaccine groups and none said they have actually started studies in children yet.
Typically, vaccines are tested in a stepwise approach: phase 1 for safety, phase 2 to start testing effectiveness and a massive phase 3 study with thousands of people.
The pharmaceutical company Pfizer told ABC News it will advance a vaccine into children once positive data from phases 1 and 2 is available in adults. Another company, Inovio said it plans "to assess pediatric populations in the future."
The University of Oxford, which has partnered with the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, is one of the few vaccine groups that has announced formal plans to start testing in children.
But a University spokesperson told ABC News that children will not be injected right away, and will only be given the vaccine once "all of the adults studies are moving along and have generated sufficient safety data."
In the United States, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is collaborating with pharmaceutical companies for vaccine trials, told ABC News the agency would continue to work with CDC to better understand how the virus affects children.
In a statement, the agency said: "We will continue to plan for follow-on clinical trials to include younger age groups so such trials can commence if epidemiological CDC data indicate a need to test COVID-19 vaccines in children."
With vaccine skepticism on the rise, experts stressed that it will be important to proceed with caution. According to an ABC News/Washington Post poll, 27% of American adults said they were not inclined to get a vaccine -- even if it was available for free.
With any new vaccine, the ethical thing to do is test for safety in healthy adults first, and then begin testing it among people who need it the most, explained Jennifer Miller, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine and founder of Bioethics International and the Good Pharma Scorecard.
For COVID-19, that means older adults, front-line workers and people with underlying medical conditions. Children are far less likely to die of this disease.
"About 2% of the cases reported are in the pediatric population," said Dr. David Kimberlin, professor and co-director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
"It's about minimizing risks, it's about informed consent and it's about the population that needs it the most," Miller said.
Minimizing risk is important, especially when it comes to children and vaccines, experts agreed.
Very rarely have candidate vaccines caused a disease to become more severe when the individual is subsequently exposed to the natural infection.
This happened in 1966, when a chemically inactivated vaccine candidate for a childhood lung disease called RSV led to the death of several children. "That tragic event set the RSV vaccine field back decades," said Duprex. "In fact, there still is no licensed RSV vaccine."
Fauci proposed that children might be tested in a so-called "bridging study," in which children are studied in a Phase I trial to ensure the vaccine is safe, and then quickly folded into a large phase 3 study.
Other experts noted it's theoretically possible that studies in children could "catch up" to those in adults, though unprecedented. But even if we do not have a vaccine for children right away, that doesn't necessarily mean children will have to remain socially distant indefinitely.
Eventually, widespread vaccination of adults could end up protecting children thanks to "herd immunity," which is when enough people are vaccinated to snuff out an ongoing chain of infections.
"Usually it's the older way around -- vaccinating children protects older adults," Kimberlin said. But in the case of COVID-19, if we find a successful vaccine and most adults become immune to the virus, "parents could still very legitimately look at that as a win for children because it's a win for society."
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