AstraZeneca’s Lynparza (ingredient: olaparib), the first PARP (poly ADP ribose polymerase) inhibitor, targets patients with a germline BRCA (breast cancer gene) mutation. Despite the limited target group, the drug has boosted the value of precision medicine in cancer types where treatment options were insufficient, an expert said.After obtaining an indication for breast cancer in October, the
Roche Diabetes Care emphasized the importance of “integrated personalized diabetes management” (iPDM) at the International Diabetes Federation Congress at BEXCO, Busan, which runs through Thursday.The company said the integration of antidiabetic technology and digital health solutions would provide patients and health care professionals with improved treatment and better quality of life, at a
An Irish expert on obesity and diabetes said Wednesday that prospects for treating these conditions have become brighter if doctors can provide patients with better education based on their latest achievements.Professor Carel le Roux, head of pathology at University College Dublin, made these and other points during an interactive media event on obesity management globally and in Asia Novo
In Korea, 20.9 percent of diabetic patients, who have a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of more than 8 percent, need active insulin treatment. Of the total, however, only 8.3 percent treat themselves with insulin. The low treatment rate explains why a more active insulin prescription is necessary for patients. The second generation of basal insulin is an option for patients who do not reach their targe
SK Biopharmaceuticals said it would begin to develop a second new drug for epilepsy to solidify its status in the epilepsy treatment market and specialize in central nervous system diseases.The company said Tuesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the green light for investigational new drug (IND) application for SKL24721, a drug candidate for epilepsy treatment.The company will
ISU Abxis said that it has started phase 1 clinical trial of Abcertin, an enzyme replacement therapy for Gaucher disease, in Australia.The drug has the same ingredient as Sanofi Genzyme's Cerezyme and received approval in Korea in 2012. The company is exporting the drug to foreign countries, such as Iran and Mexico.The company decided to use the clinical trial as a strategy to expand the d
Hanmi Pharmaceutical said that it has licensed in FLX475, the world’s first C-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) oral immunotherapy candidate, from Rapt Therapeutics, a U.S. firm specializing in immunotherapy.Under the accord, Hanmi will pay $4 million as an upfront payment to Rapt while the company is also eligible to receive up to $54 million in the course of developing, commercializing, an
Samyang Biopharm USA said Tuesday it has signed a deal to adopt a new immunotherapy candidate from U.S. biotech firm CanCure. Samyang Biopharm USA is a U.S. subsidiary of Samyang Biopharmaceuticals, a biomedical unit of Samyang Group.Under the agreement, Samyang Biopharm USA will hold the globally exclusive right to develop, manufacture, and commercialize the new drug candidate SYB-010, de
Ildong pharmaceutical said that it will co-promote GSK Consumer Healthcare’s over-the-counter and other consumer health-related products.The products include Theraflu, Otrivin, Nicotin-L, Driclor, Voltaren, Polident, Sensodyne, Parodontax, and Breathe Right. Sales of these products amounted to about 46 billion won ($38.7 million) last year.“This is the largest single co-promotion contract
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) 2019 conference kicked off for a five-day run in BEXCO, Busan, on Monday.More than 135 companies, including multinational pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, are participating in the conference operating 310 booths and drawing about 15,000 visitors.The conference will present research achievements covering all aspects related to one
LG Chem said that it has licensed in a molecular diagnostic platform technology from Kryptos Biotechnologies, a U.S. biotechnology and diagnostic firm. Kryptos' technology, called photothermal heating, uses light to generate and control heat for miniaturization of molecular diagnostic devices.LG Chem plans to use the acquired technology to develop an ultrasmall molecular diagnostic device
Syntekabio said that it aims to become the world's first publicly-traded company specializing in artificial intelligence (AI)-based drug discovery.“We will play a pivotal role in identifying the causes and cures of various diseases and develop new therapies based on precision medicine through the development of our big data and AI deep learning drug development platforms,” Syntekabio CEO J
S. Biomedics said that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has approved a clinical trial of its embryonic stem cell-derived spinal cord injury treatment. It is the first clinical trial of a locally developed embryonic stem cell-derived treatment.The company plans to evaluate the safety and exploratory efficacy of the treatment in patients with ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS)-A and AIS-C within 60
Daewoong Pharmaceutical said its new drug Fexuprazan will challenge the potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) market, dominated by CJ HealthCare’s K-Cab.Pharmaceutical industry sources said Friday Daewoong has completed phase-3 trials on Fexuprazan and applied for marketing approval this month.P-CAB is regarded as the next-generation medicine to replace proton pump inhibitors (PPI), o
Hanmi Pharmaceutical said its Chinese partner Innovent Biologics has begun phase 1 clinical trial of an anticancer therapy using Pentambody, a platform technology developed by Beijing Hanmi Pharmaceutical, the company's Chinese offshoot.Pentambody is a next-generation bispecific antibody platform technology, in which one antibody binds to two different targets simultaneously. Beijing Hanmi
GI Innovation said that it has licensed out GI-101, a bispecific fusion protein for treating solid tumors, to Simcere, a Chinese pharmaceutical company. GI-101 is a bispecific immunotherapy agent made using the GI-SMART platform, a technology for developing bispecific fusion proteins owned by GI Innovation.Through combining the cluster of differentiation 80 (CD80) and interleukin 2 (IL-2)
The government said it would grant insurance benefit to Takeda's ovarian cancer treatment Zejula (ingredient: niraparib) from next month.Zejula is a therapeutic agent used for monotherapy in adults with recurrent, platinum-sensitive, high-grade ovarian cancer, including fallopian or primary peritoneal cancer, who responded partially or fully to second-line or higher platinum-based therapy.
ST Pharm said that it has submitted an investigational new drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for STP1002, a colorectal cancer treatment candidate.The company plans to confirm the safety and efficacy of the drug while trying to expand the candidate’s indications to treat patients with advanced solid cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer and breast cancer, it add
SK Chemicals said Thursday it has won local marketing license for Ongentys (ingredient: opicapone), a Parkinson’s disease treatment developed by Portuguese drugmaker Bial. The two companies signed an agreement in February 2018 to supply Ongentys exclusively in the Korean market. The first Parkinson’s disease treatment in the local market is to be released in the second half of 2020.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Korea said that it has appointed Kim Jin-young as the new CEO and president of the newly merged company between BMS Korea and Celgene Korea. BMS completed the $74-billion acquisition of Celgene on Nov. 21.Kim has been serving as the interim CEO of the company since the resignation of BMS’s previous CEO, Park Hye-seon, in May.Before her appointment, Kim worked at th