FDA approves more flexible transportation conditions for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine26 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)Based on new stability data, the US regulator will allow COMIRNATY® to be transported and stored at standard pharmaceutical freezer temperatures for up to two weeks.
Novel anti-psychotic shows promise in Phase II schizophrenia trial25 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)KarXT significantly reduced both positive and negative of symptoms of schizophrenia without the common problematic side effects of current antipsychotic therapies.
New variant-specific mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to enter clinical trials25 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)Moderna has shipped the trial material for its mRNA-1273.351 vaccine candidate to the US National Institutes of Health for Phase I trials.
Ide-cel provides lasting remissions in multiply-relapsed myeloma25 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)BMS and bluebird bio have applied to the FDA for approval of ide-cel as a standard therapy for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma based on positive Phase II trial results.
FDA grants Priority Review to Pfizer’s tick-borne encephalitis vaccine TicoVac™25 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)If approved, TicoVac would be the first vaccine in the US to help protect adults and children from tick-borne encephalitis.
Sanofi and GSK start Phase II study of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate24 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)The dose finding study will assess the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of the companies’ investigational COVID-19 vaccine in 720 participants.
Partnership to develop a microneedle patch for delivering psychedelic pharmaceuticals24 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)The Terasaki Institute is partnering with PharmaTher to adapt a microneedle drug delivery patch for the micro-dosing of psychedelics.
FDA receives new stability data on Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine24 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)New stability data could allow Pfizer and BioNTech’s COMIRNATY® COVID-19 vaccine to be stored at normal refrigerated temperatures for up to two weeks.
Patient dosed with first Lassa fever vaccine to reach human trials24 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)The first trial participant has been given INO-4500 in Ghana - INO-4500 is a DNA vaccine candidate being developed to protect against Lassa fever.
Upadacitinib meets all endpoints in Phase III ulcerative colitis trial23 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)In the trial, 74 percent of participants responded to upadacitinib and 33 percent of patients achieved clinical remission.
FDA issues new guidance for developers of COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics23 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)The new recommendations address the evolving landscape of COVID-19 drug development, including the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Scientists repair spinal cord injuries using patients’ stem cells23 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)In a Phase II trial, all 13 patients who received an intravenous infusion of their own mesenchymal stem cells had improvements in neurological function six months later.
FDA approves Libtayo® monotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer patients23 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)The approval was based on a Phase III trial in which Libtayo reduced risk of death by 43 percent in non-small cell lung cancer patients with ≥50 percent PD-L1 expression in their tumours.
Janssen submits for WHO Emergency Use Listing of COVID-19 vaccine22 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)If granted Emergency Use Listing by the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 500 million doses of Janssen’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine could be distributed under COVAX.
UK grants marketing authorisation to “landmark” breast cancer therapy22 February 2021 | By Hannah Balfour (European Pharmaceutical Review)Seagen's Tukysa® (tucatinib) was approved in the UK as part of a combination regimen for the treatment of adults with locally advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer.