Category: Pharmaceuticals
Scientists use plants in new polio vaccine breakthrough
The world may have taken a step towards a polio-free future as researchers make a breakthrough in vaccine development against the disease. An international consortium of scientists at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, UK was able to produce a new poliovirus vaccine by growing virus-like particles (VLPs), which are non-pathogenic mimics of the virus, [...]
Hepatitis drugs are becoming more affordable
Drugs therapies to cure hepatitis C and treat hepatitis B are becoming more affordable as prices are dropping dramatically, giving hope to 325 million people living with the viral liver disease that can be fatal, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. A generic antiviral drug for hepatitis C, which can be cured in three months, [...]
Corning partners with Merck, Pfizer for new injectable drug packaging project
Corning Inc., an American manufacturer of specialty glass and ceramics, is making a US$500 million investment with US pharmaceutical giants Merck and Pfizer to manufacture a new kind of glass for injectable drug vials, US President Donald Trump announced. At a White House event, Trump said the effort will create nearly 1,000 jobs at facilities [...]
Meningitis vaccine lowered gonorrhea risk by over 30% in New Zealand
A mass vaccination campaign in New Zealand against meningitis also proved to be effective in protecting people against gonorrhea, lowering the risk of the disease by more than 30%, researchers reported. Although the bacteria that cause gonorrhea and the bacteria that cause meningitis are related, the result of the vaccination campaign is still surprising news. [...]
Novartis’ pioneering cancer gene therapy drug get US panel support
A pioneering cancer drug treatment developed by Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company Novartis AG has received support from an advisory panel to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which could lead to the drug becoming the first gene therapy to be approved in the US. The panel voted 10-0 that the drug, tisagenlecleucel, should be [...]
Pelican BioThermal provided vital support for diabetes awareness challenge
Cold chain packaging leader Pelican BioThermal proved itself as a vital supporter and an official partner in a global diabetes awareness cycling challenge through its Crēdo ProMed medical transport bag. Pelican BioThermal is an official partner of the two-wheeled project, called ‘For A Piece of Cake’, where two courageous riders cycled for 12 months. The [...]
Personalized cancer vaccines show positive results in early trials
A new class of personalized cancer vaccines has showed positive results, keeping the disease in check, in two early-stage clinical trials. Scientists believe this could lead to new way to help the immune system fight back against the disease. Although so-called immunotherapy drugs from the likes of Merck and Co, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Roche are [...]
Pharma giants looking to AI to speed up drug discovery
The world’s leading pharmaceutical companies are looking into the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to boost the speed of drug discovery, with Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) leading the pack with the signing of a new US$43 million deal in the field. Other pharmaceutical giants including Merck & Co, Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi are also [...]
New antiviral drug candidate inhibits SARS, MERS, bat coronaviruses
A new antiviral drug candidate, called GS-5734, inhibits a broad range of coronaviruses, including the SARS and MERS coronaviruses, according to a report by a multi-institutional team of investigators. Further development of the drug candidate for the treatment and prevention of current coronavirus infections and potential future epidemic outbreaks is supported by the team’s findings. [...]
Simplified new-gen antibiotic effective against multi-drug resistant infections
Simplified forms of a new generation antibiotic called teixobactin produced by scientists have been found to be successful in defeating multi-drug resistant infections such as MRSA. The team, led by Dr. Ishwar Singh at the University of Lincoln in the UK, has pinpointed exactly which amino acid in the newly discovered teixobactin antibiotic makes it [...]
