Will Type 1 Diabetes have a 'One and done' cure?

• Six in every 10 households in the region purchase excessive number of medicines, resulting in the disposal of unused medications in an unscientific manner, according to a survey. This, says the community platform which carried out the survey, is an environmental hazard and leads to the waste of pharmaceutical products. Proper disposal of medicines is crucial to preventing adverse effects on environment and minimize the risks of drug misuse or accidental poisoning, according to the national survey conducted by LocalCircles – a community platform and pollster on public issues. A majority of participants in the survey are from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The survey found that up to 70% medicines participants purchased in the last three years ended up not being used, got expired and had to be thrown. In all, 10,476 people from Haryana (4,982), Punjab (3,493) and Himachal Pradesh (2,001) took part in the survey. In Haryana, 22% respondents reported discarding up to 50% medicines they purchased on an average in the past three years. Also, 17% participants disposed of between 50% and 70% of the medicines they bought. In Punjab, 21% respondents stated they had discarded up to 30% medicines they purchased, while close to 16% disposed of up to 50% pharmaceutical products purchased in three years. In Himachal, 22% respondents dumped up to 50% medicines, and approximately 17% threw away up to 70% medicines they bought. “With so many households in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh disposing of bulk of the medicines they purchase, there is an urgent need for policy intervention from central and state governments, such that either chemists and e-pharmacies sell smaller quantities or they accept returns within a stipulated timeframe,” says Sachin Taparia, founder of LocalCircles. (TOI)
• Novartis said it has agreed to acquire U.S. biotech firm Chinook Therapeutics for up to $3.5 billion to boost its late-stage drug development line-up, raising the stakes in the race for a rare kidney disease treatment. Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan is eager to raise the prospect of future blockbuster drugs after leading a push to slash costs and reshape the Swiss drugmaker to focus on fewer therapeutic areas and the most promising geographic markets. Chinook, has a leading compound designed to treat IgA Nephrophathy, or IgAN, a rare disease that can lead to kidney failure in young adults which has attracted a range of developers and is already the target of drug candidate developed by Novartis. IgAN is a progressive autoimmune disease that mostly affects young adults and which can lead to kidney failure that requires dialysis or organ transplantation. No targeted treatment options are available, Novartis said. In the United States, IgAN affects up to 21 people per million per year, with a higher rate among Asian populations. IgAN is the most common cause of kidney failure in Caucasian young adults, Novartis added. Novartis is set to become more dependent on its drug development fortunes as it plans to spin off its generic drugs division Sandoz in the second half of 2023. (Reuters)
• Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd said it has slashed the price of breast cancer drug Trastuzumab by bringing its brand Trumab at Rs 15,749 for a 440 mg vial from Rs 54,000 earlier. Trastuzumab is used in the treatment of a particular type of breast cancer -- HER2-positive, and the company markets its version in India under the brand name 'Trumab'. “The new price of the drug being marketed under the brand name 'Trumab', will be Rs 15,749 per 440 mg vial. This price reduction will bring the per mg cost of Trumab to around Rs 35, making it the most affordable treatment option for HER2-positive breast cancer in the country," Glenmark said in a statement. Most of the existing Trastuzumab brands in the market are priced in between Rs 40,000 to Rs 54,000 per 440 mg vial, the company said, adding the cost of Trastuzumab treatment has been a major barrier for many patients in India. (Money control)
• Pharma major Dr Reddy’s Laboratories is foraying into the trade generics business in the Indian market with the rollout of a new dedicated division RGenX, under which the company will be selling its generic medicines, which are nothing but copycat versions of innovator drugs that have gone off-patent. The Hyderabad-based company said it will roll out its trade generics business across cities, towns and rural areas in the country by working closely with channel partners to ensure availability of its products. The move is part of the company’s focus on increasing its reach from Class I to V towns and rural areas, providing affordable medicines and achieving its goal of reaching 1.5 billion patients by 2030.?Pointing out that India was a key focus market for Dr Reddy’s Labs, its CEO for India & Emerging Markets MV Ramana termed the move as a continuation of its effort to build a well-rounded business in India while strengthening its branded generics business by growing brands, new product launches, productivity enhancement through digital and analytics, and select strategic acquisitions. (TOI)
• AstraZeneca is joining Bristol Myers Squibb in the emerging autoimmune cell therapy space, paying Quell Therapeutics $85 million upfront to collaborate on candidates including a “one and done” cure for Type 1 diabetes. Quell’s founding hypothesis is that engineered regulatory T (Treg) cell therapies can stop immune attacks in a targeted way. The idea combines the role Tregs play in the body, where they calm unwanted immune responses, with CARs like the targeting technology that enables cancer cell therapies. Internally, Quell is validating its technology with a candidate, QEL-001, designed to stop organ rejection and end the need for lifelong immunosuppression, but the model has broader applications. AstraZeneca has stepped up to help Quell explore the potential of its platform with a two-indication deal. In return for $85 million plus potentially more Internally, Quell is validating its technology with a candidate, QEL-001, designed to stop organ rejection and end the need for lifelong immunosuppression, but the model has broader applications. AstraZeneca has stepped up to help Quell explore the potential of its platform with a two-indication deal. (FiercePharma)

The above is based on my personal research and does not reflect my organization’s views.