Breaking WORLD PHARMA NEWS

New EPIVINF study highlights a promising model for Long COVID research

Researchers from IRTA and IrsiCaixa, partners in the EPIVINF project, have identified the golden Syrian hamster as a potential relevant model for studying the biology of long COVID, also known as post-COVID-19 condition (PCC).

Long COVID is not a single disease but a complex syndrome involving a range of persistent symptoms. People suffering from it report overwhelming fatigue, memory lapses, "brain fog," difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, and neurological symptoms that can last for months or even years after the initial infection.

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Plant discovery could lead to new ways of producing medicines

Plants make substances called alkaloids to protect themselves, and humans have long taken advantage of these chemicals, using them in painkillers, treatments for disease and household products such as caffeine and nicotine.

By understanding how plants make these substances, researchers aim to produce new and improved chemicals for medicines more quickly, cheaply and with less environmental impact.

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A protein found in the GI tract can neutralize many bacteria

The mucosal surfaces that line the body are embedded with defensive molecules that help keep microbes from causing inflammation and infections. Among these molecules are lectins - proteins that recognize microbes and other cells by binding to sugars found on cell surfaces.

One of these lectins, MIT researchers have found, has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria found in the GI tract.

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New drug candidate reverses metabolic liver disease and fibrosis

Researchers at McMaster University are leading preclinical studies into a novel drug candidate developed by Espervita Therapeutics that has the potential to prevent and reverse liver fibrosis - a dangerous, disease-induced build-up of scar tissue in the liver that often leads to cancer.

The findings point to a potential new treatment for the millions of people living with liver disease, addressing a critical gap where no approved drugs currently exist in Canada.

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Merck to complete acquisition of Cidara Therapeutics

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, announced the successful completion of the cash tender offer, through a subsidiary, for all the outstanding shares of common stock of Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDTX) (“Cidara”).

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One in four older Americans with dementia prescribed risky brain-altering drugs

Despite years of clinical guidelines warning against the practice, one in four Medicare beneficiaries with dementia is prescribed brain-altering medications linked to falls, confusion, and hospitalization, according to new research to be published January 12 in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA.

While prescriptions for these medications fell from 20% to 16% over the nine-year study period among all Medicare beneficiaries,

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Higher consumption of food preservatives is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes

Higher consumption of food preservatives, widely used in industrially processed foods and beverages to extend their shelf life, has been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. These findings are the result of work carried out by researchers from Inserm, INRAE, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Paris Cité University and Cnam, within the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (CRESS-EREN). They are based on health and dietary data from more than 100,000 adults participating in the NutriNet-Santé cohort study, and published in the journal Nature Communications.

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Blood test reveals risk of multimorbidity

Living with several chronic diseases at once, what is known as multimorbidity, is common among older people and puts a considerable strain on both the individual and the healthcare services. A collaborative study led by researchers at the Aging Research Center of Karolinska Institutet has now identified a small number of blood biomarkers that can predict the risk of multimorbidity. The study included over 2,200 individuals from the general Stockholm population, Sweden, above the age of 60.

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Bayer and Cradle enter collaboration to enhance AI-enabled antibody discovery and optimization

Bayer and Cradle have entered a three-year strategic collaboration to deploy Cradle’s scientific AI software platform for protein engineering. As part of the collaboration, Bayer will integrate the generative AI platform into existing R&D workflows to enhance lead generation and optimization across its therapeutic antibody pipeline.

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Inhalable therapy aims for one-two punch against advanced melanoma

Immune checkpoint molecules play a crucial role in keeping the immune system in balance and preventing an attack on the body's own cells. Cancer cells can use these checkpoints to hide from the immune system, making them a key focus for treatments that boost the immune response against cancer. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are proteins that release this brake on the immune system and unleash our immune cells to attack tumors.

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