science wire

Cosentyx delivers long-lasting clear or almost clear skin (PASI 90 to PASI 100) in the vast majority of patients and continues to show a favorable safety profile over 4 years New data show that with Cosentyx almost 100% of PASI 90 and PASI 100 response rates are maintained from Year 1 to Year 4   Cosentyx significantly superior to Stelara in delivering long-lasting skin clearance in psoriasis over 52 weeks, confirms new JAAD publication The digi

Despite significant advances made by modern medicine, universal access to healthcare is still arguably the single largest unmet medical need   Sandoz "HACk" - Healthcare Access Challenge - is a compe

ARISE, first pivotal Phase III study of AMG 334 (erenumab) in episodic migraine prevention, met primary endpoint, showing a statistically significant reduction in monthly migraine days vs placebo   People with episodic migraine experience up to 14 migraine days each month and lose a substantial part of their lives to this debilitating disease   AMG 334 is being co-developed by Novartis and Amgen Basel, September 28, 2016 - Novartis today announc

Ilaris (canakinumab) is the first and only US FDA-approved biologic treatment for patients with TRAPS, HIDS/MKD and FMF disease   These three simultaneous approvals conducted under FDA Priority Revie

In a Phase III clinical study, Zykadia extended progression-free survival (PFS) when compared with standard chemotherapy, including maintenance    Novartis is moving forward with global regulatory su

Results published in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrate that KAF156 shows activity against blood and liver stages of malaria parasites, including artemisinin-resistant parasites   KAF156, currently in phase IIb, is the first compound from a novel class of antimalarials known as imidazolopiperazines   Antimalarials with new mechanisms of action are urgently needed to tackle emerging parasite resistance to current therapies; Novartis

Important new analysis shows that Novartis' Entresto is associated with higher relative health-related quality of life scores among HFrEF patients New analysis of PARADIGM-HF data shows that among patients who had been hospitalized for heart failure, those on Entresto reported higher relative health-related quality of life (HRQL) scores compared to those taking ACE inhibitor enalapril   In the overall study population, declines in HRQL scores we

EXPAND study data presented at ECTRIMS show that treatment with BAF312 (siponimod) reduced the risk of three-month confirmed disability progression by 21% vs placebo in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS)   SPMS is a progressive and highly disabling form of MS, and remains an area of significant unmet medical need   Novartis continues to build on its experience and expertise in MS to advance care for people with the condi

ACROSS study shows that patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) continuously treated with Gilenya (fingolimod) had significantly lower disability progression compared to those whose treatment was interrupted   Fewer patients who stayed on Gilenya therapy for eight to 10 years had developed secondary progressive MS compared to those who discontinued it   Almost 60% of patients enrolled in ACROSS remained on Gilenya treatment a

Emerging evidence from first 18 months of LPEP program demonstrates operational feasibility integrating single-dose rifampicin into routine control programs in 6 countries   Retrospective tracing of former leprosy patients in Cambodia initiates phase 2 to accelerate diagnosis   Accuracy of first mobile phone-facilitated leprosy detection system to help identify patients in remote areas of the Philippines leads to recommendation for field use   C

Detailed results from Phase II study in chronic migraine prevention showed patients on AMG 334 (erenumab) were significantly more likely to experience a 50% or more reduction in monthly migraine days compared to placebo   Chronic migraine is the most disabling form of the disease, and is associated with substantial personal pain and disability, and financial cost to society ,   AMG 334 is being co-developed by Novartis and Amgen for the preventi

NijiTM System, Total IgE Test delivers results rapidly, allowing for quick in-office diagnosis of IgE-mediated allergic disorders and faster treatment decisions   Point of care in office diagnostics

A research team at Empa and ETH Zurich has developed single crystals made of lead halide perovskites, which are able to gage radioactive radiation with high precision. Initial experiments have shown that these crystals, which can be manufactured from aqueous solutions or low-priced solvents, work just as well as conventional cadmium telluride semi-conductors, which are considerably more complicated to produce.

Novartis' Ultibro Breezhaler consistently more effective than Seretide * in reducing COPD flare-ups across different patient groups Ultibro Breezhaler reduced rate of all COPD exacerbations across different patient sub-groups vs Seretide in new analyses from FLAME study   Analyses show that Ultibro Breezhaler lowered patients' need for rescue medication and had improved benefit-risk profile compared to Seretide, with less evidence of systemic ef

Phase III study showed Roche's cancer immunotherapy TECENTRIQ (atezolizumab) helped people with a specific type of lung cancer live significantly longer compared to chemotherapy TECENTRIQ showed significant improvement in overall survival for people regardless of their PD-L1 status Data will be discussed with global health authorities, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Roche today announced positive results for TECENTRIQ from the Phase III study, OAK.

New study shows that rate of patient persistence using Sandoz AirFluSal Forspiro is twice as high as for reference product Seretide Diskus. Study highlights importance of improving treatment "persistence" over time for long-term respiratory diseases. Analysis, published in leading medical journal, is largest European Real-World Evidence study ever conducted in asthma and COPD.

Erelzi is the first biosimilar etanercept approved by the FDA, offering expanded access to this important medicine   Erelzi is approved for all indications included in the reference product's label  

The Phase III EXPAND study of BAF312 (siponimod) in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) met its primary endpoint of reducing the risk of three-month confirmed disability progression versus placebo There are currently very limited treatment options for SPMS, a form of MS associated with gradual worsening of symptoms and accumulation of disability, independent of relapses EXPAND is the largest study ever conducted in SPMS, and is part

ETH researchers have synthesised fatty acids in the laboratory that result from oxidative stress in the body. The laboratory variants turned out to be more potent anti-inflammatories than the natural ones, and have now been patented. It is a hotly debated, highly researched subject that has taken on the semblance of a religious war: what are good and what are bad fats?

Novartis CDK4/6 inhibitor LEE011 (ribociclib) receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation as first-line treatment for HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer Designation underscores the continuing unmet need of the HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer population and the potential of LEE011 (ribociclib) as an effective new treatment option   Results from Phase III MONALEESA-2 trial of LEE011 in combination with letrozole in postmenopausal women who had re

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants approval for CyPass Micro-Stent for sale in the US, expanding Alcon's surgical presence to treat glaucoma   The CyPass Micro-Stent is designed to reduce i

Livestock medications can impair beneficial organisms that break down dung. Too high a dosage of ivermectin, a common drug against parasites, harms coprophilous organisms, for instance. The toxicity of new livestock medications therefore needs to be verified in ecotoxicological tests with individual animal species such as the common yellow dung fly, the barn fly or a dung beetle.

Already 100mg of the Chinese drug candidate tribendimidine helps patients to get rid of a helminth infection caused by Opisthorchis viverrini according to a clinical study conducted by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health-Institute (Swiss TPH) and the National Institute of Public Health (NIOPH) in Lao PDR.

Novartis delivered solid Q2 despite full quarter of US Gleevec generic impact; significant positive innovation news strengthens future growth prospects Q2 net sales were flat (0% cc ) as Growth Produc

Committee votes unanimously in favor of the Sandoz proposed biosimilar etanercept for all approved indications of the reference product                                                                

The EGALITY study met its primary endpoint demonstrating equivalent efficacy of Sandoz biosimilar etanercept candidate to the originator product at week 12 As a first-of-its kind, the confirmatory cl

In the largest and longest-running prospective trial in advanced SM, 60% of patients achieved complete or partial resolution of organ damage   Advanced SM is rare and has a poor prognosis , ; current

Forty years of research on cell growth PSI researcher Kurt Ballmer-Hofer is concerned with the question of how tumours could be starved by preventing the development of blood vessels.

Roche's marketing applications for review of OCREVUS (ocrelizumab) in two forms of multiple sclerosis accepted by EMA and FDA OCREVUS is the first investigational medicine seeking marketing authorisation for both relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) FDA grants Priority Review Designation for OCREVUS Biologics License Application (BLA) Roche announced today that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has validated the company's

Agreement is the latest in a series of acquisitions and strategic collaborations that have bolstered Novartis' deep and diverse immuno-oncology pipeline   Collaboration will co-develop Xencor's two T

Timely use of Novartis' Entresto could prevent or postpone over 28,000 US deaths per year among HFrEF patients, according to an expert analysis in JAMA Cardiology Findings are first to quantify magnitude of potential survival benefits if Entresto were prescribed to all eligible US HFrEF patients (as defined by authors)   Cardiology experts highlight risk of delaying broad adoption of Entresto in patients with HFrEF and call for efforts to accele

Novartis will lead the development of antimalarial compound KAF156 with scientific and financial support from Medicines for Malaria Venture in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundati

Three times as many patients with inadequately controlled PV without enlarged spleen had hematocrit control without phlebotomy on Jakavi (ruxolitinib) vs BAT   RESPONSE-2 complements data from pivota

EXTEND study provides long-term safety data for Revolade that are consistent with the findings from the pivotal Phase III RAISE study[1,2] Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a rare and potentially seri

Sandoz' biosimilar etanercept candidate shows pharmacokinetic (PK) bioequivalence with no clinically meaningful differences in safety, tolerability and immunogenicity to the originator. Sandoz' biosimilar rituximab candidate shows PK bioequivalence  and similar pharmacodynamics (PD), safety, efficacy and immunogenicity.

Up to 80% of ankylosing spondylitis and 84% of psoriatic arthritis patients treated with Cosentyx at two years had no radiographic progression in the spine or joints , respectively ,     Cosentyx may

Phase II 20120295 study of AMG 334 met primary endpoint, confirming efficacy and safety in patients with chronic migraine over 12 weeks of treatment   Migraine is a leading cause of disability, affec

The median Duration of Response for BRAF V600E-mutant NSCLC patients treated with Tafinlar + Mekinist combination therapy was 9 months   Efficacy analyses also presented for INC280 (capmatinib) in cM

Novartis combination therapy Tafinlar + Mekinist demonstrates overall survival benefit at three-year follow-up in patients with advanced melanoma Study is longest Ph III survival follow-up to date of

Roche's cancer immunotherapy Tecentriq (atezolizumab) shrank tumours in people with previously untreated advanced bladder cancer New survival results also reported from study group with previously tr

In ENESTfreedom, 51.6% of eligible first-line Tasigna patients maintained TFR for 48 weeks after stopping treatment; study did not meet its statistical primary endpoint, specifically the > 50% lower limit of the 95% confidence interval   ENESTop met primary endpoint with 57.9% of eligible patients who had switched to Tasigna from Glivec maintaining TFR for 48 weeks after treatment cessation   First results from clinical program

Afinitor fills critical need in EU as first approved therapy for advanced, progressive, nonfunctional lung NET and first oral therapy for this type of GI NET   Nonfunctional GI and lung NET are rare

Roche's subcutaneous formulation of MabThera receives approval in Europe for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia Subcutaneous (SC) formulation of MabThera saves time and eases treatment burden

Outlines actions underway to accelerate launch of Entresto , including further expansion of US primary care field force, and reinforce strong uptake of Cosentyx Highlights leading pipeline of second

Sandoz advances biosimilar portfolio with sixth major biosimilar file acceptance in less than one year Sandoz is seeking approval for all indications included in the reference product's label Sandoz'

Novartis' Entresto given strong Class I recommendation in both US and EU heart failure guidelines, less than a year after regulatory approvals US guidelines now recommend Entresto as standard of care