University Of Pittsburgh

The Transdermal Drug Delivery Pipeline Report, 2024 Update, offers comprehensive insights into pipeline products, development stages, clinical trials, and key companies shaping the transdermal drug delivery market.

Pitt announces the Vijayalakshmi Innovation Center in Women’s Health Analytics and Research (VIHAR), an AI-based global initiative aimed at improving women’s health care. Funded by a $10 million pledge from Vishnu Vardhan and Harsha Vardhini, VIHAR will focus on creating a comprehensive female digital health twin and reducing health disparities. The center will be led by Vanathi Gopalakrishnan and build on progress from the Pattern Recognition from Biomedical Evidence (PRoBE) laboratory.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) can significantly aid disabled individuals but raise privacy concerns. A government report highlights the need to protect neural data, provide post-implant support, and address coding, coverage, and payment issues. Despite challenges like recruitment and data measurement, the industry is progressing. Consumer neurotech devices often lack neural data protections, and the BCI field lacks patient safeguards. A collaborative community aims to develop outcome measures for clinical trials and improve communication with CMS for reimbursement. The report emphasizes the potential of BCIs to enhance quality of life for people with disabilities.

Prevention is crucial in cancer research, with vaccines and therapies like tamoxifen showing efficacy. Recent advancements focus on vaccines, dose optimization, and RANKL pathways for breast cancer prevention in BRCA1/2 carriers. Ongoing trials explore vaccine efficacy for colon and breast cancers, while RANKL inhibition aims to reduce risk in high-risk populations.

The FDA approved cosibelimab for locally advanced or metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) patients not candidates for curative surgery or radiotherapy, based on phase 1 trial results showing 47% objective response rate (ORR) for metastatic disease and 48% for locally advanced disease. The decision follows a resubmitted BLA in July 2024, addressing issues from a previous complete response letter (CRL) in December 2023.

Endovascular therapy (EVT) is 2.5 times more effective than standard care for vertebrobasilar stroke, reducing mortality and disability, according to a meta-analysis published in The Lancet. Led by UPMC's Raul Nogueira, the VERITAS collaboration analyzed four trials, showing EVT significantly improves functional independence, particularly in walking ability.

A study warns domestic cats could become carriers of H5N1 bird flu, potentially evolving the virus to spread more dangerously among humans. Cats, mingling with wild animals and people, might facilitate virus mutations. Public health officials need to increase surveillance for bird flu in cats.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh discovered a compound, SYM2081, that can suppress overactive mast cells, potentially offering a new treatment for inflammatory skin conditions like rosacea, eczema, and hives. SYM2081 activates the glutamate receptor on mast cells, reducing inflammation and symptoms in mice. Clinical trials are planned.

The University of Pittsburgh launches VIHAR, a global initiative leveraging AI to address women’s health disparities, funded by Pitt’s School of Medicine and a gift from Vizzhy Inc. co-founders. VIHAR aims to coalesce researchers and develop AI tools for efficient analyses, focusing on women’s health across life stages. The center will be led by Vanathi Gopalakrishnan, using AI and mobile apps to create “female digital health twins” for global health simulation and optimization.

Medicus Pharma's phase two clinical trial for a non-invasive basal-cell carcinoma treatment has completed 25% of U.S.-based patient recruitment. The study, involving 60 participants across nine sites, aims to offer a non-invasive, cost-effective alternative to surgery, which costs $15 billion annually. The company plans to expand the study into the Asia Pacific region, where surgical options are limited, and expects interim data in 2025.