AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo's datopotamab deruxtecan showed greater progression-free survival benefit in TROP2-QCS biomarker positive NSCLC patients, prompting collaboration with Roche Tissue Diagnostics to co-develop a TROP2-QCS biomarker companion diagnostic.

AstraZeneca and Roche Tissue Diagnostics collaborate to co-develop a TROP2-QCS biomarker companion diagnostic, aiming to improve patient care in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. The partnership leverages AstraZeneca’s QCS computational pathology platform within Roche’s navify® Digital Pathology system, focusing on TROPION-Lung01 trial evaluating datopotamab deruxtecan efficacy in NSCLC.

The oral thin films market is projected to reach $7.65 billion by 2028 with a CAGR of 13.6%, driven by specialty pharmaceuticals, precision medicine, and telemedicine. Key players include ZIM Laboratories, NAL Pharma, and Cure Pharmaceutical. The market is segmented by type, disease indication, and distribution channel.

Biologic drugs for asthma can be used during conception, pregnancy, and breastfeeding with shared decision-making. Use should be recorded in registries, and restarting after birth is recommended if halted. Inactivated vaccinations for infants are safe even if mothers received biologics. Concerns remain due to limited clinical trial data, especially for newer biologics like tezepelumab.

AstraZeneca seeks a Senior Director, Business Development Transactions - Oncology R&D to lead transactions, enrich capabilities through external innovation, and contribute to the business development strategy. The role requires a Bachelor’s degree, 5+ years in life sciences, and experience in business development, licensing, or commercial roles. The position offers a base salary range of $187,000-$280,000 and is based in Gaithersburg, MD or Waltham, MA.

Linker chemistry in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) plays a crucial role in cancer therapies, determining payload release and efficacy. Despite 11 FDA-approved ADCs and 266 clinical trials, the complexity of linkers remains a challenge, influencing ADC stability, toxicity, and target specificity. Innovations like PEG linkers and click chemistry aim to enhance ADC performance, but the field still lacks definitive rules for optimal linker design.

M.J.D. has consulted, advised, and spoken for Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Zealand Pharma, Carmot/Roche, and Amgen. She has also received grants from AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, Boehringer Ingelheim, Janssen, Sanofi-Aventis, and Eli Lilly. J.G. has no competing interests.

A Phase II trial showed AstraZeneca's Lynparza (olaparib) effective in treating recurrent prostate cancer without hormone therapy, prompting larger follow-up studies in biomarker-selected subgroups. Lynparza, a PARP inhibitor, demonstrated efficacy in patients with homologous recombination repair gene mutations, particularly BRCA2, with higher response rates than seen with hormonal suppression. The study suggests that not all prostate cancer patients need hormone therapy and highlights the need for biomarker-selected trials to identify responders.

Animal models and traditional in vitro assays have limitations in drug development, leading to the adoption of Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) technology. Two case studies illustrate how human OOC models resolved conflicting animal data, guiding safer drug development and reducing animal use. Early integration of human and animal OOC systems can refine preclinical study design and de-risk first-in-human studies.