AstraZeneca

The article highlights advancements in covalent drug discovery, focusing on inhibitors targeting KEAP1/NRF2, KRAS(G12C), WRN helicase, and other oncology targets. It discusses novel compounds like BBO-8520, RMC-9805, VVD-214, and PF-07817883, emphasizing their mechanisms, clinical trials, and potential in treating cancers and COVID-19. The piece also covers the evolution of covalent inhibitors beyond oncology, showcasing significant approvals and acquisitions.

A collaborative effort by LUNGevity, FDA, NCI, and industry sponsors developed standardized eligibility criteria for NSCLC clinical trials, aiming to simplify criteria, enhance trial accessibility, and support inter-trial comparisons. The recommendations, forming the basis for FDA draft guidance, cover disease stage, biomarkers, performance status, and organ function, among others, to streamline trial design and improve patient access to novel therapies.

Sanofi and GSK's Vidprevtyn, a protein subunit Covid-19 vaccine, shows promising phase 3 trial results, with 58% efficacy against symptoms, 75% against moderate/severe disease, and 100% against severe disease. It's effective as a booster, increasing antibodies 18-30 fold. Plans to seek US and EU authorization, with 100 million doses already produced.

Massachusetts biopharma firms set a record in 2021, raising $13.7 billion in venture capital, a 70% increase from 2020. Cambridge startups led with significant funding, though 42% of investments went outside the biotech hub. Despite 25 companies going public, raising $3.8 billion, the sector faced challenges, with a notable market downturn affecting publicly traded biotechs.

HUTCHMED announces the NDA for ORPATHYS® and TAGRISSO® combination for EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC with MET amplification has been accepted by China's NMPA, triggering a milestone payment from AstraZeneca. The SACHI trial supports the NDA, showing improved PFS. HUTCHMED and AstraZeneca aim to enhance NSCLC treatment continuity and quality of life.

The FDA authorized AstraZeneca's Evusheld, a COVID-19 treatment combining tixagevimab and cilgavimab, for unvaccinated individuals aged 12+ with medical constraints. It's not a vaccine substitute, effective for six months pre-exposure, and reduces COVID-19 risk by 77%. Side effects include allergic reactions and fatigue.

Evotec and Exscientia used AI to develop an anticancer molecule in 8 months, a process traditionally taking 4-5 years. Exscientia's AI platform accelerates drug discovery, leading to partnerships and significant funding. AI's role in drug discovery is expanding, with companies like Recursion and BenevolentAI leveraging AI for innovative treatments and collaborations with pharma giants.

BRCA1/2 genes are crucial for DNA repair, with mutations increasing cancer risk. PARP inhibitors (PARPi) target these mutations, showing efficacy in BRCA1/2 mutated cancers and some BRCA wildtype tumors with HRD. FDA-approved PARPi include olaparib, rucaparib, and niraparib, used in ovarian, breast, and other cancers, despite potential hematologic toxicities.

Vaccines have drastically reduced or eradicated deadly diseases like smallpox, polio, and measles, saving millions. With COVID-19 vaccines now rolling out, there's hope for ending the pandemic, mirroring historical successes in combating infectious diseases through vaccination.

UK Biobank, with a consortium of biopharmaceutical companies, launches a large-scale study to measure 1,500 plasma proteins in 53,000 participants, enhancing proteomics research. This aims to understand genetics-disease links, support drug development, and includes SARS-CoV-2 infection impact analysis.