UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
🇺🇸United States
- Country
- 🇺🇸United States
- Ownership
- Private
- Established
- 1817-01-01
- Employees
- 10K
- Market Cap
- -
- Website
- http://www.umich.edu
Regeneron to Acquire 23andMe for $256 Million, Expanding Genetics-Driven Drug Discovery Capabilities
• Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has won the bankruptcy auction for 23andMe's assets with a $256 million bid, aiming to maintain the consumer genetics service while enhancing its drug discovery platform.
• The acquisition includes 23andMe's Personal Genome Service, Total Health, Research Services, and Biobank assets, but excludes the Lemonaid Health business.
• Regeneron has committed to prioritizing privacy and ethical use of customer data, working with a court-appointed Customer Privacy Ombudsman to ensure compliance with existing policies.
DT-109: Novel Glycine-Based Compound Shows Dual Efficacy Against Atherosclerosis and MASH
• University of Michigan researchers have demonstrated that DT-109, a glycine-based tripeptide, significantly reduces atherosclerotic plaque formation in nonhuman primates while inhibiting vascular calcification processes.
• The compound, which previously showed efficacy in treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASH), represents a potential breakthrough as a dual-action therapy addressing both liver dysfunction and cardiovascular complications.
• Unlike conventional treatments that primarily lower cholesterol, DT-109 targets underlying inflammatory pathways including NLRP3 inflammasome signaling, potentially addressing root causes of atherosclerosis rather than just managing symptoms.
Breakthrough T1D Invests $2.8 Million to Establish Joint Cardiorenal Center of Excellence for Type 1 Diabetes Research
• Breakthrough T1D has awarded $2.8 million over three years to create the U-M-OHSU Cardiorenal Center of Excellence, expanding research on heart and kidney complications in type 1 diabetes patients.
• The joint center will establish an innovative clinical trial platform to test promising heart and kidney therapies for T1D patients, addressing a critical gap where few therapeutic options currently exist.
• Led by Dr. Matthias Kretzler (University of Michigan) and Dr. Rodica Pop-Busui (OHSU), the collaboration aims to advance precision medicine approaches to ensure patients receive optimal treatments at the right time.
Trump Administration Cancels $800 Million in LGBTQ Health Research Funding
• The Trump administration has terminated 323 NIH grants worth $806 million focused on LGBTQ health research, affecting studies on HIV prevention, cancer, and mental health.
• Critical research projects halted include HIV prevention trials, studies on preventing suicide in transgender teens, and research on sexually transmitted diseases, leaving many labs forced to lay off staff.
• Scientists and public health experts warn these cuts will harm healthcare for sexual and gender minorities, who make up nearly 10% of American adults, and could reverse progress in disease prevention.
Sleep Disruptions Emerge as Critical Early Indicators of Alzheimer's Disease Risk
• Delayed REM sleep is associated with higher levels of toxic brain proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease, with late-onset REM showing 16% more amyloid and 29% more tau protein compared to early-onset REM.
• Excessive daytime sleepiness and lack of enthusiasm increase the risk of developing motoric cognitive risk syndrome—a pre-dementia condition—by more than three times compared to those without these sleep issues.
• Researchers suggest that screening for and treating sleep disorders may potentially help prevent cognitive decline, highlighting the importance of good sleep hygiene for brain health.
Teen Substance Use Remains at Historic Lows in 2024, NIH Survey Reveals
• Substance use among adolescents has maintained historically low levels for the fourth consecutive year following significant declines during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest NIH-funded Monitoring the Future survey.
• Alcohol, nicotine vaping, and cannabis remain the most commonly reported substances among teens, with 67.1% of 12th graders reporting complete abstinence from these substances in the past 30 days, up from 62.6% in 2023.
• Researchers describe the sustained reduction in teen substance use as "unprecedented," with particularly notable decreases in prescription narcotic misuse among 12th graders reaching an all-time low of 0.6%, down from 9.5% in 2004.
Trump Administration Halts Medicare and Medicaid Coverage for Anti-Obesity Medications
• The Trump administration has rejected a Biden-era proposal that would have provided Medicare and Medicaid coverage for anti-obesity medications to over 7 million Americans.
• Despite the high cost barrier—with drugs like Wegovy priced at nearly $1,350 for a four-week supply—CMS did not provide specific reasoning for the decision but indicated it may reconsider coverage after further review.
• Medicare will continue covering these medications for specific conditions like heart disease, while 13 states currently offer coverage through their Medicaid programs for obesity treatment.
New At-Home Urine Test Accurately Detects Aggressive Prostate Cancer, Reducing Need for Invasive Procedures
• MyProstateScore 2.0, a genetics-based urine test, demonstrates 94% sensitivity in detecting aggressive prostate cancer without requiring a digital rectal examination.
• The test analyzes 18 genes linked to aggressive prostate cancer and could prevent 36-53% of unnecessary biopsies, significantly reducing healthcare costs and patient anxiety.
• Recently approved for at-home sample collection, this diagnostic tool represents a major advancement in prostate cancer risk assessment by helping physicians focus treatment on high-risk cases while avoiding overdiagnosis.
Breakthrough Bone Marrow Transplant Shows 88% Cure Rate for Sickle Cell Disease
• A novel reduced-intensity haploidentical bone marrow transplant procedure developed at Johns Hopkins demonstrates a 95% two-year survival rate and 88% cure rate for sickle cell disease patients.
• The treatment accepts half-matched donors and costs significantly less than gene therapy at $467,747 versus $2-3 million, while requiring shorter hospital stays and fewer blood transfusions.
• Clinical trial results from 42 patients show the procedure is safe and effective, with minimal serious side effects, making it a viable alternative to recently approved gene therapy treatments.
Biomerica's inFoods IBS Test Shows Significant Pain Reduction in Clinical Trial, Particularly Effective for IBS-C and IBS-M Patients
• Clinical trial results reveal inFoods IBS test achieved 59.6% success rate in reducing abdominal pain through targeted food elimination, compared to 42.2% in control group.
• The test demonstrated exceptional efficacy in IBS-C and IBS-M subtypes, with 67.1% and 66% of patients respectively meeting FDA pain reduction targets.
• Novel IBS-specific IgG antibody test enables precision nutrition approach by identifying individual trigger foods, requiring elimination of only 2-4 foods on average.
Novel Sponge-Like Implant and Nanoparticle Therapy Shows Promise in Multiple Sclerosis Treatment
• University of Michigan researchers developed a groundbreaking sponge-like implant that helps track early disease progression in multiple sclerosis and guides treatment development.
• The innovative nanoparticle-based treatment prevented symptom development when administered early and reduced symptom scores by 50% in mice with established disease.
• Researchers identified overactive CC chemokines as key disease drivers, leading to the development of targeted nanoparticle therapy that disrupts misplaced inflammation.
FDA Approves Voranigo: First Targeted Therapy for IDH-Mutant Glioma Brain Cancer
• The FDA has approved Voranigo, marking a historic breakthrough as the first targeted therapy for grade 2 IDH-mutant glioma, offering new hope for brain cancer patients.
• Clinical trials demonstrated that Voranigo, an oral medication, significantly delays the need for aggressive interventions like radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy in glioma patients.
• This breakthrough treatment particularly benefits younger patients in their 30s and 40s who are diagnosed with this incurable brain tumor while in the prime of their lives.
Personalized mRNA Vaccine Shows Promise in Delaying Pancreatic Cancer Recurrence
• A Phase 1 clinical trial reveals that a personalized mRNA vaccine, autogene cevumeran, combined with surgery and chemotherapy, shows promise in delaying pancreatic cancer recurrence.
• The vaccine stimulates long-lasting T cell responses, with patients who developed these responses experiencing a significantly longer recurrence-free survival compared to non-responders.
• The study highlights the potential of mRNA vaccines to train the immune system to recognize and attack pancreatic cancer cells, offering a new therapeutic avenue for this challenging disease.
• Larger studies are planned to further evaluate the effectiveness of these therapeutic cancer vaccines in patients with surgically removable pancreatic cancer.
PSMA-PET Imaging Reveals Hidden Metastases in High-Risk Prostate Cancer
• A UCLA-led study reveals that PSMA-PET imaging detects metastases in nearly half of high-risk prostate cancer patients initially classified as nonmetastatic by conventional imaging.
• The study challenges the interpretation of previous clinical trials, like EMBARK, that relied on conventional imaging, potentially underestimating the extent of the disease.
• PSMA-PET imaging detected cancer metastases in 46% of subjects, with 24% having five or more lesions missed by conventional imaging.
• Researchers advocate for the inclusion of PSMA-PET in future clinical trials and a reevaluation of treatment strategies, including targeted radiotherapy.
TNF Inhibitors Reduce Anal Fistula Risk in Pediatric Crohn's Disease
• A recent study in *Gut* reveals that anti-TNF drugs significantly reduce the risk of anal fistulas in children with Crohn's disease.
• Early administration of anti-TNF drugs like infliximab and adalimumab showed an 82% reduction in anal fistula development.
• In children with pre-existing perianal lesions, anti-TNF therapy decreased anal fistula risk by 93%, highlighting its effectiveness.
• The study suggests anti-TNF drugs may be cost-effective by preventing costly surgical interventions associated with anal fistulas.
Nemvaleukin Shows Promising Antitumor Activity in Advanced Solid Tumors
• Nemvaleukin, an engineered IL-2 fusion protein, demonstrates tolerability and antitumor activity in the ARTISTRY-1 phase 1/2 trial, both as monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab.
• The study showed a 10% overall response rate with nemvaleukin monotherapy and a 13% ORR with nemvaleukin plus pembrolizumab across heavily pretreated patients with advanced solid tumors.
• Notably, a 21% ORR was observed in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC), a population that typically does not respond well to immunotherapy.
• Mural Oncology's ongoing registrational trials, based on ARTISTRY-1, are expected to have data readouts in late Q1/early Q2 2025 for PROC and Q2 2025 for mucosal melanoma.
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