UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

EMERALD Study, evaluating RTX001 (engineered macrophage therapy) for end-stage liver disease, receives AEMPS approval to start in Spain in 2025, following UK MHRA approval and recruitment in 2024.

Trogenix, a spinout from the University of Edinburgh, unveils its precision viral immunotherapy platform for aggressive cancers, attracting investment from IQ Capital, Cancer Research Horizons, and others. The platform uses Synthetic Super-Enhancers to target cancer cells selectively, with preclinical success in glioblastoma and plans for Phase 1/2 trials in 2025.

Trogenix, a spinout from the University of Edinburgh, unveils its precision viral immunotherapy platform, Odysseus, targeting aggressive cancers. The company, backed by 4BIO Capital and other investors, aims to transform cancer treatment from chronic management to potentially curative one-time treatments. Trogenix's Synthetic Super-Enhancer technology enables selective targeting of cancer cells, activating the immune system while leaving healthy cells untouched. The lead programme targets glioblastoma, with Phase 1/2 trials planned for 2025.

NICE declined to recommend lecanemab and donanemab, new monoclonal antibody treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, in draft guidelines due to high costs and concerning side effects, despite MHRA licensing them for early-stage AD patients with no or one copy of the ApoE4 gene.

University of Glasgow researchers developed a new malaria drug, targeting PfCLK3 protein, potentially more effective and resistant to resistance, with a single-dose possibility.

Ananda Developments Plc presents interim results for the period ending 31 July 2024, focusing on advancing clinical trials for CBD-based treatments in chronic inflammatory pain conditions, chemotherapy-induced nerve pain, endometriosis, and refractory epilepsies. The company reports a loss of £1,213,270 before tax, with net liabilities of £860,309, and announces a £2.2m capital raising, with £2m invested by Chairman Charles Morgan. Ananda's MRX1 CBD formulation shows significant cardioprotective effects in a pre-clinical study for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

In a multicenter trial of 224 asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis and myocardial fibrosis, early aortic valve intervention did not significantly reduce the primary composite endpoint of all-cause death or unplanned aortic stenosis-related hospitalization compared to guideline-directed conservative management (18% vs 23%). Early intervention was associated with fewer NYHA class II-IV symptoms and unplanned hospitalizations, but further research is needed to confirm these findings.

EVOLVED study shows early aortic valve replacement (AVR) with TAVI or surgery does not lower mortality risk in asymptomatic patients with myocardial fibrosis. However, it reduces unplanned aortic stenosis-related hospitalizations. Investigators suggest early intervention improves quality of life by keeping patients out of the hospital, despite not extending life.

On World Polio Day 2024, MHRA highlights training 25 countries in Direct Detection by Nanopore Sequencing (DDNS), halving polio detection times to 19 days, crucial for eradication. Jointly with Imperial College London, University of Edinburgh, and Biosurv International, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, MHRA aims to support global polio eradication and adapt DDNS for other diseases.

England's health spending watchdog rejected two Alzheimer's drugs, donanemab and lecanemab, citing insufficient benefits and potential side effects. Despite this, over 130 drugs are in development, aiming to delay, slow, or reverse the disease, with experts optimistic about future treatments.