Welcome to the latest edition of the Life Sciences Voice Top Five Newsletter, your source for the top developments in the life sciences industry! This week, we take a look at Takeda entering a partnership with Cipla & Sun Pharma to take its GERD treatment into the developing world, disappointing results for Merck’s head and neck cancer treatment trial, Novo’s Wegovy showing better weight loss results in women than men, and other top news!
Takeda Partners with Cipla & Sun Pharma for Vonoprazan
To enter the GERD treatment market Takeda has tied up with Cipla and Sun Pharma to launch vonoprazan. This agreement follows another one signed with Torrent Pharmaceuticals, following Takeda’s plan to increase the accessibility of medicine in the developing world. Newly introduced, Vonoprazan is a potassium-competitive acid blocker, which is safer compared to conventional PPIs. Thus, using Cipla and Sun Pharma’s knowledge of their regions, Takeda wants to enter those markets and help patients with acid-related disorders whose needs are currently unmet.
Merck Stops Phase 3 Trial of Its Head and Neck Cancer Drug
Merck has said that it is pulling out its investigational head and neck cancer drug due to negative outcomes of a phase 3 trial. The trial was conducted to assess the activity of the drug in the second-line setting of recurrent or metastatic HNSCC but it did not achieve the required milestones. As a result, Merck has had to divert its resources and move its attention to other more viable molecules in its oncology portfolio. However, Merck said that this decision does not allow the company to give up on developing new cancer treatments and the company will keep investing in research and development aimed at meeting the needs of those diagnosed with cancer.
Novo Nordisk Plans $4. New 1B Plant in NC for Ozempic Production
Denmark-based Novo Nordisk has revealed its intention of investing $4. 1 billion to build a new manufacturing facility in North Carolina for its diabetes treatment, Ozempic. Since its approval by health regulatory agencies, Ozempic has been proven to effectively control blood sugar levels and promote weight loss, making it popular worldwide. This investment will seek to meet this demand. The new facility must help increase Novo Nordisk’s production capacity and guarantee the availability of the medication in the market.
Pfizer Takes The UK RSV Vaccine Tender Over GSK
The vaccine maker Pfizer got the better of GSK by gaining the deal with the UK government for the supply of its RSV vaccine. This contract can be considered a success for Pfizer in the rather saturated market of RSV vaccines. RSV is another viral illness that affects the respiratory system and is serious for babies and the elderly. This is because Pfizer’s vaccine was proven to be very effective in clinical trials hence the decision made by the UK to approve it. This shall create an opportunity for Pfizer to offer a preventive measure in the case of RSV in the UK thus possibly decreasing the rate at which the virus affects the healthcare system.
Novo’s Wegovy Shows Greater Weight Loss in Women
A new analysis has revealed that Novo Nordisk’s obesity medicine Wegovy causes a higher level of weight reduction in female patients than in males. Wegovy is a semaglutide-based, once-weekly injectable medication recommended for use in patients with chronic weight management. In this regard, the study findings show that women treated with Wegovy lost more body weight compared to men, implying that there is a gender factor in the drug’s effectiveness.
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