Welcome to the latest edition of the Life Sciences Voice Top Five Newsletter, your source for the latest news in the life sciences industry! This week, we take a look at Eli Lilly’s anti-obesity drug seeing success in a weight loss study, Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority approving Bavarian Nordic’s mpox vaccine, FDA rejecting an MDMA based PTSD therapy, and other top news!
McKesson Invests $2.5B for the improvement of Oncology services.
McKesson Corporation has pledged $2. 5 billion to buy a 70% stake in Core Ventures, a joint venture formed with Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS). This strategic move will help to strengthen substantially McKesson’s position and share in the oncology market through the integration of the FCS’s network of more than 60 locations and 2,500 oncology professionals into the U. S. Oncology Network. McKesson intends to use this acquisition to advance the administration of cancer care in the country with emphasis on the methods of treatment and patients’ outcomes.
New Eli Lilly’s weight-shedding pill cuts diabetes risk
Eli Lilly’s newest anti-obesity drug, tirzepatide, has demonstrated the capability to lower type 2 diabetes risks in overweight and obese people. A large observational study with thousands of people showed not only that the drug helped participants shed pounds but also that it enhanced their blood sugar regulation and thus reduced the risk of developing diabetes. The drug acts on the GLP-1 receptor which is involved in the regulation of blood glucose levels and appetite.
Siemens Healthineers to Strengthen Its Diagnostic Portfolio Through a Deal with Novartis
Siemens Healthineers is planning to acquire Novartis’ European radiodiagnostic production network which is expected to enable it to expand its portfolio in the PET imaging segment. This $233M acquisition will also expand manufacturing capacity and knowledge to Siemens in the production of radiopharmaceuticals, used in diagnostic imaging of diseases like cancer. Integrated with Novartis facilities and experience the company expects to improve its product portfolio and gain a new market in Europe increasing its share in the medical imaging and diagnostics industry.
Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority Approves Bavarian Nordic’s Mpox Vaccine
Bavarian Nordic has received approval from Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for its mpox (monkeypox) vaccine, JYNNEOS, for individuals 18 and older. This vaccine, which also gives protection against smallpox, is the first of its kind to be approved in Singapore – a sign of the increasing global consciousness for effective vaccines in the fight against new emerging diseases. The approval comes as Bavarian Nordic works to increase the availability of JYNNEOS in other countries, which has already been authorized for use in several countries, including the United States of America and Canada.
FDA Rejects Lykos’ PTSD Therapy Drug That Contains MDMA
The U. S. Food and Drug Administration has turned down Lykos Therapeutics’ new MDMA-based PTSD treatment. MDMA is the psychoactive component of ecstasy. While there has been increasing concern about the efficacy of psychedelics for treatments, the FDA stated that there were issues with the safety and effectiveness of the treatment as it is. Lykos’ approach was based on new studies that showed that MDMA could help some patients overcome the traumatic experiences which had failed to respond to conventional treatments.
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