8 Biopharma Trends to Watch in 2020

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News | December 16, 2019

2019 saw a new record set for a list price of a prescription therapy—$2.1 million for the gene therapy Zolgensma® launched by AxeVis, a Novartis Company—and resulting renewed concerns over the price of treatments and whether politicos will ever be able to address the issue as the nation’s presidential election campaign season heats up. Also renewed in 2019 was hope that a first treatment indicated for reducing clinical decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease may finally be approved, perhaps as soon as 2020—as well as the ongoing legal wrangle over who invented CRISPR-Cas9, thanks to a second interference proceeding now winding its way through the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

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Combi's Robotic Palletizer is a game-changer for the pharmaceutical industry. This high-tech robotic packaging solution has been expertly programmed by our engineers to help streamline the production process.

Spotlight

Combi's Robotic Palletizer is a game-changer for the pharmaceutical industry. This high-tech robotic packaging solution has been expertly programmed by our engineers to help streamline the production process.

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMA TECH

CONTINUUS Pharmaceuticals Adopts Digital Validation

CONTINUUS Pharmaceuticals | March 15, 2023

On March 14, 2023, ValGenesis, Inc., a leading enterprise validation lifecycle management solutions provider, announced that CONTINUUS Pharmaceuticals has successfully implemented the ValGenesis Validation Lifecycle Management System (VLMS) for efficient management of validation processes across the company in a 100% digital format. CONTINUUS Pharmaceuticals is a rapidly growing small business specializing in end-to-end integrated continuous manufacturing (ICM) of pharmaceuticals. As a spin-out company resulting from a long-term collaboration between MIT and Novartis, CONTINUUS Pharmaceuticals is committed to enhancing the accessibility and affordability of pharmaceutical products worldwide by exploring advanced manufacturing paradigms that expedite the development of raw materials and APIs to final dosage forms. Due to the immense validation requirements involved in the production of different drug products, CONTINUUS Pharmaceuticals needed an electronic solution that determines the disposition of their assets while switching amongst product lines. By leveraging the ValGenesis VLMS, CONTINUUS Pharmaceuticals has successfully implemented facilities, equipment validation, computer system and utility validation. The ValGenesis VLMS is the system of record for CONTINUUS Pharmaceuticals' engineering team and will be expanded to other teams in the future. The highly automated, real-time, and compliant system provided by ValGenesis minimizes the potential for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) non-compliance while accelerating time to market. About CONTINUUS Pharmaceuticals CONTINUUS Pharmaceuticals is an end-to-end integrated continuous manufacturing (ICM) company specializing in pharmaceutical production. The company is committed to enhancing the accessibility and affordability of pharmaceutical products worldwide by exploring advanced manufacturing paradigms that expedite the development of APIs and raw materials to final dosage forms. It leverages a novel continuous manufacturing platform called Integrated Continuous Manufacturing (ICM), initially developed through a $65 million joint research project between Novartis and MIT. With ICM, it aims to transform and streamline the supply chain of pharmaceuticals by delivering high-quality, lower-cost drugs "on-demand."

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMACY MARKET

EVERSANA and Xspray Pharma Partners for US Launch of Dasynoc

EVERSANA | February 24, 2023

On February 23, 2023, Xspray Pharma AB announced that it has signed an agreement with EVERSANA to aid the launch and commercialization of its innovative cancer therapy Dasynoc for treating chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and acute lymphatic leukemia (ALL) in the United States. Xspray Pharma will maintain financial and strategic control while granting EVERSANA exclusive commercialization access to support the second-half 2023 launch of Dasynoc. Dasynoc, if FDA approved, will be a new treatment option for CML and ALL patients that will enter the $3.5 billion commercial market for Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in the United States. Under the agreement, EVERSANA will provide Xspray with a dedicated commercialization team with expertise in the successful commercialization of cancer drugs, including TKI products, and offer support in areas such as agency services, market access, clinical and commercial field teams, patient services, medical science liaisons, and compliance. In addition, this agreement gives Xspray access to EVERSANA's experienced commercial leaders and enables a quick launch while optimizing the launch budget. Dasynoc is expected to bring significant benefits to CML patients as it is bioequivalent to Sprycel® at a 30% lower dose with significantly better variability, enabling better precision and predictability of dosing. Dasynoc is granted ODD by FDA for the treatment of CML and ALL. The product offers an important improvement for CML patients, as retrospective registry data presented at ASH 2022 show that patients on concomitant tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment (e.g., omeprazole) of 79% have low 5-year overall survival rates compared to 94% for patients on TKI only. Dasynoc uptake is unaffected by PPIs, hence offering an essential benefit to CML patients. Xspray plans to launch the product in the second half of 2023, subject to FDA approval and ongoing litigation processes pertaining to patents for crystalline dasatinib forms that Xspray believes are not present in its product. About EVERSANA EVERSANA is a prominent global services provider to the life sciences industry, offering integrated solutions that focus on the patient experience and cover all stages of the product life cycle. The company aims to create long-term, sustainable value for patients, prescribers, channel partners, and payers. It works with over 670 organizations, including established pharmaceutical companies and start-ups, to advance life sciences solutions and contribute to creating a healthier world.

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMA TECH

Koneksa Starts Trial Comparing At-home Mobile Spirometry to In-clinic Spirometry

Koneksa | January 18, 2023

On January 17, 2023, Koneksa, a healthcare technology company that develops evidence-based validated digital biomarkers, announced the beginning of a clinical study that will compare the treatment effect of at-home mobile spirometry using digital biomarkers versus in-clinic spirometry in patients who have moderate asthma and are receiving long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) treatment. The LEARN study is a single-arm interventional trial that compares the identification of treatment effects in people with moderate asthma using at-home mobile spirometry by utilizing an ultrasonic spirometer and a smartphone compared to in-clinic spirometry. Up to 60 people with mild, uncontrolled asthma who already use inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) will take part in the study. Besides, it will also cover those who need to take LABA medication for a six-week treatment period. In-clinic spirometry can be performed at home with the same or higher accuracy compared to in-clinic and potentially less strain on the patient. The study will analyze the LABA treatment impact in clinic and mobile spirometry along with assessing the association between different readouts of mobile spirometry, in addition to evaluating asthma control as determined by the ACQ-6, a patient-reported outcome questionnaire. Other goals include assessing patient and site-specific satisfaction with mobile spirometry technology. Chris Benko, CEO & Founder, Koneksa, stated, “This study builds on Koneksa's prior work demonstrating that mobile spirometry has the potential to detect clinically meaningful changes in very small cohorts of asthma patients on standard of care.” He further added, “The LEARN study will evaluate whether at-home mobile spirometry can detect treatment effects of a known positive control (LABA) in a significantly smaller population than would traditionally be assumed for an in-clinic proof-of-concept study.” (Source – Business Wire) About Koneksa Based out of New York, Koneksa is a patient-centric digital biomarker firm that develops end-to-end solutions for remotely obtained clinical data to expedite clinical research and guide decision-making in drug development and market strategy for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. It seeks to revolutionize effect detection in clinical research by providing integrated solutions for efficient trial designs that yield more meaningful data. Its evidence-based biomarker solutions allow for more efficient clinical trial designs, allowing novel medicines to reach patients sooner.

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