BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMA TECH
XtalPi Inc. | December 29, 2022
One of the pioneering pharmaceutical technology companies - XtalPi, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, has recently announced a strategic collaboration with Singapore's national platform for drug discovery and development, the Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), which is hosted by the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research of Singapore (A*STAR). The goal of this partnership is to find novel treatment candidates for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
“According to Research and Markets, the size of the global market for NSCLC treatments will surpass USD 20 billion by 2027”
Lung cancer is the second-most prevalent cancer worldwide and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. NSCLC accounts for more than 80% of all lung cancer occurrences, while its incidence continues to rise worldwide. Despite growing interest and investment in drug research, there is a substantial unmet demand for effective targeted therapeutic alternatives for NSCLC patients to improve outcomes.
In this partnership, EDDC and XtalPi will work together to find promising candidates against an NSCLC target chosen by EDDC. XtalPi will use its AI technology, automation platform, and expert domain knowledge. It will also use quantum physics and an AI-driven platform to create and test millions of molecules for the De-novo drug design. Iterations will be used in its robotics-powered synthesis and testing lab to confirm and improve the predicted top-performing molecules with desirable drug properties. EDDC will give helpful information and data about the new NSCLC target, which will speed up the process of finding new drugs and carry the program forward.
XtalPi said in a statement that it is delighted to work with EDDC. It intends to help people all over the world by using AI and automation to improve the speed, size, variety, and success rate of drug research and development. In line with this, EDDC stated that it is excited to collaborate with XtalPi to translate science and research into practical and targeted cancer therapies. Furthermore, EDDC is confident that this collaboration will accelerate the development of much-needed targeted therapies for NSCLC patients due to XtalPi's experience in AI and automation technologies.
About XtalPi
XtalPi is a quantum physics-based, AI-powered drug R&D firm aiming to improve the speed, scale, novelty, and success rate of drug discovery. To meet the needs of its clients and partners, the company has offices in China and the United States. Frost & Sullivan cites the company as one of the world's first AI-powered drug R&D companies, with an iterative feedback loop between dry and wet lab capabilities.
Read More
BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMA TECH
Northstar and Inhibrx | January 09, 2023
NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC, announced a collaboration with Inhibrx, Inc., to develop and produce new radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment.
Inhibrx will develop a new generation of targeted alpha treatments utilizing its improved single-domain antibodies (sdAbs). With a long history of sdAb innovation, it has created a library of sdAbs targeting tumor-associated antigens. Its high binding affinity and specificity for tumor cells or antigen-expressing cells within the tumor microenvironment make sdAbs an ideal biological targeting agent for radioisotope delivery. In addition, alpha-emitting radioisotopes have a small range of activity and high energy transfer, allowing for the targeted destruction of cancer cells with minimum damage to adjacent healthy tissue.
NorthStar is expanding its position as an industry leader in the rapidly-growing field of therapeutic radioisotopes, and it is now prepared to become the first commercial-scale manufacturer of non-carrier added (n.c.a.) actinium-225 (Ac-225) and copper-67 (Cu-67).
Under the terms of this agreement, NorthStar will provide the supply of Ac-225 and access to its comprehensive radiopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) services to assist the development of a predetermined number of Inhibrx's novel biologic medicines. NorthStar will also prepare Inhibrx patient dosages for clinical studies and, upon approval, may manufacture and supply radionuclides for its commercial use.
About NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC
NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes is a commercial-stage nuclear medicine company with a mission to provide patients with global access to game-changing radiopharmaceuticals. The company uses ecologically preferable technologies to create, manufacture, and distribute diagnostic imaging and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. It is the only commercial U.S. producer of molybdenum-99, an essential diagnostic imaging radioisotope (Mo-99). The FDA-approved RadioGenix® System (technetium Tc 99m generator) uses US-manufactured, non-uranium-based Mo-99 as the source material to generate technetium-99m (Tc-99m), which is used to assess heart disease and cancer.
Read More
RESEARCH, PHARMACY MARKET
Impel Pharmaceuticals | February 23, 2023
On February 22, 2023, Impel Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical firm that develops innovative treatments for diseases with high unmet medical needs, announced that it will execute an operational streamlining plan to reduce employee and non-employee expenses, primarily affecting the research and development division. The company intends to divert resources to benefit from the successful response of payors and prescribers to Trudhesa® (dihydroergotamine mesylate) nasal spray (0.725 mg per spray).
Impel Pharmaceuticals will stop research and development activities on INP105, a drug to treat agitation and aggression in autism spectrum disorder. The reduction in expenses is expected to come from lower non-employee-related general and administrative and research and development expenses, as well as a reduction of 16 percent in headcount.
Additionally, the company announced that its Chief Medical Officer, Stephen Shrewsbury, M.D., will leave the company on March 31, 2023.
The company projects that these measures, along with others, will provide sufficient capital to fund operations through Q3 2023, allowing it to focus on maximizing the commercial opportunity and positive momentum of Trudhesa® in the huge and rapidly expanding acute migraine market.
Trudhesa® has experienced a strong launch trajectory, with 58,424 prescriptions at the end of 2022, accounting for 4.3% of branded acute migraine prescriptions (nTRx) among prescribers after a full-year launch. Impel expanded its sales force by 50%, from 60 to 90 sales professionals, in July 2022 to capitalize on this positive momentum, resulting in a 58% increase in new quarterly prescriptions from Q2 to Q4 2022. Reimbursement of all shipments finished the year at over 60%, and refill rates remained high, with an average of 63% at the end of 2022.
The company plans to increase its efforts to commercialize Trudhesa® while also exploring strategic and financing initiatives and opportunities to fully leverage the potential of its proprietary Precision Olfactory Delivery (POD®) technology and expertise with small and large molecules in various disease areas.
About Impel Pharmaceuticals
Impel Pharmaceuticals is a commercial-stage pharmaceutical firm that focuses on developing and providing treatments for patients suffering from diseases with high unmet needs. The company employs a novel approach to drug delivery by utilizing its proprietary Precision Olfactory Delivery (POD®) technology in conjunction with established therapeutics to develop and offer treatments. In September 2021, it received approval from the U.S. FDA for its first product, Trudhesa® nasal spray, which is used to treat acute migraine with or without aura in adults. Along with Trudhesa, the company continues to address patient needs through licensing and partnerships.
Read More