PHARMACY MARKET
PLx Pharma Inc. | September 13, 2022
PLx Pharma Inc. is a commercial-stage drug delivery platform technology company focused on its clinically-validated and patent-protected PLxGuard™ that has the potential to improve the absorption of many drugs currently on the market and to reduce the risk of stomach injury associated with certain drugs. The Company, with its lead products VAZALORE 81 mg and VAZALORE 325 mg liquid-filled aspirin capsules has launched a new VAZALORE 325 mg advertising campaign on Facebook featuring legendary professional baseball pitcher and avid golfer John Smoltz.
“From baseball to golf, I don’t want aches and pains to slow me down,” said Smoltz. “VAZALORE is the only pain reliever I have found that works quickly on my aches and pains and doesn’t upset my stomach.”
“September is Pain Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness of pain and pain management options, like aspirin. We are very excited to launch our new Facebook campaign with John, a current VAZALORE user and believer in its many benefits. Millions of people rely on aspirin for the temporary relief of minor aches and pains. The unique complex inside VAZALORE capsules allows for targeted release of aspirin to temporarily relieve minor aches and pains and is specially designed to help protect the stomach.”
Natasha Giordano, President & CEO of PLx Pharma
PLx Pharma’s VAZALORE is the first and only U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved liquid-filled aspirin capsule. The product was launched in August 2021 and is available over the counter in more than 30,000 drugstores, supermarkets, mass merchandisers and e-commerce sites nationwide.
About VAZALORE
VAZALORE is an FDA-approved liquid-filled aspirin capsule, available in 81 mg and 325 mg doses. VAZALORE delivers aspirin differently from plain and enteric coated aspirin products. The special complex inside the capsule is designed for targeted release of aspirin, limiting its direct contact with the stomach. VAZALORE delivers fast, reliable absorption for pain relief plus the lifesaving benefits of aspirin.
About PLx Pharma Inc.
PLx Pharma Inc. is a commercial-stage drug delivery platform technology company focused on improving how and where active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are absorbed in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract via its clinically validated and patent protected PLxGuard™ technology. PLx believes this platform has the potential to improve the absorption of many drugs currently on the market or in development, and to reduce the risk of stomach injury associated with certain drugs.
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PHARMA TECH
Porton Advanced Solutions | August 29, 2022
Porton Advanced Solutions.announced a strategic cooperation with Suzhou Royaltech Med Co., Ltd. This strategic collaboration will further integrate the resources and capabilities of both parties, jointly promote the establishment of microbial vectors used for gene therapy and mRNA drug platform technology, and accelerate the R&D process of bioinnovative drugs.
Porton Advanced provides an end-to-end gene and cell therapy CDMO service platform covering plasmids, cell therapy, gene therapy, oncolytic virus, nucleic acid therapy and viable bacteria therapy. Suzhou Royaltech focuses on the development of vaccines for tumor immunotherapy with its proprietary technologies, and fast transition from clinical to market . Its R&D pipeline covers the attenuated non-integrated Listeria platform, mRNA platform, and cell therapy platform. All these platforms are in the leading position not only in China but also abroad, and have a complete layout of invention patents.
"We are very pleased to enter into this strategic collaboration with Royaltech. The core management team of Royaltech is from the top pharmaceutical companies, with an average of 15 years of R&D and management experience and is advancing an internationally competitive R&D pipeline. Porton Advanced's end-to-end gene and cell therapy CDMO platform with rich project experience and comprehensive quality system will help Royaltech the development of Listeria and mRNA drugs, push its R&D pipeline in a quick, efficient manner, and accelerate the development and implementation of innovative drugs, so that good medicines can benefit the public earlier."
Dr. Yangzhou Wang, CEO of Porton Advanced
Dr. Chun Xu, Chairman of Royaltech, said: "As a Biotech company, we are grateful to work with Porton Advanced, a very professional CDMO company, to jointly build a unique Listeria and mRNA tumor vaccine platform technology, and constantly develop leading tumor immunotherapeutic biological drugs in China and abroad."
About Porton Advanced Solutions
Established in Suzhou Industrial Park in December 2018, by its parent company Porton Pharma Solutions Ltd. Porton Advanced has built a CDMO platform integrating plasmid, cell therapy, gene therapy, oncolytic virus, nucleic acid therapy and microbial vectors used for gene therapy providing end-to-end services from cell banking, process development and analytical development, cGMP production to final Fill and Finish , investigator-initiated clinical trials (IIT), investigational new drugs (IND), clinical trials to commercial production. Porton Advanced is dedicated to support sponsors advance their GCT drug development and market launches.
Porton Advanced focuses solely on gene and cell therapy services. Built on the professional experience of its cohort of world-class professionals, as well as on the successes of its parent company, Porton Advanced insists on "Customer First" and the tenet of "Compliance, Expertise, Focus, Open Collaboration". With its key focus on protecting IP for its sponsors, through its comprehensive project management and quality systems, Porton Advanced strives to bring gene and cell therapy products to the clinic and the market through its quality CDMO services, and help bring the best medicine to the public sooner.
About Royaltech
Headquartered in Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou Royaltech Med Co., Ltd. was founded in July 2016. In July 2017, a wholly-owned subsidiary, Shanghai Royaltech Co., Ltd. was set up in Shanghai International Medical Zone. As a high-standard innovation center of biological drugs, Shanghai Royaltech focuses on CMC development of innovative tumor vaccine, and fast clinical application of up-to-date cell immunotherapy.
Since establishment, Royaltech has submitted several patents for invention to the State Intellectual Property Office. It focuses on the development of innovative tumor vaccine, and fast clinical application of up-to-date cell immunotherapy. Its R&D pipeline covers mRNA, oncolytic virus, bacteria, AAV, cell therapy platform and so on. Its core management team is from top universities in US and top 10 big pharma, with an average of 15 years of R&D and management experience. Our scientists have excellent capability on molecular biological engineering, target discovery and verification, pre-clinical R&D, quality control and assurance, and clinical trials of cell immunotherapy. On the strength of our rich experience on target biomarker, target discovery and verification, and global multicenter clinical trials, we are advancing an internationally competitive R&D pipeline.
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS
Merck | September 22, 2022
Merck, a leading science and technology company, announced a collaboration agreement with licensing option with Nerviano Medical Sciences S.r.l. for the next-generation highly selective and brain-penetrant PARP1 inhibitor, NMS-293. NMS-293 has strong potential in combination with a wide variety of DNA-damaging agents, including systemic or targeted chemotherapy or with DNA damage response inhibitors, in numerous tumor types. NMS-293 is in early clinical development for the treatment of patients with BRCA-mutated tumors as a single agent and in combination with temozolomide in recurrent glioblastoma.
“Building on the therapeutic impact that PARP inhibitors have had over the last several years, we believe this new PARP1 program, if successful, could fill a significant unmet need for patients unresponsive to existing PARP inhibitors with an improved hematological adverse event profile. The work of NMS to discover and advance this next generation PARP1 selective inhibitor coupled with our deep expertise in developing therapies which modify DNA damage response mechanisms, creates a strong foundation to further develop this investigational therapy for patients.”
Victoria Zazulina, M.D., Head of Development Unit Oncology for the Healthcare business of Merck
PARP is key in the repair of DNA damage, and PARP inhibitors have been shown to be highly efficacious in the treatment of patients with tumors deficient in homologous recombination repair, such as breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancers with BRCA-mutations.
Under the current agreement, Merck will make early payments (up-front and option exercise fees) of up to $65 million to NMS. Furthermore, NMS will receive payments for the achievement of certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones and tiered royalties on net sales by Merck. Upon exercise of the option, NMS will grant to Merck the exclusive rights to research, develop, manufacture, and commercialize NMS-293.
During the option period, NMS and Merck will collaborate on the clinical development of NMS-293, with NMS designing, sponsoring, conducting, and funding global clinical trials.
About NMS-293
NMS-293 is an orally available small molecule inhibitor of PARP1 and is currently in early clinical development for the treatment of patients with BRCA mutated tumors as single agent and with recurrent Glioblastoma (GBM), a brain tumor with very high medical need, in combination with temozolomide (TMZ).
About Merck
Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science, healthcare and electronics. More than 60,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2021, Merck generated sales of € 19.7 billion in 66 countries.
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