BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMACY MARKET
Accord Healthcare | March 14, 2023
On March 13, 2023, Accord Healthcare informed that it has expanded its portfolio with Teriflunomide, a film-coated tablet equivalent to Sanofi Genzyme's Aubagio. The drug treats relapsing forms of MS in adults, including clinically-isolated syndrome and active secondary progressive disease. The company offers Teriflunomide in 14 mg and 7 mg tablets, now available for shipping.
Teriflunomide has been granted FDA approval as an immunomodulatory agent for patients aged 18 and above. Its purpose is to reduce the frequency and severity of relapses, which can lead to new or worsening neurological symptoms associated with the disease.
Accord Healthcare US Vice President of Sales Jim Brown stated, "We're proud to add Teriflunomide to our portfolio. This is an important oral therapy for the millions of patients living with relapsing MS." He added, "Generic medicine allows broad access to effective therapy, to help improve disease course and potentially slow progression of MS."
(Source – Cision PR newswire)
Teriflunomide is an immunomodulatory medication that inhibits an enzyme critical to a metabolic pathway that supports lymphocyte proliferation. This results in fewer activated lymphocytes, which minimizes inflammation and immunological reactivity, resulting in lower recurrence rates and protection of brain volume against inflammatory nerve cell attacks.
Around 2.8 million people globally have multiple sclerosis, with the majority diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS that typically begins in their twenties or thirties. Diagnosis involves experiencing two or more attacks or relapses while maintaining stability. New or exacerbated symptoms characterize relapses, and the immune system attacks the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers, ultimately causing long-term damage. Symptoms include numbness, fatigue, double vision, and balance problems. Besides, relapsing-remitting MS can also progress to active secondary progressive disease.
About Accord Healthcare
Accord Healthcare, a subsidiary of Intas Pharmaceuticals, is recognized as a prominent player in the generic pharmaceutical industry. The company's vision is to enhance patient access to medicines and revolutionize the pharmaceutical experience for healthcare providers and patients. With an emphasis on advanced manufacturing technology and in-house research, Accord Healthcare delivers a wide range of affordable, complex, and essential medicines. The company's dedication to forward-thinking and innovative solutions remains at the core of its mission. Headquartered in Durham (North Carolina), its products are marketed in 80 countries through the Intas network.
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMA TECH
businesswire | April 19, 2023
Simulations Plus, Inc. a leading provider of modeling and simulation software and services for pharmaceutical safety and efficacy, announced that the U.S. FDA has renewed its licenses to the DILIsym® software platform, the flagship quantitative systems toxicology (QST) software for predicting and investigating drug-induced liver injury (DILI). The one-year renewal provides continued access to DILIsym software for authorized FDA employees across all FDA divisions.
Dr. Paul B. Watkins, chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the DILI-sim Initiative, commented, “The FDA’s renewal of these licenses endorses the value of DILIsym software in both predicting liver safety liabilities and defining the underlying mechanisms, which are critical to evaluating risk. The recent signing of the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 by President Biden, which encourages the FDA to limit animal use in drug development, should be a positive catalyst for greater utilization of DILIsym software in drug development. In my role as Chair of the SAB, I am very excited about the direction of the public-private partnership that is guiding further development of the DILIsym platform that will benefit many key stakeholders.”
Dr. Brett A. Howell, President of the DILIsym Services division at Simulations Plus, added, “Given the effect of rising costs on providing vital healthcare, the use of novel simulation technologies to improve the efficiency of drug development is more critical than ever. An important first step is ensuring that regulatory agencies have the most advanced technology tools to fulfill their essential mission. We are delighted the FDA has opted to renew once again and will continue using DILIsym and other Simulations Plus tools to enable reviews and enhance regulatory science.”
DILIsym software results support crucial drug development decisions by predicting potential DILI risk of new drug candidates. The modeling also identifies the biochemical events that lead to DILI caused by a drug and can thereby predict certain subgroups of patients at increased risk for DILI from that drug. The information from DILIsym modeling serves to help guide go/no-go decisions on major drug development projects, potentially avoiding the disastrous financial effects of failed clinical trials, or better, providing assurances that DILI will not be an insurmountable obstacle to regulatory approval. For the past 13 years, DILIsym Services, a division of Simulations Plus, has coordinated the DILI-sim Initiative, which is a public-private partnership that has guided development of the DILIsym software package. DILIsym is available to the pharmaceutical and chemical industries for direct use to predict and understand liabilities via membership in the DILI-sim Initiative consortium and/or commercial licenses. The DILIsym Services division also routinely uses DILIsym for comprehensive consulting services on safety-related issues.
Companies interested in a free trial version of the DILIsym software can request it here.
About Simulations Plus
Serving clients worldwide for more than 25 years, Simulations Plus is a leading provider in the biosimulation market providing software and consulting services supporting drug discovery, development, research, and regulatory submissions. We offer solutions that bridge artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning, physiologically based pharmacokinetics, quantitative systems pharmacology/toxicology, and population PK/PD modeling approaches. Our technology is licensed and applied by major pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and regulatory agencies worldwide.
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CPD AND LEARNING
Miravo Healthcare | March 16, 2023
Nuvo Pharmaceuticals Inc., which operates as Miravo Healthcare (Miravo), and Searchlight Pharma Inc., a Canadian specialty firm, have recently announced the closing of the previously announced plan of arrangement of Miravo with Searchlight. As per the arrangement terms, Searchlight acquired all the outstanding common shares of Miravo in exchange for $1.35 per share in cash, and the Miravo common shares will be removed from the Toronto Stock Exchange. Miravo will also apply to cease being a reporting issuer in each of the Canadian provinces.
The registered shareholders of Miravo must complete, sign and return the letter of transmittal and share certificate(s) to TSX Trust Company, the depositary, to receive their compensation under the arrangement. Non-registered shareholders will receive their compensation through their intermediary.
Before the Arrangement, Searchlight did not possess any Company Shares. Searchlight bought 11,388,282 Company Shares, representing 100% of the issued and outstanding Company Shares, for $1.35 per Company Share in conjunction with the arrangement.
Searchlight Pharma Inc., President and CEO, Mark Nawacki, commented, "Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for Miravo as it officially combines with Searchlight and continues as a private company." He further emphasized, "Searchlight plus Miravo will be a diversified, large and strong company – based on IQVIA CDH sales data, we will rank in the top three of Canadian specialty pharma companies – and this positions us well to continue to execute our successful business model and to deliver on our leadership objective in the sector. On behalf of the Searchlight team, I express our thanks to all Miravo stakeholders for their cooperation throughout this acquisition process, and I warmly welcome our new Miravo colleagues to the Searchlight family."
(Source – Business Wire)
About Miravo Healthcare
Miravo Healthcare, formerly known as Nuvo Pharmaceuticals Inc., is a Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company that focuses on developing and commercializing innovative therapies. Its mission is to improve patient's quality of life by providing them with safe and effective treatments for chronic conditions such as pain, inflammation, and addiction. Miravo Healthcare's portfolio includes a range of prescription drugs, over-the-counter products, and medical devices used in various therapeutic areas, including pain management, dermatology, and women's health. The company's flagship product is Pennsaid, a topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat knee osteoarthritis. It is committed to sustainability and social responsibility, and the company's initiatives include reducing its environmental footprint, supporting local communities, and promoting diversity and inclusion. With a focus on innovation and patient care, it continues making significant contributions to the pharmaceutical industry in Canada and beyond.
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