Pharmacy Market
Businesswire | August 18, 2023
Koneksa, a healthcare technology company pioneering evidence-based digital biomarkers, today announced the first collaboration in the Koneksa Academic Partnership Program for Parkinson’s Disease (KAPP-PD) to incorporate its Neuroscience Toolkit into research programs.
The first collaboration of the KAPP-PD program, with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), enables the inclusion of app-and actigraphy-based digital measures and electronic patient reported outcome (ePRO) instruments from Koneksa’s Neuroscience Toolkit into a study comparing short-acting versus long-acting levodopa in Parkinson’s disease. Koneksa’s Neuroscience Toolkit implements a variety of digital assessments that can be combined to collect data for measures of interest.
The OHSU team, led by Dr. Delaram Safarpour, MD, MSCE, FAAN, is investigating changes in the neurophysiological correlates of PD with carbidopa-levodopa immediate release compared to long-acting levodopa (Rytary), as well as changes in gait performance at intervals of 30 minutes for a total of 4 hours during each visit. This research will provide strong support for clinical profiles of short- versus long- acting levodopa in PD corresponding to objective physiological measures.
“We are collaborating with Koneksa to enhance our study’s objectives: We’ll be including smartphone- and actigraphy-based digital measures and electronic patient reported outcome (ePRO) instruments into our study,” said Martina Mancini, Ph.D., co-investigator of the study, director of the Balance Disorders Laboratory, and Associate Professor of Neurology, OHSU School of Medicine. “Our lab uses new technologies to better understand and measure motor impairments, with the goal of learning how to better help patients with these conditions. Novel, objective metrics, like those made possible with Koneksa’s technology and toolkit, allow us to expand upon what we’ve been able to do in the clinic. In particular, digital at-home measures of daily physical activity, gait and mobility, motor functionality, sleep, and ePRO measures of quality of life all have the potential to uniquely complement OHSU’s in-clinic assessments, offering new and real-world-setting patient insights to support the study’s objectives.”
“Koneksa is proud to extend our contribution to critical neuroscience research through KAPP-PD, and we’re delighted to get the program underway with our first collaboration,” said John Wagner, MD, Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, Koneksa. “These measures will support OHSU in both in-clinic and at-home patient monitoring of critical parameters of interest for this study. We’re committed to helping to get new and better treatments to patients faster, and that’s a vision that OHSU’s Balance Disorders Laboratory shares.”
About the Koneksa Academic Partnership Program – Parkinson’s Disease
The Koneksa Academic Partnership Program – Parkinson’s Disease (KAPP-PD) is a structured collaboration between Koneksa and select academic partners that enables researchers to incorporate Koneksa’s Neuroscience Toolkit into research programs focusing on Parkinson’s disease. Researchers gain access to an array of devices that capture key measures objectively and sensitively, as well as training materials for site coordinators and study subjects, a cloud-based platform for real-time monitoring, and industry-leading analytics and patented algorithms.
About Koneksa
Koneksa is a healthcare technology company pioneering evidence-based digital biomarkers to accelerate clinical research and guide decision making in drug development and market strategy. Our evidence-based biomarker solutions enable efficient clinical trial designs to help innovative therapies reach patients faster. Koneksa aims to revolutionize treatment effect detection in clinical research and improve patient outcomes.
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Pharmacy Market
Globenewswire | July 14, 2023
Ardelyx, Inc. a biopharmaceutical company founded with a mission to discover, develop and commercialize innovative, first-in-class medicines that meet significant unmet medical needs, today announced that a New Drug Application (NDA) for tenapanor has been accepted for review by China’s Center for Drug Evaluation of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for the control of serum phosphorus in adult patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis. This acceptance triggers a $2 million milestone payment to Ardelyx under the terms of the license agreement between Ardelyx and its collaboration partner in China, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Industrial Development Co. Ltd. (Fosun Pharma). A potential approval of the NDA submission in China is expected by the end of 2024.
“The NDA acceptance for tenapanor for hyperphosphatemia in China marks a significant step forward in Ardelyx’s commitment to bringing our novel therapies to patients with unmet medical needs and our desire to expand internationally alongside best-in-class partners who complement our capabilities and share our mission,” said Mike Raab, president and chief executive officer of Ardelyx. “I commend our collaboration partner, Fosun Pharma, on the impressive clinical results they generated which demonstrate the important role that tenapanor can play in offering a new treatment option for patients with hyperphosphatemia. We look forward to further collaboration as Fosun Pharma brings this treatment to patients.”
Under the terms of its agreement with Fosun Pharma, Ardelyx received an upfront payment of $12 million and is eligible to receive additional developmental and commercialization milestones of up to $110 million and tiered royalty payments on net sales ranging from the mid-teens to 20 percent. Fosun Pharma has the exclusive rights to market and sell tenapanor in China, Hong Kong and Macau.
About Ardelyx, Inc.
Ardelyx was founded with a mission to discover, develop and commercialize innovative, first-in-class medicines that meet significant unmet medical needs. Ardelyx’s first approved product, IBSRELA® (tenapanor) is available in the United States and Canada. Ardelyx is developing XPHOZAH® (tenapanor), a novel product candidate for the control of serum phosphorus in adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis, which has completed three successful Phase 3 trials. Ardelyx has a Phase 2 potassium lowering compound, RDX013, for the potential treatment of elevated serum potassium, or hyperkalemia, a problem among certain patients with kidney and/or heart disease and an early-stage program in metabolic acidosis, a serious electrolyte disorder in patients with CKD. Ardelyx has established agreements with Kyowa Kirin in Japan, Fosun Pharma in China and Knight Therapeutics in Canada for the development and commercialization of tenapanor in their respective territories.
About Fosun Pharma
Founded in 1994, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd.* ("Fosun Pharma"; stock code: 600196. SH, 02196. HK) is a global innovation-driven pharmaceutical and healthcare industry group. Fosun Pharma directly operates businesses including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical diagnosis, and healthcare services. As a shareholder of Sinopharm Co., Ltd., Fosun Pharma expands its areas in the pharmaceutical distribution and retail business.
Fosun Pharma is patient-centered and clinical needs-oriented. The company continuously enriches its innovative product pipeline through independent research and development, cooperative development, license-in, and in-depth incubation. Fosun Pharma improves the research and clinical development capabilities of FIC (First-in-class) and BIC (Best-in-class) new drugs as well as accelerates the R&D and launch of innovative technologies and products.
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Pharmacy Market
Globenewswire | August 23, 2023
Vincerx Pharma, Inc. a biopharmaceutical company aspiring to address the unmet medical needs of patients with cancer through paradigm-shifting therapeutics, today reported that it has received clearance for its Investigational New Drug (IND) application from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial for VIP943. Vincerx expects to enroll the first patient in the study early in the fourth quarter of 2023.
"The IND clearance by the FDA is a significant step forward for the VIP943 development program, our first candidate from our antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform to enter clinical trials," said Ahmed Hamdy, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Vincerx. "Our next-generation platform is designed to improve efficacy and address safety challenges associated with many ADCs. It combines an internalizing antibody binding to CD123, a novel KSPi payload, a selective and stable linker, and exclusive CellTrapper™ technology. We believe VIP943 has the potential to become a much needed treatment option for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We're eager to start the clinical program and unlock the potential therapeutic benefits of this compound."
Dr. Hamdy concluded by saying, “2023 is shaping up to be a very positive year for Vincerx. Within the last eight months, we successfully filed two INDs (VIP236 and VIP943) and swiftly garnered clearance from the FDA within 30 days. We believe these accomplishments highlight the strength of our development, drug manufacturing, and regulatory expertise. Looking ahead, in addition to beginning our Phase 1 trial for VIP943, we also expect to provide preliminary results for VIP236 by late 2023 or early 2024. Collectively, these milestones support the potential for our strategy to develop small molecule and antibody-based conjugate therapies to improve the care of patients with cancer.”
About VIP943
VIP943 is a novel ADC developed using Vincerx’s next-generation ADC technology designed to enhance intracellular accumulation of the KSPi payload (kinesin spindle protein inhibitor), potentially leading to higher efficacy, while limiting unwanted side effects. VIP943 binds to CD123, a validated target in myeloid malignancies. Once inside of the cell, it releases its KSPi payload. Vincerx’s CellTrapper™ technology ensures that the KSPi payload accumulates in the target cells, limiting uptake into non-target, non-dividing cells.
VIP943 has demonstrated increased survival and reduced tumor burden in AML (acute myelogenous leukemia) cell lines and patient-derived tumor models. In addition, Vincerx presented preclinical data on VIP943 at ASH 2022 demonstrating superiority against Mylotarg™, an approved ADC, with significantly improved safety in monkeys and better efficacy in a mouse model of acute leukemia. Preclinical data suggest that VIP943 does not induce significant cytokine release and demonstrated favorable safety in monkeys with an optimal drug, metabolism and pharmacokinetics profile.
The Phase 1 trial of VIP943 is intended to assess safety, pharmacokinetics/phamacodynamics, and preliminary efficacy of VIP943 in patients with advanced AML and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
About Vincerx Pharma, Inc.
Vincerx Pharma, Inc. (Vincerx) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to developing differentiated and novel therapies to address the unmet medical needs of patients with cancer. Vincerx has assembled a seasoned management team with a proven track record of successful oncology drug development, approvals, and value creation. The company’s diverse pipeline consists of the next-generation antibody conjugate, VIP943, on track to begin a Phase 1 study in early Q4 2023; small molecule drug-conjugate, VIP236, in Phase 1; preclinical antibody drug conjugate, VIP924; CDK9 inhibitor, enitociclib, currently in an NIH-sponsored Phase 1; and its next-generation modular bioconjugation platform.
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