A research report by DCAT Connect claims that the total global spend for pharmaceuticals through 2021 will increase by $367 billion on a constant-dollar basis, according to QuintilesIMS. Spending is measured at the ex-manufacturer level before adjusting for rebates, discounts, taxes and other calibrations that affect net sales received by manufacturers. “The outlook for medicine spending growth reflects a more sustainable level for health systems following the unexpectedly high growth seen in recent years,” said Murray Aitken, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of the QuintilesIMS Institute. “At the same time, the astonishing level of scientific advances for disease treatments inevitably will place ongoing pressure on funding for medicines – requiring value-based assessments that balance patient needs and pricing levels with competing healthcare priorities.” Quest PharmaTech Inc., Theratechnologies Inc., CRH Medical Corporation, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc., Concordia International Corp.
Another research by Global Market Insights indicates that strong R&D spending trends for synthetic biology to enable drug and vaccine development, including Europe NEST program will stimulate growth. Organizations including DBT (Department of Biotechnology) and NTBT (National Biotechnology Board) provides funding for promoting biotechnology market share. The U.S. biotechnology market size held a dominant position in terms of industry revenue share, with Europe following. This trend is likely to continue throughout the forecast period. The U.S. will further see increased adoption of products based on these platforms, as growth for personalized medicine becomes a preference.
Quest PharmaTech Inc. is a pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing products to improve the quality of life. Just this morning the company announced that its subsidiary, OncoQuest Inc. (“OncoQuest”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of immunotherapeutic products for the treatment of cancer has completed the enrollment of the first patient in a Phase 1/2 clinical study to evaluate the use of oregovomab in combination with Nivolumab, an anti-PD1 human monoclonal antibody which works as a checkpoint inhibitor in ovarian cancer patients in the recurrent setting. This clinical trial is being conducted at the National Cancer Centre in Singapore (“NCCS”), with Dr. Tira Tan as Principal Investigator, Adjunct Associate Professor John Chia from Oncocare Cancer Centre as the Study Chair, and Dr. Jack Chan as the co-chair.
“We are extremely excited about launching this study,” noted Dr. John Chia. “Ovarian cancer is a lethal disease, and this trial may offer new hope for our patients. Early clinical data suggests that oregovomab may improve the immune system’s processing of cancer antigens, and enhance the immune ability to recognize these cancer targets. We believe that the combination of oregovomab and Nivolumab, which amplifies such immune activity, will have a synergistic effect to elicit a higher quality tumor immune response, and hence improve control of the cancer.” This will be the first clinical trial testing the combination of oregovomab with a checkpoint inhibitor as potential treatment of ovarian cancer in the recurrent setting.
“We continue to explore the potential of oregovomab in various stages of the progression of ovarian cancer,” said Dr. Madiyalakan, CEO of Quest and OncoQuest. In frontline ovarian cancer, OncoQuest has recently announced positive interim results from its randomized controlled multi-center Phase 2 clinical trial with oregovomab as an indirect immunizer, in scheduled combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel. “In the recurrent setting, we are exploring the use of oregovomab with immune adjuvants in two clinical trials. The trial NCCS is conducting is in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor. We are also in the process of initiating a trial in U.S. in combination with a TLR3 agonist, Hiltonol®,” continued Dr. Madiyalakan.
Theratechnologies Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company addressing unmet medical needs to promote healthy living and an improved quality of life among HIV patients. Recently, the company announced that its partner, TaiMed Biologics, Inc., has completed the submission of a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for ibalizumab for the treatment of multidrug resistant Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (MDR HIV-1). If approved, ibalizumab will be the first antiretroviral treatment (ART) with a new mechanism of action to be introduced in nearly 10 years and the only treatment that does not require daily dosing.
CRH Medical Corporation is a North American company focused on providing gastroenterologists throughout the United States with innovative services and products for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. On March 15, 2017, the company announced that it has completed an accretive transaction whereby CRH has acquired a 60% interest in a gastroenterology (GI) anesthesia practice in Kissimmee Florida. CRH also announces that it has entered into an exclusive agreement to develop and manage a monitored anesthesia care (“MAC”, or “Deep Sedation”) program with Puget Sound Gastroenterology (PSG), located in Washington State.
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the global immunology market, today announced additional 48-week results from its global Phase IIb AURA-LV (AURA) study in lupus nephritis (LN) during the National Kidney Foundation 2017 Spring Clinical Meetings in Orlando, FL. In addition to the trial meeting its complete and partial remission (CR/PR) endpoints at 48 weeks, all pre-specified secondary endpoints that have been analyzed to date were also met at 48 weeks. These pre-specified endpoints include: time to CR and PR (speed of remission); reduction in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index or SLEDAI score; and reduction in urine protein creatinine ratio (UPCR) over the 48-week treatment period. The data were presented during the late-breaking session by lead author Dr. Samir Parikh, a clinical investigator for the study and Assistant Professor of Clinical Nephrology at the Ohio State University.
Concordia International Corp. together with its subsidiaries is an international specialty pharmaceutical company focused on generic and legacy pharmaceutical products and orphan drugs. On January 3rd, the company announced it has entered into a three-year, co-promotion agreement with RedHill Biopharma Ltd. through which the companies expect to expand sales of Donnatal®, Concordia’s product used in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Concordia’s North America segment seeks to acquire and manage drugs that are in the maturity or legacy stage of the pharmaceutical product lifecycle and continue on a predictable revenue generation path. These products have a well-established record of safety and efficacy and a history of stable demand.
(Source: PR Newswire)
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates on the latest pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing news!