Japan Archives

News and Trends 16 Dec 2022

Astellas gastric cancer drug meets phase 3 primary endpoint

Astellas Pharma Inc. has announced positive topline results from the phase 3 GLOW clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of zolbetuximab in combination with CAPOX (a combination chemotherapy regimen that includes capecitabine and oxaliplatin). Zolbetuximab is an investigational first-in-class claudin-18.2 (CLDN18.2) targeted monoclonal antibody, for the first-line treatment of patients with CLDN18.2-positive, HER2-negative, locally […]

December 16, 2022 - 3 minutesmins - By Jim Cornall

News and Trends 16 Dec 2022

Sosei Heptares and Lilly enter agreement on diabetes and metabolic diseases

Sosei Group Corporation has entered a drug discovery collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company to discover, develop and commercialize small molecules that modulate novel G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) targets associated with diabetes and metabolic diseases. The agreement will leverage Sosei Heptares’ StaR technology and structure-based drug design (SBDD) platform and Lilly’s drug development and commercialization […]

December 16, 2022 - 2 minutesmins - By Jim Cornall

cardiology cardiovascular disease heart attack

News and Trends 15 Dec 2022

Cell reprogramming can reverse fibrosis after heart attack

Researchers in Japan may have found a way to repair cardiac damage in patients suffering from chronic heart attack and heart failure. In a study published in Circulation, researchers from the University of Tsukuba have revealed that changing heart cell programming by tweaking the expression of a few key genes can actually reverse the lasting […]

December 15, 2022 - 3 minutesmins - By Jim Cornall

News and Trends 12 Dec 2022

Japanese research offers hope for Fukuyama muscular dystrophy patients

Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD) is the second most common form of childhood muscular dystrophy in Japan. The disease manifests itself in the form of a severe neuromuscular disorder. One form of FCMD is caused by a genetic abnormality in the fukutin (FKTN) gene. The genetic anomaly blocks the chemical glycosylation of a biologically important […]

December 12, 2022 - 4 minutesmins - By Jim Cornall

News and Trends 7 Dec 2022

Scientists identify genetic variant causing ALS in some patients

Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have identified a novel genetic variant found in some patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Employing human-induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, they detailed the process by which this variant relates to ALS. The investigators say they expect this mechanism to be a new therapeutic target for ALS treatment. The […]

December 7, 2022 - 4 minutesmins - By Jim Cornall

News and Trends 22 Nov 2022

Arecor to start second type 2 diabetes clinical trial

Arecor Therapeutics plc says the BASG (Bundesamt für Sicherheit im Gesundheitswesen) has cleared the company’s clinical trial application (CTA) for AT278, an ultra-rapid acting, ultra-concentrated (500 U/mL) insulin candidate, in type 2 diabetic patients. The CTA approval means Arecor can start its second phase I clinical trial for AT278. AT278 has previously demonstrated a faster […]

November 22, 2022 - 3 minutesmins - By Jim Cornall

News and Trends 17 Nov 2022

Astellas meets primary endpoint in gastric cancer study

Astellas Pharma Inc. has announced positive topline results from its phase 3 SPOTLIGHT clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of zolbetuximab in combination with mFOLFOX6 (a combination regimen that includes oxaliplatin, leucovorin and fluorouracil). Zolbetuximab is an investigational first-in-class monoclonal antibody targeting Claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2), for the first-line treatment of patients with CLDN18.2-positive, HER2-negative, […]

November 17, 2022 - 4 minutesmins - By Jim Cornall

News and Trends 17 Nov 2022

New mitochondria study could pave way for disease treatments

Mitochondria, the ‘powerhouses of the cell,’ are important cellular structures that are vital for their role of generating energy. They constantly fuse together and split apart. They contain a small amount of genetic information, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The mtDNA, organized into dot-like structures called nucleoids, also moves around inside the mitochondria. The method of distribution […]

November 17, 2022 - 3 minutesmins - By Jim Cornall

News and Trends 10 Nov 2022

Novel branched lipid boosts mRNA delivery to cells

A novel branched lipid that is highly stable in storage and is highly efficient in delivering mRNA to cells has been developed. Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a biological molecule that transfers the information coded by genes in the nucleus to the cytoplasm for protein synthesis by ribosomes. mRNA sequences can be designed to encode specific […]

November 10, 2022 - 3 minutesmins - By Jim Cornall

News and Trends 10 Nov 2022

New radiopharmaceutical shrinks prostate cancer tumors

Researchers in Japan and Germany say a radiopharmaceutical treatment targeting a prostate-specific membrane antigen effectively shrinks prostate tumors in mice. The team reported the anti-cancer treatment zeroes in on tumor cells with ‘laser precision.’ Recent developments, such as targeted α-therapies as a type of theranostics, are trying to tackle cancer. Theranostics is a one-two punch […]

November 10, 2022 - 3 minutesmins - By Jim Cornall

News and Trends 8 Nov 2022

Study shows enhanced drug delivery to the brain

In a study recently published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, Japanese researchers used a method called “lasso-grafting” to design therapeutics with enhanced longevity and brain penetration. Cell growth and repair are stimulated by biomolecules known as cytokines and growth factors. Unfortunately, delivering adequate concentrations of these molecules to the brain for treating neurological conditions […]

November 8, 2022 - 3 minutesmins - By Jim Cornall

News and Trends 1 Nov 2022

First to market doesn’t guarantee success

A comparison of two cancer drugs, Opdivo and Keytruda, reveals that being the first-to-market is not necessarily the main factor in a drug’s success. For the first four years since their approval, the anticancer drug Opdivo outperformed Keytruda in sales. But this trend reversed in 2018, with Keytruda’s sales becoming higher than Opdivo’s. Recently, a […]

November 1, 2022 - 4 minutesmins - By Jim Cornall

Resources

Categories

The twelve hottest biotech companies in the Boston area

Biotech bankruptcies: what to expect in 2024 following a record year?

Approaches

Therapeutic areas

RNA editing set to take off: could it outperform gene editing?

Future of cancer treatment: what will therapy look like in 2034?

R&D

BD

World biotech leaders

Connect with decision-makers and researchers worldwide for collaborative opportunities

Company

Join Us

Subscribe to our newsletter

Advertise with us