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Next-generation microbiome medicine may revolutionize the treatment of Parkinson's and similar disorders

World Pharma News - Tue, 11/18/2025 - 11:00
The age-old advice to “trust your gut” could soon take on new meaning for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, thanks to a creative feat of bioengineering by researchers in the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Anumantha Kanthasamy, professor and director of the Isakson Center for Neurological Disease Research (ICNDR) leads a multidisciplinary research team including Gregory Phillips, Piyush Padhi, and other scientists that has engineered a groundbreaking living medicine, a beneficial probiotic designed to deliver Levodopa steadily from the gut to the brain of Parkinson's patients.

A cellular protein, FGD3, boosts breast cancer chemotherapy, immunotherapy

World Pharma News - Mon, 11/17/2025 - 11:00
A naturally occurring protein that tends to be expressed at higher levels in breast cancer cells boosts the effectiveness of some anticancer agents, including doxorubicin, one of the most widely used chemotherapies, and a preclinical drug known as ErSO, researchers report. The protein, FGD3, contributes to the rupture of cancer cells disrupted by these drugs, boosting their effectiveness and enhancing anticancer immunotherapies.

Common gout drug may reduce risk of heart attack and stroke

World Pharma News - Fri, 11/14/2025 - 11:00
A widely-used, inexpensive gout drug could reduce heart attacks and strokes in people with cardiovascular disease, according to a new Cochrane review.

The review examined the effects of low doses of colchicine, a drug used to treat gout, and found no increase in serious side effects.

New nasal vaccine has potential to transform respiratory disease prevention

World Pharma News - Thu, 11/13/2025 - 11:00
A research team from Trinity College Dublin has unveiled a groundbreaking new approach to vaccination that could redefine how we protect against respiratory infections. In a landmark study published in Nature Microbiology, the team demonstrated that their nasally-delivered, antibiotic-inactivated Bordetella pertussis (AIBP) vaccine not only prevents severe disease but also curbs bacterial transmission - an achievement long sought by vaccine developers worldwide.

MIT research finds particles that enhance mRNA delivery could reduce vaccine dosage and costs

World Pharma News - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 11:00
A new delivery particle developed at MIT could make mRNA vaccines more effective and potentially lower the cost per vaccine dose.

In studies in mice, the researchers showed that an mRNA influenza vaccine delivered with their new lipid nanoparticle could generate the same immune response as mRNA delivered by nanoparticles made with FDA-approved materials, but at around 1/100 the dose.

HER2-targeted radioimmunotherapy regimen achieves complete and durable response in breast cancer model

World Pharma News - Tue, 11/11/2025 - 11:00
A new radioimmunotherapy approach has the potential to cure human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer, according to new research published in the November issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The regimen, which pre-treats the tumor before delivering targeted alpha-radioimmunotherapy, resulted in durable major responses - including histologic cures - with minimal toxicities, paving the way for a safer and more effective treatment option for breast cancer patients.

Signpost of cancer linked to wound-healing properties

World Pharma News - Mon, 11/10/2025 - 11:00
When doctors detect elevated levels of SerpinB3 in a blood test, it can signal that something is seriously wrong, from hard-to-treat cancers to severe inflammatory conditions.

SerpinB3 is a critical protein that often reveals when the body’s barrier tissues, like the skin or lungs, are under serious stress from cancer or chronic illness.

Opening the door to a vaccine for multiple childhood infections

World Pharma News - Fri, 11/07/2025 - 11:00
A vaccine that tackles the bacteria that cause up to 200 million childhood infections every year could be possible, experts say.

In the first study of its kind, an international team including those at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Oslo, the University of Oxford and the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit at Mahidol University in Thailand, analysed new and existing Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) genomes, from global samples collected between 1962-2023.

New cancer drug shows exceptional tumor-fighting potential

World Pharma News - Thu, 11/06/2025 - 11:00
A research team led by the Medical University of Vienna, the HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences and the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest has developed a groundbreaking new chemotherapeutic agent, LiPyDau, which shows remarkable efficacy against multiple tumor types in preclinical studies. Published in the leading journal Molecular Cancer, the study introduces a highly promising strategy for tackling drug-resistant cancers.

Ingestible capsule robot: integrated diagnosis and treatment platform

World Pharma News - Wed, 11/05/2025 - 11:00
While ingestible capsule endoscopes have revolutionized digestive tract diagnosis, current capsule devices are still difficult to combine diagnostic functions (targeted biopsy) and therapeutic functions (targeted drug delivery) in one-time oral intake. Now, research has broken through this limitation by presenting a novel multichamber magnetic capsule robot (named macabot) that can selectively open specific chambers on demand for targeted liquid sampling or targeted drug release.

GLP-1 drugs effective for weight loss, but more independent studies needed

World Pharma News - Tue, 11/04/2025 - 11:00
Three new Cochrane reviews find evidence that GLP-1 drugs result in clinically meaningful weight loss, but industry-funded studies raise questions. The reviews were commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) to inform upcoming guidelines on the use of these drugs to treat obesity.

The reviews, which examine the effects of three weight loss drugs known as GLP-1 receptor antagonists, have found that all three drugs result in clinically meaningful weight loss compared with placebo.

New switch for programmed cell death identified

World Pharma News - Mon, 11/03/2025 - 11:00
The activation and deactivation of apoptosis is a promising field of research in basic biomedical research. The team led by Prof. Franz Hagn from the Chair of Structural Membrane Biochemistry at the TUM School of Natural Sciences has now discovered a new switch: "Many research teams worldwide are working on the exciting topic of apoptosis and its targeted control. The big advantage is that we are dealing with a highly efficient, evolutionarily developed regulatory mechanism. So, we don't have to invent something completely new, but can use the appropriate structural methods to learn from nature's optimized processes."

Pfizer files lawsuit against Metsera and its directors and Novo Nordisk for breach of merger agreement

World Pharma News - Fri, 10/31/2025 - 13:00
Pfizer Inc. today announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Metsera, Inc., its Board of Directors, and Novo Nordisk, S.A. in the Delaware Court of Chancery. The lawsuit asserts claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and tortious interference in contract arising from Metsera’s breach of its obligations under the merger agreement between Pfizer and Metsera.

Pfizer receives early clearance from U.S. Federal Trade Commission for Metsera acquisition

World Pharma News - Fri, 10/31/2025 - 11:00
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) today announced the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”), with respect to Pfizer’s pending acquisition of Metsera (NASDAQ: MTSR).

The termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act satisfies the regulatory review requirements under the previously announced proposed acquisition of Metsera, which was set to expire on November 7.

Pfizer addresses proposal for Metsera

World Pharma News - Thu, 10/30/2025 - 11:00
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) is aware of the reckless and unprecedented proposal by Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE: NVO) to acquire Metsera, Inc. (NASDAQ: MTSR). It is an attempt by a company with a dominant market position to suppress competition in violation of law by taking over an emerging American challenger. It is also structured in a way to circumvent antitrust laws and carries substantial regulatory and executional risk. The proposal is illusory and cannot qualify as a superior proposal under Pfizer’s agreement with Metsera, and Pfizer is prepared to pursue all legal avenues to enforce its rights under its agreement.

AI-driven nanomedicine breakthrough paves way for personalized breast cancer therapy

World Pharma News - Wed, 10/29/2025 - 11:00
A comprehensive review in "Biofunct. Mater." meticulously details the most recent advancements and clinical translation of intelligent nanodrugs for breast cancer treatment. This paper presents an exhaustive overview of subtype-specific nanostrategies, the clinical benefits of FDA-approved nanodrugs, and innovative approaches to address tumor heterogeneity and treatment resistance. This serves as a foundational framework and pragmatic guide for enhancing precision-based breast cancer therapies.

Bayer's Lynkuet™ (elinzanetant) approved in the U.S. for treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms due to menopause

World Pharma News - Tue, 10/28/2025 - 11:00
Bayer announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved elinzanetant as the first dual neurokinin (NK) targeted therapy(1), neurokinin 1 (NK1) and neurokinin 3 (NK3) receptor antagonist, under the brand name Lynkuet™ for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS, also known as hot flashes) due to menopause. Inhibition of Substance P and Neurokinin B through antagonism of NK1 and NK3 receptor signaling on kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin (KNDy) neurons with elinzanetant can modulate neuronal activity in the thermoregulation associated with hot flashes.

Making cancer vaccines more personal

World Pharma News - Mon, 10/27/2025 - 11:00
In a new study, University of Arizona researchers created a model for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, and identified two mutated tumor proteins, or neoantigens, that contain features of good candidates for a vaccine. At the same time, they used artificial intelligence to create 3D models to help them understand and predict which neoantigens could provoke T cells, a type of white blood cell critical to the immune system, to attack the cancer.

Study finds COVID-19 mRNA vaccine sparks immune response to fight cancer

World Pharma News - Fri, 10/24/2025 - 10:00
Patients with advanced lung or skin cancer who received a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine within 100 days of starting immunotherapy drugs lived significantly longer than those who did not get the vaccine, researchers have found.

The observation by researchers at the University of Florida and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is a defining moment in a decade-plus of research testing mRNA-based therapeutics designed to "wake up" the immune system against cancer.

Bias can lead to better therapies

World Pharma News - Thu, 10/23/2025 - 10:00
About one-third of all drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration target the largest family of cell membrane receptors called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).

GPCRs are indispensable for maintaining human health as they play a role in nearly every physiological function. These receptors are embedded in the membranes of cells and detect a wide variety of biological signaling molecules arriving outside the cell.