Congratulations to Verona Pharma on securing FDA approval of COPD maintenance therapy Ohtuvayre (ensifentrine)

Congratulations to Verona Pharma following the US FDA’s approval of Ohtuvayre (ensifentrine) for the maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adult patients. 

Optimum is proud to have worked with the fantastic Verona Pharma team in its journey to getting to this  approval for Ohtuvayre, the first inhaled product with a novel mechanism of action in the indication in more than 20 years. You can listen to the podcast we recorded last year with Verona’s Senior Vice President of Commercial, Chris Martin, who explained how the company plans to launch the product. 

Novo Holdings announces investment in AgNext Technologies, an agricultural and food technology company developing AI-based solutions for more sustainable agriculture 

Novo Holdings on Tuesday announced that it has led an investment in AgNext Technologies Private Limited, a breakthrough agricultural and food technology company enhancing trust along the food chains by innovating artificial intelligence-based food quality assessment technologies. 

Founded in 2016, with operations in India and Abu Dhabi, UAE, AgNext Technologies is committed to advancing, scaling, and commercialising an integrated platform for rapid, precise, cost-effective and portable food quality evaluations, benefiting all stakeholders across the agricultural value chain. 

New data from Medivir revealed at ESMO GI shows that fostrox + Lenvima holds promise of greatly improved outcomes for advanced liver cancer patients  

Medivir AB , a pharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative treatments for cancer in areas of high unmet medical need, on Thursday presented positive new data from its ongoing phase Ib / IIa study of fostroxacitabine bralpamide (fostrox) + Lenvima in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at the ESMO GI (European Society of Medical Oncology, Gastrointestinal Cancers) Cancers Congress in Munich, Germany. 

Results in second-line patients - those who had failed on a previous treatment regime – included an overall response rate (ORR) of 24%, with a disease control rate (DCR) of 81%. The median time to progression is now 10.8 months, while 25% of patients are still on treatment. 

The results are in contrast to the very poor prognosis for most second-line HCC patients today. Just 5 – 10% respond to current standard of care treatment, and the typical time to progression is only three to four months. 

Resolution Therapeutics Receives MHRA Approval to Commence Phase I/II EMERALD Study for Lead Candidate RTX001 

Resolution Therapeutics Limited, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing macrophage cell therapies to treat end-stage liver disease on Thursday announced it has received approval from the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to commence a Phase I/II EMERALD study for its lead candidate RTX001. 

EMERALD is an open-label, Phase I/II study which will investigate the safety and efficacy of engineered macrophage cell therapy, RTX001, in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. The primary analysis will focus on safety and major clinical events including death. 

There is still time to register for Resolution’s R&D Webinar TODAY at 12.30 BST / 7.30 EDT through the link here. 

Tom Tacon appointed Business Unit Director of Bionical Virtual Engagement 

Bionical Solutions , a leading provider of technology enabled engagement and healthcare services to global pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare companies and the NHS, on Thursday announced the appointment of Tom Tacon as Business Unit Director of Bionical Virtual Engagement, formerly Bionical Solutions Commercial business. Tom will join the company on July 1st. 

AMSilk to showcase its biofabricated yarns at Première Vision Paris 

AMSilk GmbH | Biotech Materials , a frontrunner in advanced biomaterials made from spider silk-based proteins, on Tuesday announced that it will be making its first appearance at Première Vision Paris, the largest textile trade show in Europe, from the 2-4 July 2024.  

New Optimum TV Episode drops – Kling Biotherapeutics 

Watch Stefano Gullà, CSO of Kling Biotherapeutics , discuss how Kling are creating exceptional antibody-based drugs by interrogating the immune responses of ‘elite responders’ to disease with its proprietary B cell immortalisation platform.  You can watch the latest episode and catch up with our other recent transmissions here: https://www.optimumcomms.com/optimumtv/ 

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