Anti-drug antibodies noted in the phase Ib portion of the PREVAIL study in lupus drew queries for Oldwick, N.J.-based Provention Bio Inc. during a conference call related to earnings, but analysts seemed more interested in the company’s later-stage push in type 1 diabetes (T1D).

PERTH, Australia – While the coronavirus captures the world’s attention, another global pandemic is quietly killing 100 million people under the age of 60, and Australian investors are putting up AU$53 million (US$34.58 million) to back late-stage projects at the George Institute for Global Health.

HYDERABAD, India – To continue expanding their footprint and capabilities beyond simple generics to biosimilars and new chemical entities, Indian pharmaceutical companies will have to improve their quality controls, compliance capabilities and, just as importantly, adopt more effective digital strategies.

LONDON – Oculis SA reported positive results for its topical nanoparticle formulation of dexamethasone in the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME), showing the eye drops reduced central macular thickness (CMT) in the phase II proof-of-concept trial.

Perhaps the hardest hit by the unintended consequences of well-intentioned legislation, U.S. insulin products continue to be the congressional poster child of all that's wrong with drug prices in America.

HONG KONG – Belgian drugmaker Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has decided to return the rights of diabetic obesity treatment HM-12525A to Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. The South Korean company said the decision followed phase II testing by Janssen, which showed the drug achieved the weight loss endpoint but didn't reach Janssen's internal criteria for blood glucose control in obese patients with diabetes.

The artificial pancreas represents a dramatic improvement over existing approaches to management of diabetes, but Sernova Corp. of London, Ontario, is intent on going one better on conventional device technology. The company recently presented the results from an early phase study of its Cell Pouch device with pancreatic islet cells to a major medical conference, and the results suggest that the Cell Pouch with islets will pass the safety bar and may prove efficacious for several measures, including glycemic control.

At a family wedding earlier this month, an uncle was salivating over the prospect that the Vivus Inc. drug Qnexa could soon become the first in a new generation of obesity drugs to gain FDA approval. He needed to lose 50 pounds, he confided, and the drug seemed the answer to his prayers. Since we’ve written extensively about obesity and these drugs in BioWorld Today, he wanted my opinion. I politely inquired whether he had considered dieting and exercise, which could produce similar results without the potential side effects of a prescribed drug – especially one in a category that’s...