Researchers from the Japanese Osaka University have reported that the immune suppressants cyclosporine A and FK506 reversibly blocked fertility in male mice, suggesting that they might form the basis for male contraceptives. Both drugs work by inhibiting calcineurin, a phosphatase that is important in mediating the consequences of calcium signaling.
TOKYO – Japan's Taiho Oncology Inc. won U.S. FDA approval for its oral combination anticancer drug TAS-102 (trifluridine hydrochloride) for refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), which is marketed in Japan under the brand name Lonsurf.
HONG KONG — A new multiethnic genomewide association study (GWAS) by an international research consortium has identified 12 new genetic loci influencing blood pressure and indicated a role for DNA methylation in blood pressure regulation, which could have important implications for the development of new antihypertensive treatments.
SHANGHAI – Ark Biosciences Inc. successfully completed a phase I trial for AK0529, an oral drug designed to treat respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common virus that can be deadly in premature infants, children and the elderly by infecting the lungs and respiratory tract.
HONG KONG — For the first time, biologists have successfully developed functioning whole kidneys with a urinary excretion pathway from human stem cell-generated embryonic kidneys, Japanese researchers reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
HONG KONG – Genova Biotechnology Co. Ltd. is aiming to be the largest insulin maker in China, starting construction on a $1 billion manufacturing facility in Changzhou National Hi-tech District this month.
Heptares Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sosei Group Corp., has been awarded a $5.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Together with additional funding from Heptares, the grant will support a three-year research project aimed at developing a selective antagonist for the human orexin-1 receptor for use in treating cocaine addiction and dependence, for which there are currently no approved treatments.
LONDON – The recently published guidelines for developing biosimilars in China are yet to be tested in practice, but it is evident there are hurdles to be navigated for international pharmas, with the new rules seen as favoring local companies.
RSS