💉 The new big pharma market; Big bucks queue up for Sanofi arm; Novavax makes a settlement
#505 | Hair loss drug to solve heart woes; GSK says injectable better than pills for HIV treatment
Hello, and welcome back to The Kable for your weekly round-up of all things life sciences.
First up, it seems the first patient implanted with a Neuralink chip can now control a mouse purely with the power of thought.
In what seems like a rehash of several stories from perpetuity, several small pharma units in India have been told to cease operations over quality concerns.
Elsewhere, the key to a longer life has just been discovered. At least for women. A new studyreveals that regular workouts are the ticket that women need to outlive men, helping protect against early mortality and heart attacks.
In further disheartening news for the "natural" future of the male race, scientists have created lab-grown testicles. These groundbreaking organoids, which mimic the structure of natural testicles, could pave the way for novel treatments for reproductive disorders and provide hope for restoring fertility in men, especially those rendered infertile by childhood cancer treatments.
And finally, keen-eyed viewers of sci-fi horror cinema might recall the Korean blockbuster Train To Busan, which began with zombie deer. If you stretch that parable a little, it looks like life is borrowing from art with zombie deer disease spreading across North America. And yes, (some) scientists believe this disease, with a 100% fatality rate, is capable of spreading to humans. Nothing like a good heart-warming story to gently lull you into the weekend.
Stories Of The Week
The making of a market. For reasons unknown and mystifying, Big Pharma doesn't yet seem to have cottoned on to the fact that the next big growth opportunity for it lies in Africa. Maybe the fact that individual African nations haven't historically been big spenders, with much of the continent dependent on donations for a long time. Or maybe Big Pharma thinks African countries can be walked upon because they don't individually have much bargaining power. Well, things are about to change.
Over the weekend, African leaders gathered at the AU headquarters for their annual summit. Several matters were discussed and voted upon at the summit, including initiatives aimed at enhancing the health security of the continent's residents. Among the significant outcomes was the approval of a plan to establish a collective procurement system for medical supplies, including medicines and vaccines. Size of the pooled market? How about $50 billion?
Oh and, another significant outcome from the summit? The Africa CDC's remit has been expanded "to include the manufacturing of medicines and diagnostics."
(Africa CDC)
Agency Observer
A pricey jab at resolution. Gavi and Novavax have resolved their dispute from a 2021 Covid vaccine agreement, with Novavax agreeing to compensate Gavi $400 million. The contention originated from a deal for Novavax to supply 1.1 billion doses of its NVX-CoV2373 vaccine to Gavi for the COVAX initiative, which aimed to distribute 2 billion doses in 2021. Despite receiving $700 million in advance payments from Gavi, Novavax faced accusations of manufacturing delays and ultimately terminated the agreement, citing Gavi's failure to purchase the vaccines. Gavi countered, blaming Novavax for not fulfilling its production promises. The settlement includes an initial $75 million payment from Novavax and annual $80 million payments through 2028, with the potential for these obligations to be reduced by "vaccine credits" should Gavi purchase Novavax vaccines for low-income regions.
(Gavi)
Breakthroughs
A shot of hope. In a groundbreaking announcement, GSK revealed that its innovative, long-acting injectable HIV treatment, Cabenuva, has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in a pivotal late-stage trial. This therapy has shown a superior ability to maintain viral suppression over traditional daily oral treatments, particularly benefiting those who have struggled with consistent pill intake.
(GSK)
From hairy situations to heart solutions. Guess what? That pill some guys take to keep their hair thick and tackle prostate issues, Finasteride, could be a game-changer for your heart too! Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign dug into this and found out that not only does it help with hair and prostate, but it also might lower cholesterol and cut down the risk of heart disease. The researchers noticed that men on this drug had cholesterol levels way lower than those not popping this pill. And when they tested it on mice, even the little guys started showing less artery clogging and liver inflammation. This wasn't just a fluke; it could mean big news for anyone taking Finasteride, including folks transitioning genders who are at a higher heart disease risk. It's still early days, and there's more to learn, but imagine a world where your hair loss pill keeps your heart ticking better too.
(Journal of Lipid Research)
Corporate
High stakes and higher science. In what has been an otherwise slow week in the corporate world, reporting emerged that big names in the buyout world are eyeing Sanofi's consumer health division, which might be up for grabs for around $20 billion. This division is being considered for a spin-off as Sanofi wants to focus more on fancy immunology and vaccine work. Turning this deal into reality could be a bit of a puzzle though, due to the big bucks involved and the financing gymnastics needed. Elsewhere, Japan's Daiichi Sankyo is going all-in on the booming field of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), earmarking a cool billion euros to beef up its production site in Germany, aiming to become a global innovation hub for cancer-fighting drugs. This move not only highlights Daiichi's ambition in the oncology space but also promises to keep them at the forefront of ADC technology, contributing significantly to the fight against cancer while bolstering their legacy in cardiovascular medicine production.
(Bloomberg, Daiichi)
Outbreaks
Measles mayhem on the horizon. The WHO has issued a stark warning that over half of the world's nations are on track to face high or very high risks of measles outbreaks by year's end without prompt intervention, highlighting a troubling rise in cases across various regions. This surge is largely attributed to vaccination gaps left during the pandemic, which saw health systems overwhelmed and routine immunisations neglected. Despite measles being preventable through vaccination - a measure that has saved over 50 million lives since 2000 - the recent increase in cases signals a dire need for renewed commitment from governments. A need exacerbated by the fact that measles disproportionately affects children under five and poses a greater threat in countries with weaker health infrastructures.
(Reuters)
Desperately seeking a cure. This article in Science details how in southwestern Nigeria, a patient's struggle with Lassa fever, a deadly hemorrhagic disease prevalent in West Africa, underscores the critical challenges in diagnosing and treating the condition, often mistaken for typhoid or malaria. Despite being largely ignored compared to diseases like Ebola, Lassa fever poses a significant threat, with fatality rates in severe cases comparable to those of Ebola and annual deaths suspected to exceed 10,000. The disease, identified half a century ago and transmitted primarily through rodents, has seen a surge in cases, partly due to gaps in vaccination and healthcare delivery exacerbated by the pandemic. Efforts to combat the spread include the development of diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines, with significant investments from organisations like CEPI. However, the challenges of genetic diversity among virus strains, climate change, and the need for global health prioritisation underscore the urgency of addressing this neglected disease, which threatens to expand its reach and impact across West Africa and potentially beyond. Unfortunately, as history is our witness, unless the disease spreads beyond Africa, new diagnostics and drugs won't emerge.
(Science)
Bottom line
Hold your breath: Air pollution causes Alzheimer's? A recent study highlighted in Neurologyhas unearthed a curious link between traffic-related air pollution and the presence of amyloid plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, observed in individuals post-mortem. While it's clear as day that breathing in fine particles from traffic (specifically PM2.5 pollutants) isn't doing our lungs any favours, this research hints that our brains might also be on the receiving end of pollution's nasty punch. However, it's crucial to note that this study isn't saying pollution directly causes Alzheimer's, but rather, there's an unsettling association between the two. Interestingly, this association was stronger in individuals without the genetic variant commonly linked to Alzheimer's, suggesting that the disease might not just be a roll of the genetic dice but also influenced by the air we breathe.
(Neurology)
Long reads
A germ of an idea. A curious incident involving a toddler's interaction with a subway pole sparked a groundbreaking study by a geneticist at Weill Cornell Medicine, unravelling the complex microbial world of New York City's subway system. This venture into environmental DNA (eDNA) research mapped out the diverse microbiome of the city, uncovering over 1,600 types of microbes, including known pathogens, though none posed an immediate threat. This Undark write-up takes you on an adventure into the world of pathogens, known and emerging.
(Undark)
Oh and, Gopal Nair doesn't want you to see this.