AstraZeneca (AZ) and Daiichi Sankyo have shared positive results from a late-stage study of their HER2-directed antibody drug conjugate Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) in a subset of breast cancer patients.
The phase 3 DESTINY-Breast06 has been comparing the drug against chemotherapy in patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-low or HER2-ultralow advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer and one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths globally, with more than two million cases of the disease diagnosed in 2022.
HR-positive, HER2-negative is the most common breast cancer subtype, with up to 65% of these cases estimated to be HER2-low and an additional 25% may be HER2-ultralow.
There were no targeted therapies specifically approved for patients with HER2-low expression prior to the approval of Enhertu in HER2-low metastatic breast cancer last year, and there are still no targeted therapies specifically authorised for those with HER2-ultralow expression.
Read more: https://pmlive.com/pharma_news/astrazeneca-daiichi-sankyos-enhertu-shows-promise-in-phase-3-breast-cancer-study/

Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute, the National Cancer Institute of the US National Institutes of Health and Aalborg University in Denmark have revealed that vitamin D encourages the growth of a type of gut bacteria in mice, which provides better cancer immunity.
The study published in Science found that vitamin D increases the amount of Bacteroides fragilis, providing better immunity to cancer in mice with transplanted tumours.
Cancer, including female breast, lung, bowel and prostate cancers, was responsible for more than 18 million new cases worldwide in 2020, according to Cancer Research UK.
After giving mice a diet rich in vitamin D, researchers discovered they had better immune resistance to experimentally transplanted cancers and improved responses to immunotherapy treatment.
Furthermore, this effect was seen when gene editing was used to remove a protein that binds to vitamin D in the blood and keep it away from tissues.
Researchers found that vitamin D acts on epithelial cells in the intestine and increases the amount of a bacteria known as Bacteroides fragilis, which offered mice better immunity to cancer as the transplanted tumours didn’t grow as much.
After giving mice Bacteroides fragilis, researchers observed better resistance to tumour growth compared to mice on a vitamin D-deficient diet.
Previous, inconclusive research has already suggested a link between vitamin D deficiency and cancer risk in humans.
Researchers explored this link by analysing a dataset from 1.5 million people in Denmark, which highlighted a link between lower vitamin D levels and a higher risk of cancer.
Read more: https://pharmatimes.com/news/study-reveals-vitamin-d-altered-mouse-gut-bacteria-provides-better-cancer-immunity/

Novartis and PeptiDream have expanded their peptide discovery collaboration with a new agreement worth over $2.8bn.
The multi-programme agreement will see PeptiDream use its proprietary Peptide Discovery Platform System technology to identify and optimise macrocyclic peptides against targets chosen by Novartis.
These peptides will then be conjugated to radionuclides, which Novartis refers to as ‘radioligand therapies (RLTs)’, or other applications for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes.
In exchange, PeptiDream will receive an upfront payment of $180m and will be eligible to receive up to $2.71bn in future milestone payments, as well as tiered royalties.
The deal expands Novartis and PeptiDream’s peptide-drug conjugate (PDC) collaboration announced in 2019 and builds on the partners’ ongoing discovery efforts, originally initiated in 2010.
Shiva Malek, global head of oncology research at Novartis, said: “We are enthusiastic about the progress we’ve made with PeptiDream through our long-standing research collaboration and look forward to continuing our work together as we strive to create impactful new therapies for patients.
“Our expanded partnership reflects our shared commitment to pioneering science that broadens the scope of transformative therapeutic approaches such as RLT.”
Similarly to antibody-drug conjugates, PDCs are designed to deliver drugs to cancer cells while sparing healthy tissues.
PeptiDream’s chief executive officer, Patrick Reid, said: “We are delighted to further expand our long-standing macrocyclic peptide discovery collaboration with Novartis, adding additional peptide RLT and other programmes to our strong partnership.
“As macrocyclic peptides continue to be the ideal vectors for the targeted delivery of a variety of therapeutic payloads, PeptiDream continues to build an extensive pipeline of partnered as well as internal peptide-conjugate programmes.”
Read more: https://pmlive.com/pharma_news/novartis-and-peptidream-expand-peptide-discovery-collaboration-in-deal-worth-over-2-8bn/

Researchers with McMaster University and Denmark-based pharmaceutical company ALK-Abello A/S have made a groundbreaking discovery: a new cell that remembers allergies.The discovery gives scientists and researchers a new target in treating allergies and could lead to new therapeutics. The research, published in Science Translational Medicine, coins the brand-new cell as a type-2 memory B cell (MBC2)."We've discovered a type of memory B cell that had unique characteristics and a unique gene signature that has not been described before," says Josh Koenig, assistant professor with McMaster's Department of Medicine and co-lead of the study. "We found allergic people had this memory B cell against their allergen, but non-allergic people had very few, if any."
B cells are a type of immune cell that makes antibodies. These cells help fight off infections but can also cause allergies.
"Let's say you're allergic to peanuts. Your immune system, because of MBC2, remembers that you're allergic to peanuts, and when you encounter them again, it creates more of the antibodies that make you allergic," Koenig says.
To come to this discovery, researchers created tetramers—a type of fluorescent molecule—out of allergens like Birch pollen and peanuts to locate difficult-to-find memory B cells. Koenig and his team previously wrote the instruction manual on how to use tetramers to locate these elusive cells.
Researchers further leveraged samples from ALK clinical trialswith tablet sublingual immunotherapy, which allows for sequencing large amounts of IgE-producing B cells.
Using cutting-edge technology such as single-cell transcriptomics and deep sequencing of antibody gene repertoires on clinical trial samples, they were able to make direct connections between MBC2 and IgE, the type of antibody that triggers the allergic reaction. This provided necessary context, ultimately revealing the MBC2 as the home of allergy.
Read more: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-02-cell-allergies.html

RSV is a common contagious virus characterised by several mild, cold-like symptoms. Although most people can recover within a week or two, certain populations are at a higher risk for severe disease, such as older adults, the immunocompromised and those with underlying medical conditions.
Arexvy has already been approved in the US, Europe and several other countries to protect adults aged 60 years and older against RSV-caused lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD).
GSK’s application to extend the indication is supported by results from a late-stage trial evaluating the immune response and safety of Arexvy in adults aged 50 to 59 years, including those at increased risk for RSV-LRTD due to underlying medical conditions.
The company recently shared positive results from the trial, which showed that Arexvy elicited an immune response in this population, including those with chronic pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, liver disease or diabetes, that was non-inferior to that observed in adults aged 60 and above.
The co-primary endpoint was also met for the broader group of adults in this age group, GSK said in the October readout, adding that safety and reactogenicity data was consistent with results from the initial phase 3 programme of Arexvy.
Read more: https://www.pmlive.com/pharma_news/gsks_rsv_vaccine_granted_fda_priority_review_for_use_in_adults_aged_50_to_59_years_1507886

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http://www.4catalyzer.com, founded by Dr. Jonathan Rothberg, is hiring a Software Engineer for our newest genomics start-up company, 454 Bio. https://454.bio/
This is an exciting GROUND FLOOR opportunity!
454 Bio was founded by a group of leading genomics experts who are developing a DNA sequencing platform for use at home, for under $100 – it’s an innovative product and an exciting time to join the team!
You would play a critical role & work with the company’s founders to develop next-gen molecular biology systems to interface with novel engineering platforms.
We're looking for someone with experience in:
● Life science tools
● Data processing for NGS (highly preferred)
● Deep knowledge and experience of:
○ Image processing: automatic ROI detection and analysis
○ Developing software for automated test equipment
○ Custom design and code analysis scripts
○ Python, with some knowledge of C++ preferred
○ Designing efficient algorithms that can run on low-end hardware
● Ability to analyze own data (fluency with R, or MATLAB preferred)
Here is the role: https://www.4catalyzer.com/careers?gh_jid=5568169003
Please apply, or get in touch for more information - happy to provide full details.
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Visa sponsorship can be considered.

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http://www.4catalyzer.com, founded by Jonathan Rothberg, is hiring TWO Molecular Biologists for their newest genomics start-up company, 454 Bio. https://454.bio/
This is an exciting GROUND FLOOR opportunity!
454 Bio was founded by a group of leading genomics experts who are developing a DNA sequencing platform for use at home, for under $100 – it’s an innovative product and an exciting time to join the team!
You would play a critical role & work with the company’s founders to develop next-gen molecular biology systems to interface with novel engineering platforms.
We're looking for someone with experience in:
- Surface amplification and library prep using fragmentation
- application of sequencing techniques
- researching and designing assays
- DNA patterned array design, development, and production
- NGS
Here is the role: https://www.4catalyzer.com/careers?gh_jid=5326749003
Please get in touch for more information - happy to provide full details.
The lab is based in Guilford, CT.
Visa sponsorship can be considered.

Question - Does anyone use topical anesthesia (creams) for procedures? If so, what formulation do you use?

Question - Does anyone use topical anesthesia (creams) for procedures? If so, what formulation do you use?

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