YOUR INNER IMMUNE WORKINGS What do monoclonal antibodies, CAR-T therapy, and checkpoint inhibitor treatments all have in common? They are immunotherapies, or therapies that activate the immune system to fight or prevent a disease. While an activated immune system can help save a life, an overactive immune system can attack the body it is charged with protecting. This over-activity is the … Read More
The Molecular Cause Of Obesity
Targeting Fat Obesity is considered one of the most pressing public health issues of the day. According to the Center for Disease Control, 37% of adults and 17% of children in the U.S. are obese. The latest drug interventions work by attempting to suppress food intake, which has proven beneficial for some. However, there is still a large unmet need … Read More
Et Tu, Immune System?
Autoimmune Disorders: A Story Of Betrayal “Et tu, Brute?” The famous line spoken by Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is synonymous with unexpected betrayal by a close friend. A once trusted member of the inner circle, Marcus Brutus joined the coup and turned on Caesar. The 23.5 million Americans suffering from autoimmune disorders also have a Brutus in their midst—their own immune … Read More
Packing A Punch With The Immune System
THE INNER WORKINGS OF YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM What do monoclonal antibodies, CAR-T therapy, and 3D vaccines all have in common? They are immunotherapies, or therapies that activate a patient’s own immune system to fight or prevent a disease. While immune system activation can help save a life, an overactive immune system can potentially attack the body it is charged with … Read More
Longevity In Biotech
Longevity has fascinated mankind for centuries, from ancient myths about fountains of youth to current speculation around caloric restriction. With our increased scientific understanding of aging, clinical validation and commercialization of treatments are near. The goal is to extend lifespan as well as health span, and we may be looking at a future where the norm is to remain mentally and physically active at age 90, or even … Read More
The Bispecific Antibody: A Lethal Hybrid
Amgen’s acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment, Blincyto, coasted past the FDA bottleneck ahead of schedule, gaining approval earlier this month as a “first of its kind” immunotherapy. The FDA designated Blincyto as a breakthrough therapy and an orphan product on top of granting a priority review, thus propelling the bispecific antibody (BsAb) to the market five months early. The swift approval … Read More
Scabbing Now A “Walk In The Park” For Hemophilia A Sufferers
SCABBING NOW A WALK IN THE PARK FOR HEMOPHILIA A SUFFERERS Imagine tripping over your feet, face-planting on a sidewalk. You are in shorts, your knees scrape, and you are bloody. You clean it off, and soon you are the proud owner of some new scabs. Life goes on. Let’s say you are the one of the 5,000 men with … Read More
Don’t Be DOA. Learn The MOA.
MAJOR MECHANISMS OF ACTION The top selling drugs of 2013 were Abilify (Otsuka Pharmaceuticals; $6.9 billion), Nexium (AstraZeneca; $6.3 billion), and Humira (AbbVie; $5.9 billion). Anyone who follows biopharmaceuticals—and plenty of people who do not—are familiar with these drugs. How do they actually work? In this issue, we will take a look at the diverse mechanisms of action (MOA) of … Read More