Bionest

The National Microbiome Initiative

On May 13, the White House announced the latest big science initiative: a pledge of a half billion dollars to study microbes in humans, crops, soils, oceans and more. This initiative  — which includes $121 million in Federal funding over two years — builds on the NIH Human Microbiome Project, begun in 2007, as well...

Bionest

Some Thoughts on the Latest Immuno-oncology Approval

On May 18, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the latest immunotherapeutic drug, atezolizumab (Tecentriq), from Roche’s California division, Genentech. The drug, a PD-L1 inhibitor, is the first product in its class to gain approval for a common form of bladder cancer, urothelial carcinoma — specifically for patients with advanced disease or those who...