Bionest

Chasing Migraine

Migraine is the most prevalent neurological disorder worldwide. It causes not only painful headaches, but can also be associated with nausea, vomiting, light and noise sensitivity, and fatigue. A migraine attack can last from a few hours to several days. And while 90% of those who suffer from migraines experience them fewer than 15 days...

Bionest

Artificial Intelligence Making Gains in Health Care

Applications of artificial intelligence (AI) to health care took a major step forward with two noteworthy events in February in the cardiovascular space.   In the first case, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the marketing of a clinical decision support tool designed to flag signs of a stroke on computed tomography (CT)...

Bionest

Alzheimer’s Disease: Continued Clinical Failure and a Potential New Development Pathway

Alzheimer’s disease continues to be a costly and frustrating minefield for drug developers. Most recently, Boehringer Ingelheim halted development of the phosphodiesterase type 9 (PDE9) inhibitor BI 409306 after it failed in phase 2. Merck also ended its trial of verubecestat, the company’s beta-secretase-1 (BACE1) inhibitor, in early stage Alzheimer’s disease patients for futility, a few...

Bionest

Setting (Financial) Records in I/O

 On February 14, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and Nektar announced the largest-ever deal in history involving a single development-stage drug in a partnership that greatly expands combination testing of BMS’s checkpoint inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab) and Nektar’s T-cell stimulating molecule NKTR-214.   Many recent immuno-oncology collaborations have involved cost sharing but no other financial transactions, and the...