Bionest

Steps Toward the Use of Real World Evidence

“Real-world evidence” (RWE) is data on the use and accrued long-term benefits/risks of a drug or device that is gathered outside of a clinical trial — generally after the product has been approved. Clinical trials don’t often reflect the breadth and diversity of patient experience with a particular treatment that can be seen once the...

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Drug Pricing and Pharma

In September 2015, Martin Shkreli, then CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, sparked widespread outrage in the United States when the company raised prices on an off-patent treatment for toxoplasmosis, Daraprim, by over 5,000%, just one month after Turing acquired the drug. That action catapulted the medicine’s price from $13.50 to $750 per pill. But journalists found...

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Positive Results Reported in Alzheimer’s Disease — But Questions Remain

In early July, Biogen and Eisai announced that analysis of their 18-month Phase 2 trial of BAN2401 revealed encouraging results, showing an effect on both lowering of amyloid levels and slowing of cognitive decline in patients treated with the highest dose of the drug. This spurred some analysts to hail the news as encouraging support...

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New Options for Diabetes Therapy on the Horizon

Research presented in June at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) meeting highlighted potential advances for diabetes patients who use drugs in a class called incretin mimetics –specifically GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1) agonists — to help control their blood sugar. Such drugs work by increasing the secretion of insulin from the pancreas, inhibiting glucagon (a hormone...

Bionest

Biotech Companies Flock to Newly Liberalized Hong Kong Stock Exchange

The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (The Exchange) adopted new rules on April 30 that for the first time enable pre-revenue companies in “emerging and innovative sectors” — including biotechnology — to submit formal applications to list on that exchange. This was the outcome of a careful four-year process aimed at making the Exchange...