11
Apr
2018
Tag: pharmaceuticals
3
Apr
2018
Bionest
The Rise of AI in Drug Discovery and Development
“Deep learning” is an advanced machine learning technology that enables the generation of relevant insights from enormous amounts of data. Computers are able to identify complex patterns in data from many disparate sources and generate algorithms to explain them. This allows a computer to simultaneously create and test original hypotheses with much greater speed and...
27
Mar
2018
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...
12
Mar
2018
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...
6
Mar
2018
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...
26
Feb
2018
Bionest
Merger Mania
Back in January, one of our predictions for the year included a ramp up in M&A activities on all fronts, driven in part by corporate tax reductions that left many companies with plenty of cash for acquisitions. While news during Biotech Week SF — aka JPM18 — was sparser than we and others expected, that...
5
Feb
2018
Bionest
Lynparza — Extending Cancer Treatment Based on Underlying Genetic Cause
On January 12, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Lynparza (olaparib), the PARP inhibitor partnered by AstraZeneca and Merck, for the treatment of BRCA-mutated, HER2-negative advanced metastatic breast cancer. The FDA’s action adds another cancer type for Lynparza; in late 2014 it was the first PARP inhibitor to be approved for use in...
11
Jan
2018
Bionest
Celebrating Clinical Success in Depression
Depression is a difficult problem for drug developers. Current marketed antidepressants are effective for a relatively small percentage of patients (about 20 in 100) and most require weeks of treatment to show an effect. Patients often need to try several drugs to find one that works for them, and some patients do not respond to...
19
Dec
2017
Bionest
A First Glimmer of Hope for Huntington’s Disease Patients
Huntington’s disease is a devastating and progressive inherited disorder that is caused by the expansion of the CAG trinucleotide sequence in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. This mutation results in abnormally long versions of the HTT protein, which progressively destroy neurons in the brain. Those affected experience a gradual loss of mental function and physical control...
4
Dec
2017