The U.S. FDA granted Roche Holding AG breakthrough device designation for the Elecsys pTau217 assay that it is developing with Eli Lilly and Co. The test will help with the earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease as it will be able to identify pTau217, a phosphorylated fragment of the protein tau, which is a biomarker that can distinguish the disease from other neurodegenerative disorders.
Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings introduced a glial fibrillary acidic protein blood-based test available commercially in the U.S. for the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases and brain injuries. The test, which the company said was the first of its kind, is designed to assess the presence and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, glioblastoma and traumatic brain injury.
Shandong Ruzhi Biomedical Technology Co. Ltd. has synthesized compounds reported to be useful for the treatment of neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disorders and cerebrovascular disorders.
Researchers from Hefei Industrial Pharmaceutical Institute Co. Ltd. published data detailing the design and biological evaluation of novel NMDAR-GluN2B antagonists as potential candidates for the treatment of ischemic stroke.
Bioage Labs Inc. has synthesized NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and traumatic brain injury.
Harmony Biosciences Holdings Inc. has announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Bioprojet Pharma SAS to develop, manufacture and commercialize TPM-1116, a highly potent and selective oral orexin OX2 receptor agonist that will be evaluated for the treatment of narcolepsy and other sleep/wake disorders.
Finding an effective medication for patients with major depressive disorder is notoriously difficult, with 70% of patients failing to respond to the first drug prescribed and 30% not responding to the first four medications. Complicating matters, genetic mutations can increase psychotropic drug-related adverse events, including hospitalizations. A recent study indicates Myriad Genetics Inc.’s Genesight test can help minimize the risk of these negative events, with a reduction of nearly 40% in psychiatric-related hospitalizations and prescription of medications with significant gene-drug interactions.
Scientists at H. Lundbeck A/S and Vernalis (R&D) Ltd. have divulged leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2; Dardarin) and LRRK2 G2019S mutant inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy.
Wound healing is a highly specialized dynamic process for the repair of damaged/injured tissues through an intricate mechanism. Any failure in the normal wound healing process results in abnormal scar formation, and a chronic state which is more susceptible to infections. Researchers from Monash University in Australia and Osaka University in Japan have demonstrated that the removal of a specific subtype of sensory neurons containing the Nav1.8+ ion channel significantly impairs skin wound repair and muscle regeneration following injury.
Cerevel Therapeutics LLC has described muscarinic M4 receptor agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of pain, sleep disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse and dependence, drug-induced dyskinesia, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.