AstraZeneca looks to combos after effective ex-Ardea drug shows serious adverse effects
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
AstraZeneca's top-line gout data released 13 December shows efficacy for lesinurad but also a worrying range of serious adverse events. While the Phase III LIGHT study was designed to test lesinurad's utility in patients who cannot tolerate some standard-of-care and commonly used gout drugs, lesinurad's adverse event profile might threaten its regulatory or market success. Now the company will look to the drug's performance in combinations with standard gout treatments.
You may also be interested in...
Ironwood Pulls Plug On Struggling Gout Drug Zurampic
Due to poor sales, the drug, which AstraZeneca picked up through its $1.26bn acquisition of Ardea, is now being terminated in the US. Ironwood, already in the process of splitting up, is going to focus on its core gastrointestinal franchise.
Ironwood Buys AstraZeneca's Zurampic As Ideal Linzess Complement
What was AstraZeneca's trash is now Ironwood's treasure, as it pays $100m up front, along with milestones and royalties, to acquire gout drug approved in December, but not yet launched.
WuXi eases CAR-T manufacturing burden with new US plant
China's WuXi PharmaTech, an R&D technology company serving the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, has announced construction of a new manufacturing facility in Philadelphia, US designed for cell therapy products, including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies. More manufacturing power is crucial to the success of this burgeoning, high-potential field.