21 – 22 May 2018, London, UK.
SMi is delighted to announce its 2nd Annual Highly Potent Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients conference coming to London. The global market for Highly Potent Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients is currently on a growth fast track, largely driven by its major use in oncology for cancer treatment and more often in the form of ADCs.

AstraZeneca today announced that its global biologics research and development arm, MedImmune, is spinning out six molecules from its early-stage inflammation and autoimmunity programmes into an independent biotech company, Viela Bio. The new company will focus on developing medicines for severe autoimmune diseases by targeting the underlying causes of each disease.

Scientists from the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have confirmed the existence of progenitor cells within the human pancreas that can be stimulated to develop into glucose-responsive beta cells. These significant findings, published in Cell Reports, open the door to developing regenerative cell therapies for those living with type 1 diabetes, addressing a major challenge that stands in the way of discovering a biological cure for the disease.

Boehringer Ingelheim unveils a new phase of “More Than Scleroderma: The Inside Story”, and launches the new patient website www.morethanscleroderma.com. The global initiative highlights the importance of understanding the 'inside story' of each individual living with scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis.

Bayer and Loxo Oncology, Inc., (NASDAQ: LOXO), a biopharmaceutical company from Stamford (Connecticut, US) announced the publication in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) of larotrectinib data for the treatment of pediatric and adult patients whose tumors harbor Neurotrophic Tyrosine Receptor Kinase (NTRK) gene fusions.

New research from The Australian National University (ANU) has drilled down to the molecular level to find similarities across six pharmaceutical drugs used in pain relief, dentist anaesthetic, and treatment of epilepsy, in a bid to find a way to reduce unwanted side-effects. One in five Australians experience chronic pain, and 250,000 Australians live with epilepsy, 40 per cent of which are children.

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered a new link between gut bacteria and obesity. They found that certain amino acids in our blood can be connected to both obesity and the composition of the gut microbiome. We know less about the significance of our gut bacteria than what many books and magazines on the subject seem to suggest. A lot of the research on the topic is based on animal studies which cannot be directly applied to humans.

Novartis today announced the publication of the CLAIM* study in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine, which demonstrated that treatment once-daily Ultibro® Breezhaler® (indacaterol/glycopyrronium 110/50 mcg) significantly improved lung and cardiac function, when compared to placebo, in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with lung hyperinflation[1].

Scientists have identified a hormone that could help prepare the womb lining for pregnancy, research shows. The hormone helps prime cells for implantation, a vital stage in early pregnancy when a fertilised egg attaches to the womb lining, the study suggests. The discovery – made by testing tissue from women aged in their forties – could help scientists develop ways to improve fertility.

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) and Flatiron Health, Inc. announced that the two partners have signed a definitive agreement under which Roche will acquire all shares of Flatiron Health, following on from an existing equity stake of 12.6%. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2018.