News round-up for 3-7 July by DDW Digital Content Editor Diana Spencer.
It’s been a fascinating week in drug discovery, as AstraZeneca announced that its Phase III trial of datopotamab deruxtecan did not meet its second primary endpoint and saw an 8% drop in its stock market value as a result.
In other headline news, the FDA approved the first cellular therapy for type 1 diabetes which could allow some patients to become insulin-independent, and a new study linked severe Covid-19 outcomes with high levels of antibiotics use.
The top stories:
Human gene that defends against avian flu discovered
New research has found a key human gene responsible for blocking most avian flu viruses from spilling over into people.
AstraZeneca stock value falls by 8%
Shares in AstraZeneca fell by 6% on July 3 when the company published the first results from its Phase III trial for datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) and continued to fall throughout the day, though there was some recovery on July 4.
FDA approves first cellular therapy for type 1 diabetes
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved CellTrans’ Lantidra, the first allogeneic (donor) pancreatic islet cellular therapy made from deceased donor pancreatic cells for the treatment of type 1 diabetes.
Compound discovery has breakthrough potential for parasitic disease
Scientists have discovered a new class of compound that is potentially active against trypanosome parasites that cause human African trypanosomiasis (or sleeping sickness) and Chagas disease.
Severe Covid-19 linked to antibiotics overuse
Frequent and diverse use of antibiotics may be associated with developing more severe outcomes after a Covid-19 infection, including death, UK scientists have shown.
