November 2024 • PharmaTimes Magazine • 9
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New vaccine aims to protect older adults from severe flu complications
Sanofi has announced the launch of its high-dose egg-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV-HD) in the UK. This vaccine is designed for people aged 65 and older, as well as clinically at-risk individuals aged 60 to 64.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended QIV-HD, and it is reimbursed by the NHS. The vaccine is now available for pre-order for the 2025/26 flu season.
Dr Yassir Javaid, a General Practitioner with a Special Interest in Cardiology, highlighted the importance of this development. “Flu can be a potentially devastating multisystem disease. The elderly are at greatest risk of severe complications, associated with high rates of hospitalisation and mortality.
“We are practising in an evidence-based world where, as far as possible, our treatment decisions should be based on high quality evidence and data. It is exciting to see the introduction of vaccines designed to address immunosenescence in older adults, irrespective of the season and circulating strain,” he added.
The high-dose vaccine has shown increased effectiveness compared to standard-dose vaccines. Over a decade of data, including randomised studies, supports its use. Sanofi manufactures and distributes over 250 million doses of influenza vaccines globally each year.
Kyowa Kirin announces positive interim data for lymphoma treatment
Kyowa Kirin International (KKI) has announced positive interim findings from three real-world studies on mogamulizumab (Poteligeo) for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).
The data was presented at the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer’s Cutaneous Lymphoma Tumour Group (EORTC-CLTG) meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, from 9th–11th October 2024.
The studies, involving participants from Europe, the US, and the UAE, aim to gather real-world evidence on mogamulizumab, a first-in-class humanised monoclonal antibody therapy.
Approved in Europe and the UAE for treating mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sézary Syndrome (SS) in adults who have had at least one prior systemic therapy, mogamulizumab is also approved in the US and Switzerland for relapsed or refractory cases.
Professor Emmanuella Guenova, chief physician of dermatology and venereology at Lausanne University Hospital, said: “For most patients, treatment of CTCL aims to prolong time to disease progression, reduce the burden of disease and preserve or enhance quality of life. The real-world evidence being established by Kyowa Kirin is invaluable information for physicians.”
The second interim analyses from these studies include MINT (Germany) and MIBERIC (Spain and Portugal), which show the effectiveness and tolerability of mogamulizumab in real-world settings, aligning with global clinical trial data. No new safety signals were observed.
HOT & NOT
IRLAB Therapeutics has announced the successful completion of the first part of its Phase I clinical trial for IRL757, a drug candidate aimed at treating apathy in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
The phase 1 study, funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) with a grant of approximately SEK 20 million, is the largest non-profit funder of Parkinson’s disease research. The support from MJFF provides strong external validation of the project’s potential.
Purespring Therapeutics has raised £80m in an oversubscribed Series B financing round. Syncona Ltd, a leading life sciences investor, committed £19.9m as part of a syndicate led by Sofinnova, alongside Gilde Healthcare, Forbion and British Patient Capital.
The funds will be used to advance Purespring’s pipeline of gene therapies for kidney diseases, with clinical trials expected to begin in 2026.
The company has made significant strides, generating promising preclinical data and developing a robust chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) platform.
HBC Immunology has announced that an oral formulation of its lead peptide “significantly augmented” the anti-tumour activity of Pfizer/Astellas’ androgen receptor inhibitor Xtandi (enzalutamide) in prostate cancer models.
The company said the xenograft studies of FT-002a have been successfully completed and that it is “well positioned” to make an investigational new drug submission for the candidate in the fourth quarter of 2025.
There are around 55,100 new prostate cancer cases in the UK every year.
Lundbeck has announced a significant step forward in its Focused Innovator strategy with the acquisition of Longboard Pharmaceuticals. This strategic deal, valued at approximately USD 2.6 billion, aims to enhance Lundbeck’s capabilities in treating neuro-rare conditions, particularly Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies (DEEs). The acquisition includes Longboard’s lead asset, bexicaserin, which is in late-stage development for DEEs such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
According to new data from NHS England, the waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England has surged to its highest level in ten months.
By the end of August, approximately 7.64 million treatments were pending, impacting around 6.42 million patients. This marks an increase from July's figures, which recorded 7.62 million treatments and 6.39 million patients.
Moreover, some GPs are now capping the number of patients they see to 25 per day, resisting local pressures to limit referrals, investigations and admissions.
The UK is facing a new surge in COVID-19 cases due to the rapid spread of the XEC variant, causing significant concern among health officials. Hospitalisations have increased dramatically, now at 4.55 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.72 the previous week. The elderly, particularly those aged 85 and over, are bearing the brunt of this surge, with cases climbing to 52.48 per 100,000.
The North East region is experiencing the highest hospital admission rates, with figures reaching 8.12 per 100,000 people.
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