MK-4214 (filgrastim biosimilar) / Merck (MSD) - LARVOL DELTA

Dr. Reddy’s targets Roche’s Rituxan in Europe: Corporate India (Bloomberg Business Week) - "Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories...aims to be among the first three to four companies offering copies of biotechnology drugs, including a version of Roche Holding AG (ROG)’s Rituxan, in Europe....The companies [Reddy’s Laboratories & Merck Serono] aim to together develop, manufacture and commercialize a portfolio of four biosimilar drugs...copies of Roche’s blockbuster rituximab and Amgen Inc.’s blood-related therapies filgrastim, pegfilgrastim and darbepoetin alfa."

Anticipated launch Europe • Biosimilar • Hematological Malignancies

Precise therapy for lung cancer patients with rare sensitive mutations of epidermal growth factor receptor (PubMed, Zhonghua Zhong Liu Za Zhi) - "...Except for the above two mutations and T790M point mutation, the rest are rare mutations, including Ins19, Ins20, E709, G719, S768, L861 and some compound mutations...Currently, targeted drugs for Ins20 -Ap32788 mutation has entered into clinical trials...In conclusion, when patients with rare sensitive mutations received EGFR-TKIs therapy, the efficacy and progression-free survival time is similar to or slightly lower than those with classical sensitive mutations, whereas it is higher than those with wild-type EGFR. Compared with the first generation of EGFR-TKIs, second generation EGFR-TKIs may be more suitable for the treatment of lung cancer patients harboring rare sensitive EGFR mutations."

Clinical • Journal • Biosimilar • Lung Cancer • Oncology • Solid Tumor

Characterization of a Species-Specific Insulinase-Like Protease in Cryptosporidium parvum. (PubMed, Front Microbiol) - "Results of a comparative genomic analysis indicated that genes encoding two C. parvum-specific insulinase-like proteases (INS19 and INS20), cgd6_5510 and cgd6_5520, are lost in many Cryptosporidium species. We observed that INS20-19 is likely a protein with high expression in the apical region of sporozoites, and neutralization of the protein led to a partial reduction of parasite load in HCT-8 and MDBK cell cultures at 24 h. Taken together, our findings support the involvement of INS20-19 in the invasion or early developmental process of C. parvum."

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