FarmaKology Newsletter - Issue #82

Sep 07, 2021

Today's Company

Checkmate Pharmaceuticals

Checkmate Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing proprietary technology to harness the power of the immune system to combat cancer. Checkmate’s product candidate, vidutolimod (CMP-001), is a differentiated TLR9 agonist delivered as a biologic virus-like particle designed to trigger the body’s innate immune system to attack tumors in combination with other therapies. Checkmate’s goal is to leverage its proprietary technology to discover, develop and commercialize transformative treatments to fight cancer.

News

Merck’s KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Approved in China in Combination With Chemotherapy for First-Line Treatment of Patients With Locally Advanced Unresectable or Metastatic Esophageal or Gastroesophageal Junction (GEJ) Carcinoma

Merck , known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, has been approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China in combination with platinum- and fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic carcinoma of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ).

Travere Therapeutics Announces Successful Outcome from Type A Meeting with U.S. FDA for Sparsentan in Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis

Travere Therapeutics, Inc. today announced a successful outcome from the Company’s Type A meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in which alignment was reached on the Company’s plan to submit additional estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) data from the ongoing pivotal Phase 3 DUPLEX Study of sparsentan in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) to support an application for accelerated approval in 2022.

Dr. Reddy’s launches Minoxidil for women following first-ever approval in India for the treatment of female pattern hair loss

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. announced the launch of the prescription drug Minoxidil topical solution USP 2% and 5% for the treatment of female pattern hair loss . Dr. Reddy’s will sell its products under the brand names Mintop™ 2% and Mintop Eva™ 5% respectively.

Peregrine Precision Systems Inc. and Magolan Laboratory of McMaster University Launch Naturally Synthetic Inc., to Develop and Scale Synthetic Chemical Production of Rare Natural Cannabinoid Ingredien

Peregrine Precision Systems Inc., an intellectual property technology company focused on enabling the cannabinoid industry to achieve its global potential, announces a new joint venture that aims to commercialize chemically synthesized rare cannabinoids and other natural ingredients.Jake Magolan, PhD, of McMaster University, and Synmedix have partnered with PPS to launch Naturally Synthetic Inc. This new start-up company will focus on leveraging its patent-pending processes to develop scalable chemical synthesis processes to manufacture rare cannabinoids and related phenolic natural products for the global R&D, pharmaceutical, and CPG communities.