Category Archives: Immunology

Immunology

Flow Cytometry Market, Forecast to 2027 – Growing Research Activities in Stem Cells, Adoption of Recombinant DNA Technology for Antibody Production -…

Dublin, Feb. 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Flow Cytometry Market by Product and Solution (Consumables, Instrument, Software, Service), Technology (Cell-based, Bead-based), Application (Cancer, Immunology, Hematology), and End-user (Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Academia) - Global Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global flow cytometry market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.2% from 2019 to 2027 to reach $6.36 billion by 2027.

The growth in the overall flow cytometry market is mainly attributed to rising global incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases, increasing adoption of flow cytometry techniques in research and academia, and growing initiatives in the field of immunology and immuno-oncology researches. In addition, evolving pipeline for stem cell research and adoption of recombinant DNA technology for antibody production will further provide significant opportunities for the various stakeholders in this market.

The overall flow cytometry market is mainly segmented by product and solution (instruments, software, accessories, services), technology (cell-based flow cytometry, bead-based flow cytometry), application (research, clinical, and industrial), end user (research and academic institutes, diagnostic laboratories, pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies), and geography.

On the basis of technology, bead-based technology segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Procedural advantages offered by this technology over other cell-based technologies (such as ELISA and western blot), including its capacity to detect multiple analytes, high reproducibility, stability, and speed are expected to propel its growth.

On the basis of product and solution, the consumables and reagents segment accounted for the largest share of the overall flow cytometry market in 2019. Frequent utilization of application-specific reagents and assays by the end users is supporting the growth of this segment.

On the basis of application area, drug discovery segment held the largest share of the overall flow cytometry market in 2019. A wide variety of flow cytometry methods with the implementation of multi-parameter intracellular flow cytometric analysis have been employed at different stages of drug discovery and development. The growing demand for such advanced technologies used during drug discovery processes to simplify complicated cell analysis procedures is expected to drive the growth of this segment.

Based on end user, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies segment accounted for the largest share of this market in 2019. Increasing chronic cases leading to the development of new drugs and rise in R&D expenditure by companies is contributing to the growth of this segment.

An in-depth analysis of the geographical scenario of the flow cytometry market provides detailed qualitative and quantitative insights about the five major geographies (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa) along with the coverage of major countries in each region. North America commanded the largest share of the global flow cytometry market in 2019, followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

The key players operating in the global flow cytometry market are Agilent Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (U.S.), Apogee Flow Systems Ltd. (U.K.), Sysmex Partec GmbH (Germany), Luminex Corporation (U.S.), Miltenyi Biotec GmbH (Germany), Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (U.S.), bioMerieux S.A. (France), Cytonome/ST LLC (U.S.), Beckman Coulter, Inc. (U.S.), and Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S.) among others.

Key Topics Covered

1. Introduction1.1. Market Definition1.2. Market Ecosystem1.3. Currency1.4. Key Stakeholders

2. Research Methodology

3. Executive Summary

4. Market Dynamics4.1. Introduction4.2. Drivers4.2.1. Rising Incidence and Prevalence of Chronic Diseases4.2.2. Growing Initiatives in the Field of Immunology and Immuno-Oncology Researches4.2.3. Adoption of Flow Cytometry Techniques in Research and Academia4.2.4. Flow Cytometry Based Technological Advancements4.3. Restraint4.3.1. Lack of Skilled Professionals4.4. Opportunities4.4.1. Growing Research Activities in Stem Cells4.4.2. Emerging Markets4.4.3. Adoption of Recombinant DNA Technology for Antibody Production4.5. Challenges4.5.1. Inadequate Research infrastructure across Emerging Countries4.5.2. Complexities Related to Reagent Development

5. Flow Cytometry Market, by Product & Solution5.1. Introduction5.2. Consumables and Reagents5.3. Instruments5.3.1. Cell Analyzers5.3.2. Cell Sorters5.4. Software5.5. Accessories5.6. Services

6. Flow Cytometry Market, by Technology6.1. Introduction6.2. Cell-Based Flow Cytometry6.3. Bead-Based Flow Cytometry

7. Flow Cytometry Market, by Application7.1. Introduction7.2. Research Applications7.2.1. Drug Discovery7.2.2. Stem Cell Research7.2.3. Immunology7.2.4. Cell Sorting7.2.5. Apoptosis7.2.6. Other Research Applications7.3. Clinical Applications7.3.1. Cancer7.3.2. Organ Transplantation7.3.3. Immunodeficiency Diseases7.3.4. Hematology7.3.5. Other Clinical Applications7.4. Industrial Applications

8. Flow Cytometry Market, by End-user8.1. Introduction8.2. Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies8.3. Diagnostic Laboratories8.4. Research & Academic institutes

9. Global Flow Cytometry Market, by Geography9.1. Introduction9.2. North America9.2.1. U.S.9.2.2. Canada9.3. Europe9.3.1. Germany9.3.2. France9.3.3. U.K.9.3.4. Italy9.3.5. Spain9.3.6. Rest of Europe9.4. Asia-Pacific9.4.1. Japan9.4.2. China9.4.3. India9.4.4. Rest of Asia-Pacific9.5. Latin America9.6. Middle East & Africa

10. Competitive Landscape10.1. Introduction10.2. Key Growth Strategies10.3. Competitive Benchmarking10.4. Market Share Analysis (2018)

11. Company Profiles(Business Overview, Financial Overview, Product Portfolio, Strategic Developments)11.1. Agilent Technologies Inc.11.2. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.11.3. Becton, Dickinson & Company11.4. bioMerieux S.A.11.5. Beckman Coulter Inc. (Subsidiary of Danaher Corporation)11.6. Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc.11.7. Luminex Corporation11.8. Cytonome/St, LLC11.9. Apogee Flow Systems Ltd.11.10. Sysmex Partec GmbH (Subsidiary of Sysmex Corporation)11.11. Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG

Story continues

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Immunology

What Happens With AbbVie If Its Allergan Buyout Is Blocked? – Motley Fool

A deal isn't done until the ink dries on the paper. And for AbbVie's (NYSE:ABBV) pending acquisition of Allergan (NYSE:AGN), the ink hasn't dried yet.

AbbVie first announced plans to buy Allergan in June 2019. CEO Rick Gonzalez stated in the company's Q4 conference call earlier this month that the deal was on track to close in the first quarter of 2020.

But now there's a threat that could prevent the transaction from receiving regulatory clearance from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). What happens for AbbVie if its Allergan buyout is blocked?

Image source: Getty Images.

A coalition of consumer groups and trade unions representing over 10 millions subscribers and members oppose AbbVie's takeover of Allergan. These organizations sent a letter to the director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition on Feb. 18, stating that Allergan's sale ofbrazikumab to AstraZenecaisn't enough to address the anti-competitive impact of the acquisition.

AstraZeneca initially developedbrazikumab. The drug is currently in mid-stage clinical studies for treating Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Allergan's divestiture of the immunology drug enabled AstraZeneca to recover its full commercialization rights.

But the allied consumer groups and trade unions are concerned that AstraZeneca won't be able to compete against AbbVie's immunology juggernaut. These groups pointed out in the letter to the FTC that AstraZeneca wasn't able to bringbrazikumab to the market in the past and doesn't have the immunology infrastructure in place to be successful against AbbVie.

The consumer groups and unions are also worried that AbbVie will gain increased bargaining leverage with payers by picking up Allergan's lineup of drugs. Allergan claims current blockbuster products including Botox and a fast-rising star in antipsychotic drug Vraylar.

What would AbbVie's backup plan be if the FTC blocks its acquisition of Allergan? For one thing, the company wouldn't probably walk away from the deal without putting up a fight. It's spent too much time and money trying to make the acquisition happen to immediately throw in the towel.

If, however, the transaction does fall apart, it seems likely that AbbVie would go back to the drawing board to identify other potential transformative acquisitions. The problem is that if the FTC scuttles the Allergan buyout, it would probably be opposed to nearly any major deal that AbbVie might want to make.

One possible candidate that would be an intriguing pick for AbbVie is Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX). The only significant overlap between the two companies' pipelines and product lineups is in cystic fibrosis (CF). But AbbVie's CF drugs are only in early-stage development, while Vertex claims four FDA-approved CF drugs.

Vertex and Allergan have similar market caps. However, the price tag for AbbVie to acquire Vertex would probably have to be well above what it plans to pay for Allergan because of Vertex's strong growth prospects. It's also doubtful that Vertex would be interested in an acquisition at this point.

Another potential plan B strategy for AbbVie would be to go with the "string-of-pearls" approach and scoop up multiple smaller biotech stocks. The problem with this, though, is that AbbVie is looking for reliable revenue to reduce its dependence on Humira. A string-of-pearls shopping spree wouldn't likely achieve the big drugmaker's objective.

AbbVie could also go back to its roots and acquire a medical device maker instead of a biopharmaceutical company. Before it was a stand-alone company, AbbVie was part of Abbott Labs, which ranks as one of the biggest medical device makers in the world. The chances that AbbVie would take this course of action, though, are probably really low.

The most likely scenario of all for AbbVie is that it doesn't have to find a plan B at all. AbbVie has already obtained a green light from the European Union for its buyout of Allergan. Allergan soldZenpep in addition tobrazikumab to grease the wheels for the EU's blessing. It also sold pancreatic enzymeViokace as a sweetener to gain FTC approval.

It's still possible that the FTC could block AbbVie's acquisition of Allergan. However, any arguments that the deal will significantly boost the company's competitive position in immunology or oncology don't appear to be compelling ones. Look for the ink to dry on the $63 billion transaction sooner rather than later.

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What Happens With AbbVie If Its Allergan Buyout Is Blocked? - Motley Fool

Immunology

Is It Too Late to Buy High-Flying Galapagos? – Motley Fool

Galapagos(NASDAQ:GLPG) galloped to all-time highs heading into this week. Although a pullback in the overall market has caused the biotech to give up some of its gains, Galapagos is still up close to 20% year to date and up around 150% over the past 12 months.

Some investors could view Galapagos as valued at a steep premium after its big run-up. But is it really too late to buy the high-flying biotech stock?

Image source: Getty Images.

The primary catalyst behind Galapagos' meteoric rise over the last year was its major collaboration deal signed with Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) in July last year. Gilead forked over $5.1 billion for the 10-year agreement, with a $3.95 billion upfront payment and a $1.1 billion equity investment in Galapagos.

Gilead and Galapagos were already partnering on immunology drug filgotinib. The new deal gave Gilead the rights to Galapagos' other late-stage pipeline candidate, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) drug GLPG1690. In addition, Gilead can exercise an option to license any of Galapagos' other candidates.

You can attribute Gilead's interest in Galapagos to the tremendous promise for filgotinib. The experimental drug sailed through late-stage clinical studies targeting rheumatoid arthritis with flying colors. Gilead and Galapagos filed for U.S. and European regulatory approvals for filgotinib in treating rheumatoid arthritis in 2019. Approvals are anticipated later this year in the indication.

And that could be just the start. Gilead and Galapagos are also evaluating filgotinib in other late-stage clinical studies in treating Crohn's disease, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. It's also in phase 2 clinical studies targetingankylosing spondylitis and other inflammatory diseases.

Just how successful filgotinib could be if it wins approval remains to be seen. But peak annual sales of close to $3 billion in treating rheumatoid arthritis and another $3 billion in treating other immunology indications could be possible. Filgotinib's safety profile and convenience (it's an oral medication instead of an injection) could boost its commercial success.

That kind of market potential might make Galapagos' current market cap of under $16 billion seem like a steal. However, it's important to remember that the biotech won't rake in all of the money that filgotinib could make.

Galapagos will market filgotinib on its own inBelgium,the NetherlandsandLuxembourg. It willsplit profits generated by filgotinib equally with Gilead in France,Germany,Italy,Spain, and theUnited Kingdom. In other countries, Galapagos stands to receive tiered royalties between 20% and 30%.

Based on AbbVie'sexperience with blockbuster drug Humira prior to it losing exclusivity in Europe, I expect somewhere around two-thirds of filgotinib's sales will be made in the U.S. If we use a peak annual sales estimate of $6 billion, that would give Galapagos a maximum of $1.2 billion from U.S. sales of the drug. Outside of the U.S., my back-of-the-napkin estimate is that Galapagos would make a little under $1 billion annually.

It's more difficult to predict the financial impact for Galapagos' other drugs. Galapagos thinks that the global market for IPF could be $5 billion by 2025. If we assumedGLPG1690 could capture half of that market, Galapagos would probably make around $750 million annually at peak sales due to its licensing deal with Gilead.

My numbers are admittedly very rough. However, I think that peak revenue from filgotinib andGLPG1690 could bring in somewhere in the ballpark of $3 billion for Galapagos in the future. The company's other earlier-stage programs could boost its sales. In addition, Galapagos is eligible to receive some hefty milestone payments from Gilead if all goes well.

Still, though, we're looking at a stock that currently trades at more than five times sales that it might achieve sometime in the future. I like the potential for Galapagos' products. However, I think that there are other biotech stocks with more room to run. My view is that it is a little too late to jump on the Galapagos bandwagon.

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Is It Too Late to Buy High-Flying Galapagos? - Motley Fool

Immunology

What’s Behind Mallinckrodt’s Better-Than-Expected Q4 Results – Motley Fool

Investors could be experiencing whiplash from the big up-and-down swings forMallinckrodt(NYSE:MNK). There have been at least half a dozen moves of at least 20% for the stock in just the first two months of 2020.

Mallinckrodt announced its 2019 fourth-quarter and full-year results before the market opened on Tuesday. And the stock had yet another big jump. Here are the highlights from the company's Q4 update.

Image source: Getty Images.

Mallinckrodt announced Q4 revenue of $804.9 million, down from the $834.9 million reported in the same quarter of the previous year. This result topped the average analysts' revenue estimate of $772.52 million.

The company reported a net loss in the fourth quarter of $1.2 billion, or $13.76 per share, based ongenerally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). This reflected considerable improvement from the GAAP net loss of $3.7 billion, or $44.64 per share, in the prior-year period.

Mallinckrodt's non-GAAP adjusted bottom line looked much better, though. The company posted adjusted net income of $2.40 per share, up 10% year over year. It also easily beat the Wall Street consensus earnings estimate of $2.05 per share.

The drugmaker's biggest segment didn't perform very well in Q4. Net sales for Mallinckrodt's specialty brands segment slipped 6.3% year over year to $611.4 million. Sales for Acthar Gel sank 17.8% to $232.6 million due to continued reimbursement headwinds. Net sales for Amitiza fell 21.2% to $50.9 million in the wake of increased competition.

There were some bright spots, though. Net sales for Inomax climbed 3.7% year over year to $143.8 million. Ofirmev's net sales jumped 28.2% to $111.8 million. Net sales for the Therakos immunology platform increased by 11.1% year over year to $63.3 million.

Mallinckrodt's specialty generics segment also performed relatively well. Fourth-quarter net sales for the segment rose 6% year over year to $193.5 million.

The company's GAAP bottom line improved significantly from the prior-year period, primarily due to a bigger non-restructuring impairment charge in the fourth quarter of 2018. This was partially offset, however, by a $1.64 million opioid litigation settlement charge in Q4 of 2019.

Mallinckrodt's biggest news of the day wasn't its Q4 results. The company also announced an agreement in principle to settle all remaining opioid claims against it and its subsidiaries. This agreement involves Mallinckrodt's specialty generics businesses filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Mallinckrodt would pay $1.6 billion over eight years and fork over warrants that would allow a trust set up as part of the agreement to buy 19.99% of the company's outstanding shares.

Investors liked the deal, with the pharma stock rising as much as 51.7% on Tuesday at one point. The agreement would enable Mallinckrodt to finally remove the dark cloud that's been hovering over its head related to opioid litigation. It would also allow the company's specialty brands business to avoid bankruptcy.

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What's Behind Mallinckrodt's Better-Than-Expected Q4 Results - Motley Fool

Immunology

Severe, Difficult-to-Treat Asthma Benefits From Systematic Assessment – Pulmonology Advisor

The majority of patients with severe and difficult-to-treat asthma who underwent systematic assessment improved significantly in at least one key asthma outcome, but with few reliable predicators of response, according to the results of an uncontrolled, observational study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

In fact, about one-thirdof patients who require maintenance oral corticosteroids may be able todiscontinue steroid use completely after systematic evaluation.

Investigators sought to examine which patients with asthma would respond to systematic assessment and whether the oral corticosteroid burden can be reduced independent of the use of monoclonal biologic agents. They undertook a responder analysis for improvements in the following 4 domains: symptom control, quality of life, disease exacerbations, and airflow obstruction, all of which were evaluated 6 months after the initial assessment. To identify predictors of response, multivariate analyses were conducted for each of these domains. Changes in oral corticosteroid burden were measured as well, stratified by monoclonal biologic use initiated during the assessment.

Of 161 patients who wereassessed systematically, 64% exhibited a reduction in disease exacerbations,54% attained minimum clinically important differences regarding both symptomcontrol and quality of life, and 40% increased their forced expiratory volumein 1 second by 100 mL. Overall, 87% of the participants with asthmademonstrated improvement in at least one of the domains.

The most consistentpredictor of response across all of the domains was poorer baseline asthmastatus. A significant decrease in mean chronic oral corticosteroid dose wasobserved (from 11 mg to 5 mg; n=46; P <.001),even after the exclusion of 7 individuals who initiated monoclonal biologictherapy (from 11 mg to 5.6 mg; n=39; P <.001).

The study results may havebeen limited by the lack of follow-up duration, as the researchers did not assessresponse beyond 6 months.

The investigators concluded that the use of systematic assessment in patients with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma is beneficial for most of these individuals. However, [n]o single outcome was sufficient to assess patient response to interventions, and a combination of measures remains necessary in this area, the researchers added.

Disclosure: Several study authors declared affiliations with thepharmaceutical industry. Please see the original reference for a full list ofauthors disclosures.

Reference

Denton E, Lee J, Tay TR, et al. Systematic assessment for difficult and severe asthma improves outcomes and halves oral corticosteroid burden independent of monoclonal biologic use [published online January 15, 2020]. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2019.12.037

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Severe, Difficult-to-Treat Asthma Benefits From Systematic Assessment - Pulmonology Advisor

Immunology

Latex detection dogs help people with allergy return to normal life – TODAY

Ellen Heilman has been living with a latex allergy since she was 5 a worsening sensitivity that can leave her struggling to breathe if theres a rubber band, balloon or latex glove nearby.

It got to the point where I really couldnt leave my house safely. At 21 years old, that was not cool, Heilman, a graduate student who is now 22 and lives in Odenton, Maryland, told TODAY.

I used to be on high alert all the time, always looking over my shoulder: Where are the balloons? Where are the gloves? Im not safe anywhere. Now, I know that he has my back, that we are a team and that together, well find it and well be safe.

He is Francis, a 3-year-old service dog trained to detect natural rubber latex and alert Heilman to its presence. The black lab goes with her everywhere, from Target to class, sniffing for the allergen as they enter the building or room.

His highly-sensitive nose can recognize latex through cabinet seams and under doors. If Francis detects it, he sits down in a distinct way that Heilman recognizes right away. Depending on the situation, the latex object is either taken away or Heilman leaves the area.

I went from being able to go nowhere to being pretty much able to go anywhere, she said. Its a huge difference it makes things so much better for me.

Dogs have been trained to help people with peanut allergies for years. There are even gluten-sniffing canines.

But their role in latex detection has been rare, though its definitely on the rise, said Ciara Gavin, founder of Allergen Detection Service Dogs, a facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that provided Heilmans canine. The business used to focus mostly on training dogs to detect peanuts.

Lately, Ive had a lot of calls about latex detection, Gavin said. People are finding out more about it. Instead of living in a hopeless kind of situation where they feel like, I cant go anywhere because of this allergy, theyre finding out there might be hope.

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She placed her first latex detection dog two years ago. Now, one or two of the four dogs total she places each year are latex detection dogs, usually black labs.

Fewer than 1% of people in the U.S. have a latex allergy, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. But that proportion rises to 8-12% among health care workers who are exposed to latex gloves or medical products containing the substance, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration noted.

People can react when they breathe in latex fibers in the air or touch latex in objects such as condoms, handbags, athletic shoes, tires, waistbands, rubber toys, baby bottles and pacifiers.

Symptoms can include hives, itching, wheezing, a runny nose, chest tightness and difficulty breathing. They can be part of anaphylaxis, a severe, whole-body life-threatening allergic reaction.

The allergy usually develops after many previous exposures to latex, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Studies have called it a growing disease that can occur at any age.

Amy Crawford, 47, first found out she had a latex allergy last year when she was blowing up a balloons for a childrens party.

The next thing I know, I cant breathe, my face is just swollen and red, and covered in bumps and hives. I ended up being taken to the emergency room, Crawford, a middle school teacher in Humble, Texas, recalled.

They told me: You have a latex allergy. Go see a doctor. Get a [medical alert] bracelet.

Her only clue before that incident was a sensitivity to avocados, strawberries and kiwis. People with a latex allergy can also be allergic to foods that share certain proteins with latex, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Crawford has now been to the emergency room six times in less than a year. Exposure to latex, whether airborne or via skin contact, can cause her throat to close up to the point where she cant swallow and has trouble breathing.

She carries an EpiPen with her everywhere she goes and wears a mask as a precaution. Crawford doesnt travel anywhere and cant take her two sons, ages 8 and 14, to birthday parties anymore.

Shes crowdfunding for a latex detection dog, which will cost about $17,000.

Im looking forward to just being able to just walk into a room, because I cant do that now. I have to peak in and look: Are there balloons? Is there anything that could affect me? Crawford said. My kids are really suffering because theyre terrified all the time.

It takes six months for a dog to be trained, Gavin said. The new owners and their canines then spend two weeks getting to know each other under the supervision of a trainer to make sure they understand each others signals.

The dogs are taught to sit and stare at the source of the latex. Theyre at least 95% accurate, but that estimate can depend on air currents, the size of the item and where its located, Gavin noted.

Heilman and her service dog Francis bonded the minute they met, she recalled.

At this point, it is kind of like we are one being. He uses his nose, I use my eyes and together we make sure I am safe, she said.

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Latex detection dogs help people with allergy return to normal life - TODAY

Immunology

Bicycle and Genentech Forge Immuno-Oncology Collaboration Worth up to $1.7 Billion – BioSpace

Shares of U.K.-based Bicycle Therapeutics are climbing this morning after the company announced it entered into a strategic immuno-oncology collaboration with Genentech to discover, develop and commercialize novelBicycle-based immuno-oncology therapies.

The collaboration has a value of up to $1.7 billion if all milestones are hit. Under terms of the agreement, Bicycle will receive an upfront payment of $30 million to focus its proprietary bicyclic peptides platform on a wide range of immuno-oncology targets. The U.K. companys proprietary discovery platform allows for rapid screening of novel targets to identifyBicyclesand the ability to readily conjugate these together to create novel molecules that may overcome the potential limitations of other modalities. Bicycles are fully synthetic short peptides constrained with small molecule scaffolds to form two loops that stabilize their structural geometry. This constraint facilitates target binding with high affinity and selectivity, which makes Bicycles attractive candidates for drug development, the company said.

Genentech, a Roche company, brings to the collaboration its knowledge of immuno-oncology drug discovery and emerging target biology, as well as its development and commercialization expertise, Bicycle said this morning.

Bicycle Chief Executive Officer Kevin Lee said the collaboration with Genentech recognizes the potential of his companys differentiated technology, which allows it to specifically direct immune cell stimulators and other payloads to tumors in a highly targeted manner. Additionally, Lee said, the flexibility of the companys platform will enable the rapid exploration of structure-activity relationships to fully optimize candidate molecules.

In its announcement, Bicycle did not identify the cancer targets it will focus on in its collaboration with Genentech. The company only said it will collaborate with Genentech on the discovery and pre-clinical development of novel Bicycle-based immunotherapies against multiple targets.

James Sabry, Roches head of Pharma Partnering, said Bicycles represent a novel therapeutic modality that have shown promise as modulators of several types of tumor-killing immune cells.

By leveraging Genentechs deep understanding of cancer immunology and Bicycles technological expertise, we hope to create a new wave of immunotherapy options to expand the population of patients who could potentially benefit from this powerful treatment paradigm, Sabry said in a statement.

Bicycle will be responsible for discovery research and early pre-clinical development up to candidate selection and Genentech will be responsible for further development and commercialization upon the selection of candidates. None of Bicycles wholly-owned oncology pipeline, including its immuno-oncology candidates, are included in the collaboration, the company noted. Bicycles lead product candidate, BT1718, is a Bicycle Toxin Conjugate (BTC) that targets MT1-MMP. BT1718 is being investigated in an ongoing Phase I/IIa clinical. The company is also investigating BT5528, a BTC targeting tumor antigen EphA2, in patients with advanced solid tumors associated with EphA2 expression.

The collaboration with Genentech follows a partnership with Cancer Research UK to develop BT7401, a multivalent Bicycle CD137 agonist, through a Phase IIa clinical study.

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Bicycle and Genentech Forge Immuno-Oncology Collaboration Worth up to $1.7 Billion - BioSpace

Immunology

Meet the Company That Just Might Prevent a Global Recession – Motley Fool

You might think it's crazy to even remotely suggest that one company could singlehandedly thwart the onset of a global economic recession. But make no mistake -- that's exactly what I'm doing.

I think the odds are pretty high right now that a recession could be on the way. The coronavirus outbreak that started in China has now spread to many countries around the world. It's already making a significant financial impact. There's a real chance that the epidemic could become a true pandemic and trigger a global recession.

Multiple companies are racing to develop drugs or vaccines that could contain the spread of the current coronavirus strain and COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. None, though, is in as strong of a position to succeed as Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) is. And as crazy as it might sound, Gilead just might prevent a global recession.

Image source: Getty Images.

The first assumption with my premise is that the coronavirus could actually spark a global recession. Don't take my word for it, though. Consider an analysis performed by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in 2005 and 2006.

Fifteen years ago, it wasn't the current strain of coronavirus that was worrying governments and investors. Instead, it was the avian flu. Bill Frist, the Senate majority leader at the time, requested that the CBO conduct a study to evaluate the possible macroeconomic impact of an avian flu pandemic.

The CBO determined that a severe avian flu pandemic could cause U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) to fall by around 4.25%. That's more than enough to throw the U.S. into an economic recession. As the U.S. goes, so goes the rest of the world.

Keep in mind that at the beginning of 2006, there had been 142 cases worldwide of avian flu with 74 deaths. So far, there have been over 80,000 cases of the coronavirus across the world with more than 2,700 deaths. It stands to reason that the CBO's analysis related to the avian flu is applicable for the coronavirus -- and the negative economic impact could be even worse.

Major companies are already feeling the effects of the viral outbreak. Applestated last week that it will miss its revenue guidance for the first quarter of 2020 because of the coronavirus. Mastercardreduced its Q1 revenue guidance as a result of the impact that the coronavirus is having on travel. Dun & Bradstreet estimates that at least 51,000 companies across the world will be negatively affected by the virus, including 163 members of the Fortune 1000.

All of this negativity could be a moot point if a safe and effective treatment or vaccine for the virus becomes available. That's where Gilead Sciences enters the picture.

Gilead originally developed experimental antiviral drug remdesivir to treat the Ebola virus. While the drug wasn't as effective as hoped with treating Ebola, it showed promise in preclinical testing in treating two other viruses -- MERS and SARS. Both MERS and SARS are members of the coronavirus family and are similar in structure to the2019-nCoV strain of coronavirus that's causing concerns now.

Over the past four weeks, Gilead has initiated two clinical studies in China evaluating patients with COVID-19. It began a U.S. clinical study earlier this week. The biotech is also working with government and non-government organizations to supply remdesivir to COVID-19 patients as an emergency treatment.

Other drugmakers are also scrambling to test experimental drugs and vaccines. They range from big pharma companies including AbbVie, GlaxoSmithKline, and Johnson & Johnsonto small biotechs such as Inovio, Moderna, and Novavax.

But there's one clear leader at this point -- Gilead. World Health Organization (WHO) assistant director-general BruceAylward stated in a press conference earlier this week that "there is only one drug right now that we think may have real efficacy and that's remdesivir."

Gilead expects to report results from its clinical studies ofremdesivir in April. If those results are positive, expect countries across the world to want the antiviral drug even before any regulatory approvals are granted. Gilead has already ramped up its production efforts and is keeping governments updated on its progress.

It's quite possible that the global economy could hinge on how the clinical studies forremdesivir turn out. Overwhelmingly positive results could enable governments and investors to breathe a huge collective sigh of relief if the drug demonstrates the potential to effectively treat COVID-19 and contain the economic impact of the coronavirus.

Gilead Sciences could end up being a hero to the rescue. But while the biotech stock has jumped on the news of its progress withremdesivir, Gilead might not enjoy as big of a hero's reward as you might think.

Bank of America analyst Geoff Meacham projects that Gilead would likely generate at most $2.5 billion in revenue from its antiviral drug. That's a lot of money, but it represents only around 11% of Gilead's current total revenue and would only give the company a temporary boost.

Gilead just might prevent a global recession. For investors, though, the biotech's HIV franchise and promising immunology drug filgotinib that could win FDA approval later this year are better reasons to consider buying the stock than its coronavirus drug is.

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Meet the Company That Just Might Prevent a Global Recession - Motley Fool

Immunology

Breakthrough research may lead to improved therapeutic options for people with asthma – News-Medical.net

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin have made a breakthrough that may eventually lead to improved therapeutic options for people living with asthma. The researchers have uncovered a critical role for a protein (Caspase-11), which had previously never been implicated in the disease.

They report their findings today [Wednesday 26th February 2020] in leading journal Nature Communications.

Lead author Zbigniew Zaslona, working with a team led by Luke O'Neill, Professor of Biochemistry in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, has been exploring the role that inflammation plays in asthma - a very common and often serious disease of childhood.

Ireland has one of the highest incidences of asthma in Europe, which in its most severe form remains difficult to treat and can be fatal. Caspase-11 is a protein with an important role in defending against bacteria, but the team in Trinity has found that when it is over-active it can provoke a damaging inflammatory reaction. When this happens, it is likely to be a key driver of allergic inflammation in the lungs of asthmatics.

Dr. Zaslona said:

Caspase-11 can cause cells to die, which is a very inflammatory event as the cells then release their contents, which can irritate tissues in our body. We have found that Caspase-11 is a key driver of inflammation in the airways in asthma. This causes the signs and symptoms of asthma which most notably involves difficulty breathing."

Although symptoms of mild asthma can be managed with current therapies, severe asthma remains very difficult to treat and asthma rates are constantly on the rise.

Dr. Zaslona added:

A variety of irritants such as airborne pollutants, certain types of pollen and house dust mites can induce cell death in the lungs. Our work suggests that Caspase-11 is sensing these noxious things and causing disease."

Professor O'Neill said:

Caspase-11 - or it's human equivalent, which is Caspase-4 - has never been implicated in asthma before so we think it holds great promise as a possible target for new drugs to treat this common, debilitating disease."

Source:

Journal reference:

Zasona, Z., et al. (2020) Caspase-11 promotes allergic airway inflammation. Nature Communications. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14945-2.

Posted in: Medical Science News | Medical Research News | Medical Condition News

Tags: Asthma, Bacteria, Biochemistry, Breathing, Cell, Cell Death, Drugs, Immunology, Inflammation, Lungs, Mites, Protein, Research

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Breakthrough research may lead to improved therapeutic options for people with asthma - News-Medical.net

Immunology

TLR2 could be targeted to treat age-related macular degeneration – Drug Target Review

Scientists have implicated toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in age-related macular degeneration and shown that knocking it out can improve symptoms in animal models.

Researchers have shown that toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) may play a role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of central-vision blindness in adults. The scientists suggest targeting TLR2 in the eye may be a future therapy for AMD.

The paper, published in Cell Reports, stated that AMD is associated with two biological processes; uncontrolled oxidative stress resulting in the formation of a bleach-like chemical in the retina and the tagging of cell contents with complement protein. These tags signal for the elimination of the cell contents.

The scientists suggest in this paper that these two processes are linked by TLR2. Found on cell surfaces, TLR2 recognises chemical signals from bacterial infections in the environment outside the cell and activates the immune system.

In the case of the eye, TLR2 appears to act as a sensor of oxidative-stress, recognising a chemical pattern that is generated during oxidation, rather than infection and triggering a signal cascade that ends in promoting the laying down of complement, explained first author on the paper, Dr Kelly Mulfaul, from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

Dr Sarah Doyle, study leader and assistant professor of immunology at Trinity, said: A function for TLR2 has not previously been reported in retinal neurodegenerative disease pathology but it is likely to play an important role, because when we remove TLR2 from our experimental model systems we reduce the level of complement and this has the effect of protecting cells that are essential for vision from dying.

With the continual increase in life expectancy outpacing the rate at which drugs for age-related conditions are developed new avenues of therapy are badly needed, so the fact that blocking this single protein can have such a protective effect in the eye is a particularly exciting discovery.

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TLR2 could be targeted to treat age-related macular degeneration - Drug Target Review