Malorye Allison Branca

2 weeks ago | insideprecisionmedicine.com | Malorye Allison Branca

A new meta-analysis from a Chinese team adds weight to the idea that maternal diabetes can increase the risk of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. The study found that when pregnant women have diabetes their children are 28% more likely to be later diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder. The risk of autism, in particular, was 25% higher. The study was published in Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

2 weeks ago | insideprecisionmedicine.com | Malorye Allison Branca

Just as the hammer was coming down on U.S. biomedical research, an independent biomedical research institute, BioMed X, launched a program to link potential pharma sponsors with researchers impacted by current NIH funding gaps, hiring freezes, and grant termination. BioMed X, based in Heidelberg, is launching its XBridge Program, a “fast-track initiative” designed to support U.S.-based biomedical researchers.

2 weeks ago | insideprecisionmedicine.com | Malorye Allison Branca

ABL Bio and GSK announced a worldwide licensing agreement to develop neurodegenerative disease medicines using ABL’s blood-brain barrier (BBB) shuttle platform, Grabody-B. South Korean firm ABL Bio will receive about $100M in upfront and near-term payments. The total value of the deal could be $2.5B. The two companies are pursuing novel targets with drug candidates including antibodies, polynucleotides, or oligonucleotides, such as siRNA and ASOs, for neurodegenerative conditions.

2 weeks ago | insideprecisionmedicine.com | Malorye Allison Branca

The FDA has approved Amgen’s Uplizna as the first and only treatment for adults living with Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD)—a chronic and debilitating immune-mediated inflammatory condition that can affect multiple organs including the pancreas, liver, and kidneys. LgG4-RD affects an estimated 20,000 people in the United States alone. Although it’s not entirely clear how Uplizna works, it targets CD19+ B cells.

3 weeks ago | insideprecisionmedicine.com | Malorye Allison Branca

For years the Mediterranean diet has been lauded as the best way to prevent disease, but a new study has found that the African diet reduces inflammation. Given all the recent attention to inflammation, as the root of many conditions, this could be a game changer. Lifestyle diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and chronic inflammatory conditions are surging across Africa, posing a growing challenge to healthcare systems throughout the continent.