To keep up with the rapidly evolving field of drug development, it is important that our team stay on the pulse of bioanalytical innovation. This enables us to apply insights and learnings from others in the pharma and biotech industry to our own work, to rapidly address emerging bioanalytical challenges and progress studies faster – which ultimately helps benefit patients in need.

To that end, we’d like to share some of the industry headlines we’ve been most interested in recently:

Immunotherapy Drugs Slow Skin Cancer That Has Spread to the Brain
The New York Times, August 22, 2018

Melanoma is one of the most common cancers that spread to the brain, and historically patients with this disease progression do not have a good chance of survival. However, a new study may offer hope in the form of useful treatment options. In the study, a combination of two different checkpoint inhibitors was used to activate melanoma patients’ immune system, which in turn shrank the brain tumors.

Melanoma is one of the most common cancers that spread to the brain, and historically patients with this disease progression do not have a good chance of survival. However, a new study may offer hope in the form of useful treatment options. In the study, a combination of two different checkpoint inhibitors was used to activate melanoma patients’ immune system, which in turn shrank the brain tumors.

The pharma and biotech industries are working to introduce new and innovative immunotherapy treatments for cancer, which promise to be much more effective. Learn more about how BioAgilytix is working alongside our partners to help lead change in the way cancer is treated here.

New Biomarker Panel Could Accelerate Autism Diagnoses
Science Daily, September 6, 2018

A new group of blood metabolites has been identified to have the potential to detect autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in some children. These findings, part of the Children’s Autism Metabolome Project (CAMP), are helping to inform the development of an ASD biomarker test. Currently, biomarker tests for ASD do not exist, and children are generally diagnosed based on altered behaviors, which may not become apparent until the child is 2-4 years old.

This panel of alterations in amino acid metabolism is capable of detecting ASD about 17% of the time. This number will only be improved upon on as scientists in this area of study develop additional panels that will identify other subsets of children with autism. This type of test could accelerate diagnosis and allow children to begin behavioral therapy at an earlier age, which has proven more effective.

Biomarkers have the potential to impact the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of severe conditions; as such, they are becoming useful tools for physicians and researchers. Learn more about how BioAgilytix is using its biomarker expertise to support studies across a variety of disease states here.

How the Immune System Protects Against Zika-Induced Neurological Symptoms
Research & Development, September 9, 2018

A recent study suggests that a type of immune cell that produces a protein called CD4 may play a significant role in protecting those infected with the Zika, a virus that can cause severe birth defects in fetuses as well as neurological disease in adults. Treatments have been developed to stop the progression of the disease, but there is a gap in treatment when it comes to preventing the disease due to lack of knowledge to date about how to generate a protective immune response.

A recent study suggests that a type of immune cell that produces a protein called CD4 may play a significant role in protecting those infected with the Zika, a virus that can cause severe birth defects in fetuses as well as neurological disease in adults. Treatments have been developed to stop the progression of the disease, but there is a gap in treatment when it comes to preventing the disease due to lack of knowledge to date about how to generate a protective immune response.

Researchers from around the world are working to understand the human immune system and to develop new vaccines to combat emerging viruses. Learn more about how BioAgilytix is supporting immunogenicity research through premium science here.

Have you seen exciting industry news that you’d like to share with us? We would love to see your articles and hear your perspectives – we will even include them in our next round up! Submit your headlines here.