Belgium Plans Temporary Ban on Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic for Weight Loss
Due to shortages of the drug for type 2 diabetes patients, Belgium is planning a temporary ban of Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic for weight loss, Freeline reports positive Gaucher disease data and more life s
Belgium Plans Temporary Ban on Ozempic for Weight Loss
Belgium is planning a temporary ban on the use of Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug Ozempic as a weight loss treatment. The Belgian health minister, Franck Vandenbroucke, indicated that due to a shortage of the drug for diabetes patients, they were telling physicians they should reserve it for those patients, but this approach wasn’t working.
“I know that this drug can also be useful for people who suffer from morbid obesity so we obviously need to discuss it,” Vandenbroucke said. “But I am convinced that we need a strong and legal signal because simple recommendations are not enough.”
Freeline Reports Positive Data from Phase I/II Gaucher Disease Trial
Freeline Therapeutics (London) presented new clinical data from its ongoing Phase I/II GALILEO-1 trial of FLT201 for Gaucher disease. FLT201 is an AAV gene therapy candidate. The data demonstrated a substantial reduction of glycosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb1) levels in the blood of the first patient receiving the therapy. This is a well-established biomarker of clinical response in Gaucher disease. The company presented the data at the European Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ESGCT) 30th Annual Congress in Brussels, Belgium.
Medicenna Doses 1st Patient in Phase II Solid Tumor Trial
Medicenna Therapeutics (Toronto and Houston) dosed the first patient in the Phase II monotherapy dose expansion portion of the Phase I/II ABILITY trial of MDNA11. The drug is a long-acting, beta-only interleukin-2 (IL-2) super-agonist for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. The Phase I monotherapy dose-escalation portion evaluated 20 patients. The drug was well tolerated with promising single-agent activity.
AlzeCure Presented Disease-Modifying Alzheimer’s Data
AlzeCure Pharma (Stockholm, Sweden) presented new preclinical data with NeuroRestore ACXD856, which is being developed for Alzheimer’s disease. The data demonstrated further support for a potential disease-modifying effect. Previously observed data suggested memory-enhancing effects. ACD856 is a positive modulator of both NGF/TrkA- and BDNF-TrkB-mediated signaling.
Diadem Inks Exclusive U.S. Licensing Deal with Quest Diagnostics for Alzheimer’s Tech
Diadem SpA (Milan) formed a strategic collaboration with Quest Diagnostics (Secaucus, NJ) for Quest to develop and market a lab-developed test based on the IP of AlzoSure Predict in the U.S. Validating clinical data suggest that AlzoSure Predict’s blood-based technology can identify whether or not individuals will progress to Alzheimer’s disease up to six years before diagnosis. The FDA granted the AlzoSure test Breakthrough Device Designation in January 2022. The test helps identify a variant of the p53 protein implicated in Alzheimer’s.