Research led by Indiana University School of Medicine and the University of Notre Dame shows a new treatment for peanut allergy is effective in a mouse model. The therapy, a covalent heterobivalent inhibitor, differs from most allergy treatments in that it is more of a preventative therapy rather than a drug to treat immediate acute symptoms.  “Essentially, in the model, we can treat once and then the mice seem to be protected for several weeks from challenge with peanut,” lead researcher Mark Kaplan, a professor at Indiana University School of Medicine, told BioWorld.

CMS fixes needed to implement new US Part B inflation rebate

While the new inflation-based rebate on certain Part B drugs will generate billions of dollars in savings for Medicare, implementing the rebate could be more challenging than the U.S. Congress and the Biden administration expected when the Inflation Reduction Act was enacted last August. A few years ago, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) estimated that, in 2015, Medicare could have collected $1.4 billion had manufacturers been required to pay inflation-indexed rebates for 64 high-expenditure Part B drugs. Going forward, that will be a reality, not just wishful thinking. But getting to that reality will require administrative fixes at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the OIG said.

Ji Xing obtains global rights to cardiovascular candidate from Phasebio

Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals Ltd. acquired rights to preclinical-stage PB-6440, in development for cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, from Phasebio Pharmaceuticals Inc. in what is Ji Xing’s first worldwide licensing deal. “PB-6440 is our first asset with global rights in the cardiovascular field,” said Sandy Mou, CEO of Shanghai-based Ji Xing Pharma. “The acquisition not only expands our cardiovascular pipeline, but also demonstrates our ambition to strengthen our global development capabilities.”

Court: PhRMA challenge of import program premature

A federal court cut off biopharma efforts to challenge a U.S. program allowing prescription drug imports from Canada before the program gets off the ground. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia this week dismissed a suit by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and other industry groups, saying that they lacked standing because none of the organizations nor their members “faces a concrete risk of harm from the inchoate importation program.”

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AC Immune, Aceragen, Achieve, Aldeyra, Ankyra, Astrazeneca, Awakn, Cellectis, CNS, Curevac, Eumentis, Fortress, FSD, Geovax, Immix, Inmune, Innocare, Kinsea, Kiora, Longboard, Mediwound, Nectin, Neuron23, Onconova, Optimi, Osteal, Pharmather, Relief, Roche, Rocket, Sonnet, Structure, TC, Thermo Fisher, Vifor, Wellmarker