HMRC Latest R&D Processing Times
HMRC are aiming to process SME R&D tax relief claims in 40 days and RDEC claims in 60 days.
18 April 2024
- Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide scores again, this time in two sleep apnea trials – FiercePharma
- Brexit has ‘exacerbated’ UK drug shortages, research finds – Financial Times
- 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki plans to take company private – The Wall Street Journal
- Neurotech’s NTI-164 meets endpoints in paediatric autism trial – BioWorld
- Sage nixes program for Parkinson’s disease after phase 2 failure – Endpoints
- Canaan adds $100m+ to boost biopharma investing, brings on former Pfizer exec – Endpoints
- Roche touts near-complete suppression of multiple sclerosis relapse for injectable Ocrevus – FiercePharma
- OpenAI’s model all but matches doctors in assessing eye problems – Financial Times
- AI helps researchers identify potential Parkinson’s treatments – The Times
Summary
| Kevin Dunleavy of FiercePharma reports that two trials have shown that Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 weight loss product Zepbound (tirzepatide) can help patients overcome obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that disrupts breathing during sleep and has been diagnosed in 20m in the United States. The phase 3 studies demonstrated that patients taking tirzepatide had about 30 fewer sleep apnea events per hour than those on placebo. They also saw a median reduction in their apnea-hypopnea index of up to 63%. Both trials met all primary and secondary endpoints. FiercePharma >> Ian Johnston of the Financial Times reports that drug shortages in the UK more than doubled between 2020 and 2023 as Brexit “exacerbated” the country’s ability to tackle squeezes in medicine supplies, according to research by the Nuffield Trust. Since leaving the EU in January 2020, the UK has faced “constantly elevated medicines shortages” including for key treatments such as antibiotics and epilepsy drugs, the think-tank said. Drugs companies issued 1,643 warnings of impending shortages in 2023, compared to 648 in 2020, the research found. Financial Times >> Rolfe Winkler of The Wall Street Journal reports that 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki is seeking to take the company private after three years in public markets. Her intentions were revealed in a public filing which stated that she is working with advisers to help craft a potential deal and intends to speak with potential partners and financing sources. The filing said she would oppose any other buyer taking over the company. She holds 49.99% voting power in the company, which would make it all but impossible for anyone else to buy it. The Wall Street Journal >> Tamra Sami of BioWorld reports that Neurotech International’s cannabinoid NTI-164 met the primary and secondary endpoints in a phase 2/3 trial in children with autism spectrum disorder. The company also reported positive top-line data for Rett syndrome in a phase 1/2 trial. NTI-164 is a proprietary drug formulation derived from a unique cannabis strain with low THC (less than 3%) and a combination of cannabinoids for neurological applications. The trial enrolled 54 children requiring substantial (level two) or very substantial (level three) support. BioWorld >> Ayisha Sharma of Endpoints reports that Sage Therapeutics is terminating the development of its drug dalzanemdor in Parkinson’s disease after a mid-stage test ended in disappointment. The phase 2 PRECEDENT trial compared the drug with placebo in 86 Parkinson’s patients with mild cognitive impairment. It missed its primary endpoint, failing to show a statistically significant difference in the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Fourth Edition-IV Coding Test score at 42 days versus placebo. After Wednesday’s failure, the shares were down roughly 20%. Endpoints >> Kyle LaHuick of Endpoints reports that Canaan added more than $100m to its 13th fund and brought former Pfizer executive Uwe Schoenbeck on board as a venture partner. Schoenbeck has already helped Canaan scout investments and led the firm to contribute to the $132m Series B for cancer biotech Alterome earlier this month. Canaan says it has now raised more than $1bn since early 2023. Canaan said it seeks to deepen its presence in biopharma and deploy nearly half of the fund going to startup formation and Series A-C rounds. Endpoints >> Angus Liu of FiercePharma reports that one-year data continued to support a more convenient, injectable version of Roche’s blockbuster multiple sclerosis drug Ocrevus ahead of a US FDA decision. A subcutaneous formulation of Ocrevus helped 97% of MS patients achieve no relapse up to 48 weeks of treatment, according to data from the phase 3 OCARINA II study presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting. Besides lowering the annual relapse rate to an estimated 0.04, subcutaneous Ocrevus also suppressed brain lesions as shown on MRI imaging by 97%. FiercePharma >> Michael Peel of the Financial Times reports that OpenAI’s latest artificial intelligence model has almost matched expert doctors in analysing eye conditions. The start-up’s GPT-4 model surpassed or achieved the same scores as all but the top-scoring specialist medics in assessing ocular problems and suggesting treatments. The study is notable because it compares the AI model’s abilities with those of practising doctors rather than with examination results, the researchers said. Financial Times >> Kaya Burgess of The Times reports that Cambridge scientists have hailed the discovery of five “highly potent” chemical compounds that could be used to create revolutionary Parkinson’s treatments. Researchers used machine-learning to sift through a library of millions of chemicals to identify those that could block the build-up and clumping of alpha-synuclein. Identifying and testing compounds that could be effective for creating drugs can often take years, but the new AI-driven system made the process ten times faster and a thousand times cheaper. The Times >> |
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