CognitrexCancerDigest

India's market for drugs to treat cancer has outstripped that of all other leading countries in recent years and is set to go on doing so, a report from The Business Research Company shows. Rising at nearly 19 per cent a year from 2013 to 2017, it is expected to grow at an only slightly slower rate up to 2021. This compares with the global average growth of this market at seven per cent. Despite this impressive growth, however, India's cancer drug sales are still lower than those of all other leading nations except Russia. In 2017 Russia spent less than all other leading nations on cancer drugs and is set to fall further behind the global average. Although its market has recovered from its recent drop of -1.5 per cent a year, it is still only growing at 2.5 per cent, 4.5 percentage points more slowly than the global average. The fastest acceleration in growth of the oncology drugs market is occurring in China, where its rise of 9.7 per cent year on year up to 2017 has now incr...

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:  NKTR ) announced today that it has entered into a new clinical collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited to evaluate Nektar's investigational medicine, NKTR-214, with Takeda's investigational medicine, TAK-659, as a potential combination treatment regimen in multiple cancer settings.  NKTR-214 is an investigational immuno-stimulatory therapy designed to expand specific cancer-fighting T cells and natural killer (NK) cells directly in the tumor micro-environment and increase expression of PD-1 on these immune cells.  TAK-659 is a dual inhibitor of both spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK), a kinase involved in cell proliferation and FLT-3, a cytokine receptor in the receptor tyrosine kinase class III.  "We look forward to collaborating with Takeda to explore a range of combination therapy approaches with NKTR-214 and TAK-659 in liquid and solid tumor settings," said  Jonathan Zalevsky , PhD, Chief Scienti...

Shire Plc agreed to sell its cancer unit to France’s Servier SAS for $2.4 billion, tightening the U.S.-based drugmaker’s focus on rare diseases and potentially making it more attractive to Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. as it considers a bid. The Shire unit sells treatments for leukemia and pancreatic cancer, the Lexington, Massachusetts-based company said in a statement Monday. The drugmaker said its board will consider using proceeds for a stock buyback after Takeda decides whether to go through with its contemplated offer. A deal for Shire could be valued at as much as $50 billion, which would make it one of the biggest takeovers by a Japanese firm of an overseas company and far exceed Takeda’s own market value of about $37 billion. Cancer isn’t one of Shire’s major units, with $262 million in 2017 sales, or about 1.8 percent of the company’s total. The sale could make a Shire deal slightly more affordable for Takeda, which spent $4.7 billion to  acquir...

The Central government has approved proposals for setting up of 15 state cancer institutes and 20 tertiary care cancer centres across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. Inaugurating the diamond jubilee building, palliative care centre, day care centre and nurses quarters at the Cancer Institute (WIA), Adyar, here, he said 14 new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are being set up, with focus on oncology in its various aspects.The Centre plans to set up 20 state cancer institutes (SCIs) and 50 tertiary care cancer centres in different parts of the country. Proposals can be approved, for eligible institutions, up to Rs 45 crore for setting up of tertiary care cancer centre and up to Rs 120 crore for establishing State Cancer Institute. “Under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya SurakshaYojana, eight existing institutions are being upgraded with provision of oncology services. Under the Comprehensive Primary Health Care aspect of Ayushman Bharat, we will p...

The government of  Maharashtra  announced that cancer patients would be provided free chemotherapy treatment at district  hospitals with the first phase of the plan starting in June, officials said.  The plan will start with hospitals in Nagpur, Gadchiroli, Pune, Amravati, Jalgaon, Nashik, Wardha, Satara, Bhandara and Akola, an official release said.  Officials said that the move was to alleviate travelling and lodging problems of cancer patients who have to come to  Mumbai 's  Tata Memorial Hospital  in Parel, one of the country's premier  cancer treatment  facilities, for a six week chemotherapy course as part of treatment.  It said that a physician and nurse from each of these district hospitals would be imparted training for three weeks from May by the  Medical Oncology  department of Tata Memorial.  State Health Minister  Deepak Sawant  said the initiative would help patients save in lodging and travel...

Global  pharma  major  Roche  today said it has launched monoclonal antibody  atezolizumab under the brand name  Tecentriq  in India for treatment of lung and  bladder cancer . Tecentriq has shown to extend survival and improve the quality of life in the approved indications, Roche said in a statement. The product has been approved in India "for two types of cancers: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and Urothelial Carcinoma, a type of bladder and urinary tract cancer", it added. The drug will now be available to patients in India on the prescription of oncologists, Roche said. Commenting on the development, Roche Products India Pvt Ltd MD  Lara Bezerra said: "Bringing Tecentriq to India reflects Roche's commitment to bring global innovations to the country." The company believes that Tecentriq will play an important role in the treatment of people with advanced bladder cancer and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer in India...

  Glenmark Pharmaceuticals  today announced that it has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Swiss firm Helsinn Group to introduce  Akynzeo , used for prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting ( CINV ) in India and Nepal. Akynzeo is an oral fixed combination of netupitant 300 mg and palonosetron 0.5 mg in capsule form. The licensing agreement with Glenmark represents Helsinn's first such agreement in India. Glenmark will have exclusive marketing rights for drug in India and Nepal, a statement issued here said. Akynzeo was developed by Helsinn and is currently marketed in EU, in the US, and several other leading markets. Glenmark has received marketing approval for Akynzeo from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). "We are happy to partner with Helsinn, a leader in cancer supportive care. The drug will help Indian patients undergoing chemotherapy and struggling to manage CINV to address this issue in a much bette...