logo
Hemispherian receives positive opinion for Orphan Medicinal Product Designation in the EU for GLIX1 in glioma

Hemispherian receives positive opinion for Orphan Medicinal Product Designation in the EU for GLIX1 in glioma

Yahoo06-06-2025
OSLO, Norway, June 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hemispherian AS, a pioneering biotech company developing next-generation therapeutics for aggressive cancers, announced today that the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) has issued a positive opinion recommending Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) for GLIX1, the company's lead molecule, for the treatment of glioma, one of the most devastating and lethal brain cancers.
Significant clinical benefit beyond current therapies.
The designation marks a major regulatory milestone for Hemispherian, recognizing both the urgent unmet medical need in glioma and the potential of GLIX1 to offer significant clinical benefit beyond current therapies.
"We are proud to have received this recommendation for an Orphan Drug Designation from the EMA Committee. This validates our scientific approach and supports our mission to transform treatment for patients with glioma, who currently face extremely limited and ineffective options," said Zeno Albisser, CEO of Hemispherian.
About the Designation
Following a detailed review, the COMP determined that GLIX1 meets the criteria for orphan designation under Regulation (EC) No 141/2000. In particular:
Glioma is a life-threatening and chronically debilitating disease affecting approximately 2.6 in 10,000 people in the EU.
Existing therapies for Glioblastoma (a form of Glioma) offer only limited survival benefits, with median overall survival typically less than 15 months.
Non-clinical studies with GLIX1 demonstrated significant tumor reduction and extended survival in validated animal models, including cases of complete tumor eradication.
These results suggest that GLIX1 offers a clinically relevant advantage over existing treatments, fulfilling the EMA's criteria for "significant benefit."
Benefits of Orphan Drug Designation- Faster market Access- 10 Years of market Exclusivity
Orphan Drug Designation by the EMA provides Hemispherian with a range of development and commercial incentives, including:
10 years of market exclusivity in the EU upon approval.
Protocol assistance and regulatory guidance from EMA during clinical development.
Eligibility for fee reductions for regulatory submissions, including marketing authorization.
These incentives are designed to encourage the development of innovative treatments for rare diseases with high unmet need.
About Hemispherian
Hemispherian is an Oslo-based pharmaceutical company focused on the development of a novel class of small-molecule drugs targeting glioblastoma and other aggressive cancers. The company's proprietary GLIX platform is based on unique DNA-targeting technology aimed at improving patient survival and quality of life. So far, the treatment shows impressive effects, with limited to no side effects, and with no damage to healthy tissue.
Contact: Zeno Albisser, CEO – zeno@hemispherian.com, +47 40603455
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hemispherian-receives-positive-opinion-for-orphan-medicinal-product-designation-in-the-eu-for-glix1-in-glioma-302474492.html
SOURCE Hemispherian AS
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ousted FDA vaccine chief Vinay Prasad is returning to the agency
Ousted FDA vaccine chief Vinay Prasad is returning to the agency

Washington Post

timean hour ago

  • Washington Post

Ousted FDA vaccine chief Vinay Prasad is returning to the agency

WASHINGTON — A Food and Drug Administration official is getting his job back as the agency's top vaccine regulator, less than two weeks after he was pressured to step down at the urging of biotech executives, patient groups and conservative allies of President Donald Trump. Dr. Vinay Prasad is resuming leadership of the FDA center that regulates vaccines and biotech therapies, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement Monday. Prasad left the agency late last month after drawing ire of right-wing activists, including Laura Loomer, because of his past statements criticizing Trump. A longtime a critic of FDA's standards for approving medicines, Prasad briefly ordered the maker of a gene therapy for Duchenne's muscular dystrophy to halt shipments after two patient deaths. But that action triggered pushback from the families of boys with the fatal condition and libertarian supporters of increased access to experimental medicines. Prasad's decision to pause the therapy was criticized by The Wall Street Journal editorial board, former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum and others. The FDA swiftly reversed its decision suspending the therapy's use. Loomer posted online that Prasad was 'a progressive leftist saboteur,' noting his history of praising liberal independent Sen. Bernie Sanders. But Prasad has had the backing of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who have both called for scrutinizing the use of COVID-19 vaccines. Under Prasad, the FDA restricted the approval of two new COVID-19 shots from vaccine makers Novavax and Moderna and set stricter testing requirements for future approvals. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Who got the best trade deal with the US - the EU or UK?
Who got the best trade deal with the US - the EU or UK?

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Who got the best trade deal with the US - the EU or UK?

Although the deal concluded by the EU with the US setting a 15% tariff for EU goods seems less favourable than the UK's 10% blanket tariff rate, European Commission officials contend that their agreement was better on balance. '15% is the best available treatment,' a senior EU official said this week, referring to the rate at which the EU has accepted its goods will be tariffed by the US. 'If you specifically want to compare it to the UK, the first point to take note of is that the UK 10% tariff is not an all-inclusive rate,' the official added. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump reached a political agreement on 27 July in Scotland to end the trade strife waging since mid-March. The deal sets US tariffs at 15% on all EU imports and entered into force on 7 August, while negotiations continue on exemptions and a range of other issues. For its part, the UK concluded an agreement with the US on 8 May, called the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD), which sets a 10% tariff rate on imports of UK goods to the US. All-inclusive rate However, according to the EU official, the 10% tariff rate within the US-UK deal did not incorporate existing US import tariffs applied to the UK, the so-called Most Favoured Nation (MFN) rates, that the US applied to foreign counties' imports before its new tariff policy. 'Unlike other US trade partners, this [EU] 15% tariff rate includes existing Most Favoured Nation (MFN) rates, meaning no stacking above the 15% ceiling,' Commission spokesperson Olof Gill has said of the EU-US deal. If the 4.8% average US tariffs applied until then to EU imports is deducted from the current 15%, the effective tariff applied to the EU comes closer to the UK's 10%. The same senior EU official took the specific example of cheese, 'an important product for the EU, but also a very important product, for the UK.' In the EU it will face a 15% tariff, while in the UK it will be 10% plus the 14.9% tariff which applies to that product under the existing terms, which means 24.9 %. 'Of course and in all transparency some products may have a slightly better treatment for UK exporters,' the official admitted, 'but there are many products that will be in a better position in the overall situation.' If the deal of 27 July is respected by the US, the EU's 15% tariff should apply to all goods, including semiconductors, pharma and cars, Gill said on Thursday. 'That is not something that the UK, at least not in writing, has obtained today,' the EU official added. Sensitive agriculture products On cars, the UK deal establishes that UK exports to the US will face 10% tariff only to a quota of 100,000 cars a year, above that quota the US will start applying 25% tariffs. The Commission on its side said it has secured a 15% rate on cars too, subject to no quota, meaning that an unlimited number can be imported at that rate. However, as of today, the US has yet to keep its word, however, and EU cars are still subject to a 25% tariff. The Commission also prides itself on not having made the commitments the British did in sensitive agricultural sectors such as beef and ethanol. On beef, the UK deal creates a preferential duty-free quota for US beef of 13,000 tonnes per year and removes the existing 20% UK tariff. On ethanol, the UK commits to preferential duty-free quota for US ethanol of 1.4 billion litres per year. For the EU, making concessions on such sensitive products is out of the question. 'The European union will not make commitments in sensitive sectors. So for example, ethanol and beef,' the official said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Which nations have the highest and lowest minimum wages across Europe?
Which nations have the highest and lowest minimum wages across Europe?

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Which nations have the highest and lowest minimum wages across Europe?

Millions of workers across the EU continue to earn minimum wage. The thresholds are intended to provide a basic standard of living for workers, although the levels have often failed to increase with inflation. As of July 2025, the monthly minimum wage before deductions in the EU ranged from €551 in Bulgaria, to €2,704 in Luxembourg, according to Eurostat. When EU candidate countries are included, Ukraine has the lowest minimum wage, at just €164. Five EU countries—Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, and Finland—do not have a national minimum wage at all. Though Luxembourg ranks at the top and Ukraine at the bottom, when adjusted for purchasing power, how does the minimum wage across Europe compare country by country? Gross minimum wages in Europe As the chart below shows, there are significant differences in minimum wages across Europe, and Eurostat groups countries into three wage levels. Euronews has added a fourth category which groups nations with minimum wages under €600 and includes EU candidate countries. 1- Highest Group: Above €1,500 Except for France, which offers €1,802, all other countries in the highest group pay over €2,000 in monthly minimum wage. Besides, Luxembourg, these include Ireland (€2,282), the Netherlands (€2,246), Germany (€2,161), and Belgium (€2,112). 2- Mid group: Between €1,000 and €1,500. This group includes Spain (€1,381), Slovenia (€1,278), Poland (€1,100), Lithuania (€1,038), Greece (€1,027), Portugal (€1,015), and Cyprus (€1,000). Several countries in the mid group are just above the €1,000 threshold. Several countries in the mid group are just above the €1,000 threshold. 3- Low group: Between €600 and €999 Croatia (€970), Malta (€961), Estonia (€886), Czechia (€841), Slovakia (€816), Romania (€797), Latvia (€740), Hungary (€727), Montenegro (€670) and Serbia (€618) belong to the low group of minimum wage countries in Europe, with wages falling between €600 and €999. 4-Very low group: Below €600 Several countries, including one EU member, have minimum wages below €600. This lowest group is mostly made up of EU candidate countries. It includes North Macedonia (€584), Turkey (€558), Bulgaria (€551), Albania (€408), Moldova (€285), and Ukraine (€164). Related Can you afford to live here? Europe's cities ranked by rent-to-salary ratio Europe's job market: Which sector has the most job postings? Top 20 revealed Minimum wages reflect East–West divide As the map below shows, there is a strong geographical divide in nominal minimum wages across Europe. This is most notably between Western and Eastern Europe. In general, the four wage groups reflect different regions of the EU. Countries in the highest group are mainly in Western and Northern Europe. The mid group includes several countries from Southern and Central Europe. The low and very low groups consist mostly of Eastern European, Balkan, and EU candidate countries. Role of higher productivity on wages According to Dr. Sotiria Theodoropoulou of the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), higher productivity usually equates to sustainably higher wages and salaries in general. Economies with more industrial or financial activity tend to be more productive, and high-tech industries also typically show higher productivity levels. Higher bargaining power for workers is another factor. Related Educated but still unemployed: How does unemployment vary among university graduates across Europe? Is August the worst month to invest in European stocks? Minimum wage rankings shift with purchasing power When comparing minimum wages across countries, purchasing power standards (PPS) are important because the cost of living varies widely. PPS provides a fairer comparison by using an artificial currency that reflects what people can actually buy in each country. One PPS is an artificial currency unit that, in theory, buys the same amount of goods and services in every country, according to Eurostat. When adjusted for purchasing power, the wage gaps between countries become significantly narrower. For example, in Luxembourg, the minimum wage is 4.9 times that of Bulgaria — the highest and lowest in the EU. In PPS terms, this gap narrows to 2.3 times. While Luxembourg (2,035) still ranks at the top, Estonia (886) has the lowest PPS minimum wage. When EU candidate countries are included, Albania is an outlier at the bottom, with a PPS of 566. At the top, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium follow Luxembourg. Ireland and France come next. While Eastern and Balkan countries often rank low in euro terms, they perform much better in PPS terms. Western European countries still lead, but their advantage is smaller. For example, seven EU member states rank below North Macedonia, Turkey, and Montenegro in PPS terms. These include Malta, Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, Bulgaria, Latvia, and Estonia. In addition to Turkey and North Macedonia, Romania also ranks significantly higher in PPS. Montenegro and Bulgaria hold relatively stronger positions as well. Estonia and Czechia are the two countries that lost the most ground in PPS rankings compared to their positions in euro terms. Minimum wages changes over the past 6 and 12 months Over the last six months, from January to July 2025, the minimum wage remained unchanged in most EU and candidate countries. In euro terms, North Macedonia recorded the highest increase at 7.7%, followed by Greece with 6.1%. Turkey saw the largest drop, with a 21.2% decline, followed by a 9.9% fall in Ukraine. In candidate countries, changes in exchange rates played a major role. For example, in Turkey, the minimum wage stayed the same in Turkish lira during this period. However, minimum wage earners have been hit hardest by the highest inflation rate in Europe. Between July 2024 and July 2025, Montenegro and North Macedonia recorded the highest increases in minimum wages, both above 20%. In contrast, Ukraine and Turkey experienced the largest declines. Among eurozone countries, Croatia saw the biggest rise at 15.5%, followed by Lithuania with 12.3%. In France, the increase was modest at just 2%. Spain and Germany recorded slightly higher gains, with 4.4% and 5.2% respectively. However, when inflation is taken into account, the real value of these increases is likely much smaller. The UK National Minimum Wage increased by 6.7% from April 2025. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store