AstraZeneca's rare immune disorder drug succeeds in advanced trial
The therapy reduced the severity of generalised myasthenia gravis (gMG) in adults and improved functional activities, when compared with placebo at 26 weeks, the drugmaker said.
In the study, patients' bodies also produced antibodies that attacked a type of protein on the nerves, disrupting communication with muscles.
Generalised myasthenia gravis is caused by an abnormal immune reaction in which the body mistakenly attacks itself, weakening the skeletal muscles, especially those controlling the eyes, mouth, throat and limbs, leading to fatigue, difficulty swallowing and breathing.
"Rapidly fluctuating symptoms and the unpredictable disability associated with gMG can affect nearly every aspect of a patient's life, making early intervention and sustained disease control a critical treatment goal," said Kelly Gwathmey, principal investigator of the trial and a neurology professor.
Gefurulimab is designed to be self-administered as a once-weekly injection under the skin, offering patients convenience. It works by inhibiting the activity of the C5 protein, which triggers the body's immune response.
Current gmG treatments include Argenx SE's (ARGX.BR), opens new tab Vyvgart Hytrulo, J&J's (JNJ.N), opens new tab IMAAVY, and AstraZeneca's own rare-disease therapy Soliris, which brought in sales of nearly $2.6 billion in 2024.
The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said it plans to share data from the study with health regulators.
AstraZeneca, the UK's largest-listed firm by market value, is targeting $80 billion in annual revenue by 2030, and has plans to spend $50 billion to expand manufacturing and research capabilities in the U.S. in the same period to aid that goal.
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The Guardian
12 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The life of microplastic: how fragments move through plants, insects, animals
The story starts with a single thread of polyester, dislodged from the weave of a cheap, pink acrylic jumper as it spins around a washing machine. This load of washing will shed hundreds of thousands of tiny plastic fragments and threads – up to 700,000 in this one washing machine cycle. Along with billions of other microscopic, synthetic fibres, our thread travels through household wastewater pipes. Often, it ends up as sewage sludge, being spread on a farmer's field to help crops grow. Sludge is used as organic fertiliser across the US and Europe, inadvertently turning the soil into a huge global reservoir of microplastics. One wastewater treatment plant in Wales found 1% of the weight of sewage sludge was plastic. From here, it works its way up the food chain through insects, birds, mammals and even humans. Perhaps our jumper's life as a garment will end soon, lasting only a few outings before it emerges from the wash shrunken and bobbling, to be discarded. 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BBC News
12 minutes ago
- BBC News
NI waiting lists: Senior surgeon appointed to tackle 'national shame'
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The Sun
12 minutes ago
- The Sun
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Latest figures reveal MMR vaccination rates in England have fallen below the recommended 95 per cent threshold for both the first and second doses. The threshold needs to be met to achieve herd immunity, says the World Health Organisation (WHO). Getting the vaccine not only protect yourself against three serious infections, but helps to protect others who can't have the vaccine. This includes unborn babies, infants who are too young to have the vaccine and children or adults who can't have the vaccine because they have weakened immune systems. The UKHSA advises: "This will help to prevent large outbreaks of disease. "You should also have the vaccine if you work with young children or care for people as part of your work." Expert answers MMR questions TO help deal with parental concerns, Professor Helen Bedford, a specialist in child public health at University College London, tells you all you need to know about the MMR vaccine. When is the vaccine given? The MMR vaccine is part of the NHS Routine Childhood Immunisation Programme. It's typically given via a single shot into the muscle of the thigh or the upper arm. The first dose is offered to children at the age of one (babies younger than this may have some protection from antibodies passed on from their mother, which start to wear off at about 12 months.) The second dose is then offered to children aged three years and four months before they start school. To check to see if you or your child have had the recommended two doses of MMR, you can look at their/your Personal Child Health Record, also known as the red book. If you can't find the red book, call your GP and ask them for your vaccine records. You are never too old to catch up with your MMR vaccine. If you see from your vaccination records that you did not receive two doses as a child, you can book a vaccination appointment. Is the vaccine safe? The MMR vaccine is safe and effective at preventing measles, mumps and rubella. In the UK, we started using the jab in 1988, so we have decades of experience using it. The jab is made from much-weakened live versions of the three viruses. This triggers the immune system to produce antibodies that are protective in the face of future exposure. It takes up to three weeks after having the vaccine to be fully protected. Like any vaccine, the MMR jab can cause side-effects, which are usually mild and go away very quickly. This includes rash, high temperature, loss of appetite and a general feeling of being unwell for about two or three days. There is also a very small chance children can have a severe allergic reaction. But compared to the complications of measles, there is no contest that vaccination is by far the safest and most effective route to take. Why was it linked with autism? In 1998, Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues published a now-discredited paper in medical journal The Lancet. The paper suggested that the MMR vaccine might be associated with autism and a form of bowel disease. It led to a sharp decline in vaccination rates. Even at the time, the research was considered poor. The Lancet retracted the story in 2010 after Wakefield's article was found 'dishonest' by the General Medical Council. He was later struck off and subsequently, in 2011, the British Medical Journal declared the story fraudulent. Does it contain ingredients from pigs? There are two types of MMR jabs: One with gelatin (animal/pig collagen), and one without it. For some religious groups, the inclusion of pig products is not acceptable. Those people should ask for the vaccine without gelatin.
