Latest news with #Behcet
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Soligenix receives FDA orphan designation for dusquetide
Soligenix's (SNGX) dusquetide, a treatment of Behcet's disease , received FDA orphan designation, according to a post to the agency's website. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>>
Glasgow Times
07-08-2025
- Glasgow Times
Teen trapped in Gaza launches fundraiser to study in Glasgow
Ibrahim Alghorane was given an unconditional offer to study software engineering at the prestigious university, but is unable to afford the student fees, accommodation, and the costs of getting to Scotland. Ibrahim, 19, has documented on Instagram how his life has been completely changed since the attacks of October 7, 2023. He shares the daily struggles his family have to endure just to survive while living in Gaza under Israel's brutal retaliation, which legal experts say amounts to genocide. In one post, he wrote: 'Our house vanished under the rubble in a single second. We spread a torn tent on a cold pavement for shelter. 'The toys of our childhood and the family photos melted in the flames, and the smell of smoke stays alive as proof of what we have lost.' His father died in 2023 and his mother in June this year after an eight-year battle with brain cancer. Under constant bombardment and forced starvation by the Israeli military, Ibrahim lives with his five siblings: Tasneem, 28, Abdullah, 25, Ahmad, 22, and twins Mohammad and Yahya, both 14. His brother Abdullah has a tumor in his brain, frequent seizures, severe pancreatic dysfunction, and irregular heartbeats, while Mohammad suffers from Behcet syndrome and needs immuno-suppressing pills. In a post on one of the fundraisers set up by Ibrahim, he wrote: 'Despite the ruin, we carry torn books and big dreams. 'I study software engineering, Ahmad business administration, Abdullah civil engineering, but the university fees are a sword over our necks. 'We have no coin to pay the fees or even buy a new pen, and the twins are banned from school for the same reasons. No regular electricity, no reliable internet, no safe desks.' Ibrahim had applied for the Dima al Haj scholarship offered by the University of Glasgow, which would have granted him student accommodation, free tuition fees and £5000 for the academic year, but he was unsuccessful. READ NEXT: Driver who is banned to 2030 caught in 33-mile 100mph high-speed chase READ NEXT: Teen caused £125k of damage to luxury flats by setting cinema on fire with Fairy (Image: Newsquest) He is now calling for the university to waive his student fees and to help secure his safe arrival to Scotland. Ibrahim's plea has been backed by Scots and others from across the world, with more than 33,000 people signing a letter calling on Glasgow University to waive his student fees. More than $10,000 has been raised so far to help him achieve his dream of becoming a software engineer. Earlier this week, Ibrahim shared a short video on Instagram where he showed the ruins of his home in Gaza. (Image: Ibrahim Alghorane) Explaining why he needs donations to make it to Scotland, he said: 'Surrounded by destruction, we try to survive every day. 'No safe shelter, no peace – just broken homes and shattered lives. But we are still here. Still holding on. Still hoping for a way out.' You can donate to Ibrahim's fundraiser here, and you can sign the letter here, which calls on the University of Glasgow to waive his fees. A University of Glasgow spokesperson said: 'As a University of Sanctuary, we recognise the desperate situation for students in Gaza who have applied for UK universities, including Glasgow. 'The University currently offers a number of scholarships for Palestinian nationals and has recently committed to further funding this year to support conflict-affected applicants. We will continue to consider additional support for displaced students."
Associated Press
21-02-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Improving Patient Quality Of Life: Soligenix Progresses Treatment For Painful Ulcers Associated With Rare Behcet's Disease
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - February 21, 2025 ( NEWMEDIAWIRE) - The human body's circulatory system is comprised of blood vessels that carry blood away from and towards the heart. A specific distinction is that arteries carry blood away from the heart, veins carry blood back to the heart and capillaries are tiny blood vessels that connect arteries and veins, allowing for the exchange of oxygen, nutrients and waste products between the blood and body tissues. The human circulatory system is made up of about 60,000 miles of blood vessels, including arteries, veins and capillaries – this is long enough to stretch around the Earth if laid end-to-end. Soligenix, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNGX), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat rare diseases and areas of unmet medical need, is utilizing its pharmaceutical expertise to treat Behcet's disease, an autoimmune condition mainly associated with inflammation of the blood vessels and the eyes, though the inflammation of the blood vessels often causes many different issues throughout the body. Behcet's Disease Explained Behcet's disease, or Silk Road disease, is a non-curable long-term condition caused by blood vessel inflammation. This inflammation affects and damages both the arteries and veins. Primarily diagnosed in young adults, its effects and severity will vary over time. Indications of the disease within individuals usually include mouth sores, skin rashes and lesions, genital sores, leg ulcers and eye inflammation, with inflammation of the joints observed in the most severe cases. It is a painful disease that directly impacts the patient's quality of life and ability to engage in life activities, including working productively. Demographically, as its alternate name suggests, the disease is most common along the 'Silk Road' in the Middle East and East Asia, including Turkey, Iran, Japan and China. It is less prevalent in the U.S. but can develop at any age, equally affecting both men and women. Behcet's Disease Addressable Market According to estimates compiled by Soligenix, as many as 1,000,000 people worldwide live with Behcet's Disease, with approximately 18,000 known cases in the U.S. and 80,000 in Europe. As reported by BioSpace, the market for Behcet's disease is estimated to reach $184.5 million by 2035; it is currently valued at $105.1 million (2024). The market growth is attributed to the adoption of advanced, minimally invasive treatment options such as biologic therapies, monoclonal antibodies and targeted immunomodulators. These treatments effectively address underlying inflammation and systemic symptoms while reducing side effects and long-term reliance on corticosteroids, such as prednisone. Current therapies suppress inflammation and immune function. Soligenix's Treatment Of Behcet's Disease Soligenix's drug candidate for treating Behcet's disease is SGX945. Dusquetide, the active ingredient in SGX945, is an innate defense regulator (IDR), a new class of short, synthetic peptides. It has a novel mechanism of action whereby it modulates the body's reaction to both injury and infection towards an anti-inflammatory, anti-infective and tissue healing response. IDRs have no direct antibiotic activity, but by modulating the host's innate immune system responses, they can increase survival after infections caused by a broad range of bacterial Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens. Dusquetide also accelerates the resolution of tissue damage following exposure to a variety of agents, including bacterial pathogens, trauma and chemo- and/or radiation therapy. SGX945's treatment is administered as a 4-minute IV infusion twice a week. It is intended for use to enhance the resolution of oral, genital and skin ulcer flares in Behçet's Disease. In 2024, Soligenix announced the phase 2 clinical trial of SGX945 in treating Behcet's Disease. The clinical trial will be an open-label study that will enroll approximately 25 patients aged 18 years or older with mild to moderate Behcet's Disease and active oral and/or genital ulcers. Patients will receive SGX945 as a twice weekly 4-minute intravenous (IV) infusion for 4 weeks, followed by 4 weeks of follow-up. Efficacy endpoints will include the extent of lesion clearance, timeline to lesion clearance and patient-reported quality of life assessments. Regarding the launch of the clinical study, Christopher J. Schaber, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Soligenix, stated, 'We are pleased to have received FDA clearance and Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (Turkey's Ministry of Health) authorization to start patient enrollment into our SGX945 Phase 2a pilot trial in aphthous ulcers of Behcet's Disease. Our previous studies with dusquetide in oral mucositis have validated the biologic activity in aphthous ulcers induced by chemotherapy and radiation. Given the role of the innate immune system in ulcers associated with Behcet's Disease, and the unmet medical need particularly for more severe ulcers such as genital and leg ulcers, we believe that dusquetide may offer significant relief to patients. We are excited to expand dusquetide's development into different innate immune-related inflammatory conditions, such as Behcet's Disease, as a component of our long-term strategy to enhance the value of this unique compound.' Looking Ahead The launch of the phase 2 clinical trial of SGX945 is a milestone moment for Soligenix. As the firm progresses in treating Behcet's Disease and other rare diseases, it is looking to establish a distinct value proposition in the market that cannot be easily replicated or counter-positioned against. As the firm continues on its product development initiatives, new opportunities for sustainable growth may emerge over time, potentially strengthening its market position. Featured photo by Lucas Vasques on Unsplash.
