In July, American pharmaceutical giant Merck completed the $3 billion acquisition of a biotech firm named Eyebio. The deal included a hefty upfront cash payment of $1.3 billion.
The centrepiece of the acquisition was EYE103, a cutting-edge, antibody-based drug with remarkable potential to treat retinal diseases caused by vascular leakage, such as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD), diabetic macular oedema (DME), and familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR).
NVAMD affects over 200 million people globally, while millions more with type-1 or type-2 diabetes are at risk of developing DME. FEVR is a disorder that can lead to progressive vision loss. These conditions had no cures and EYE103 offers hope as a first drug of its kind. Its innovative antibody activates the Wnt-signalling pathway-a protein network that transmits cellular information-strengthening blood vessel integrity in the eye and preventing fluid build-up in the retina.
The antibody molecule in EYE103 is one of thousands of engineered antibodies-each with the potential to become future drugs for a range of serious illnesses, from cancer to rare diseases originating from the lab of Canadian researcher Sachdev Sidhu.
The 55-year-old recently returned to his country of origin for an event. I met him for a teatime interview at a bistro beside the serene artificial lake at the Taj Kumarakom Resort in Kerala. I was expecting a formally attired, jargon-spewing man of science. But, my preconceived notions were quickly shattered. Sidhu, the author of more than 200 scientific papers, a co-inventor on more than 50 patents granted by or filed with the US patent office, and a professor and entrepreneurin-residence at the University of Waterloo, arrived in shorts and a round-neck T-shirt and ordered a glass of wine. In response to one of my early questions, he quoted American rapper Snoop Dogg.
Denne historien er fra December 01, 2024-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
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Denne historien er fra December 01, 2024-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
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The day of the knuckle-duster
Several narratives have emerged from the Donald Trump-Volodymyr Zelensky-J.D. Vance dust-up in the Oval office, the most disturbing being the opinion that “Zelensky invited it”.
The AGI dilemma
Spooky and powerful, AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), the planet’s newest technology, has divine benefits, as also diabolical applications that can trigger our destruction.
I want to transform MP into a powerhouse of development
GIS 2025 surpassed expectations in investment commitments, participation, and policy impact.
It is not NEP 2020, it is RSS 2020
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Munde blues
Just months into its tenure, the Fadnavis government suffers multiple blows
Plastic buckets and parliament seats
The plastics industry boomed in the 1970s when our rulers told our people to make fewer babies. The dairy industry, already on a high milkmark, should boom if Telugu Desam MP Kalisetti Appalanaidu gets people to make more babies. What’s the connection? Hold on. First listen to India’s population story that’s already a statistical farce, and may soon be a political tragedy.
MDGA-Make Diplomacy Great Again
Must say that all the reports of 'Agent Krasnov' make fascinating reading—like one of those old school, thick-as-a-brick bestsellers that Irving Wallace and Robert Ludlum used to write.
In search of Pampa
Salman Rushdie breathes life to the forgotten goddess Pampa Devi in his novel Victory City (2023).
Centre of attraction
If the enthusiasm at the Global Investors Summit is anything to go by, Madhya Pradesh is poised to write a new chapter of development
RO AND BEHOLD!
As the Champions Trophy win showed, the Rohit Sharma-led veteran brigade might not be over the hill. However, they will have to be on their toes as age and younger talent catch up
