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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Use multi-asset investing to overcome portfolio volatility
EQUITY MARKETS have been choppy during this year. After rallying for the better part of the first nine months of 2024, equities corrected sharply in October and November, before taking off once again on rally mode in December.
Twist of faith
Upamanyu Chatterjee is back with his wry sense of humour in his new novel, and most of it is directed at religion and spirituality
THE GLORY OF SARI
Saris of Memory weaves together history and textiles, highlighting key moments from the author's collection
We win together
We invented chess, which was pretty cool of us. The original game 'chaturanga'that is four divisions (infantry, cavalry, elephantry and chariotry)-was a war strategy game. When the game travelled to the Middle East, they mangled the Sanskrit and it ended up being called 'shatranj' instead.
BEATS THAT HEAL
Music ignites the light within us, says Grammy-winner Chandrika Tandon
Older, smarter, sexier
Those who worship him regardless of where he works have continued to do so. Such is the power of Alessandro Michele, that after being the face of some mega brands for 10 years (namely Gucci and now Valentino), he remains bigger than the labels themselves. His debut collection for Valentino was presented at the recent Paris Haute Couture Week, and it has been adored by his adorers.
The road to peace
Future political dialogues should explore means of ensuring a more robust autonomy to tribal communities
Diary of a Sherpa
Amitabh Kant's new book is a comprehensive account of the G20 Summit held in Delhi in 2023
The annoying orange
Everything is great. All is sunshine. I am an eternal optimist.\" It's the fad of our TikTok times everything is not great, the sun sets daily, nothing is eternal. If anything, everything is ephemeral, night brings darkness, and optimism often crumbles under the weight of history. British philosopher Roger Scruton warned: \"Hope untempered by the evidence of history is a dangerous asset, one that threatens not only those who embrace it, but all those within range of their illusions.\"
NO SEAT, YET UPBEAT
The Congress is buoyed by its increased vote share in Delhi, and feels it can push the AAP into further decline
