AbbVie is a global biopharmaceutical company that specializes in tackling the toughest of health challenges.

Through the use of research, and regularly collaborations with other companies, they aim to make significant breakthroughs in treating—and curing—diseases other researches are scared to look into.

The impact this has on patients is huge; with potentially longer life expectancies and a better quality of life just two of the many effects of research that has been undertaken by the company.

Like previous years, 2018 has been a big year for AbbVie.

They have collaborated with more companies, donated significant funds to charity, and pioneered significant breakthroughs that aim to revolutionize the future of treating certain diseases.

Here are just six of the biggest news stories about AbbVie from 2018.

Mission Therapeutics Team Up With AbbVie To Treat Alzheimer’s And Parkinson’s Diseases

Mission Therapeutics is a drug creator company focused on selectively targeting deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs).

The AbbVie mission therapeutics collaboration was announced on November 15th, where both companies are committed to fighting against the devastating diseases that are Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Current research tells us that Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients have an abnormal accumulation of toxic proteins, which go on to cause impaired functions and the death of nerve cells in the brain.

They plan to combine Mission therapeutics unique science, chemistry and propriety enzyme platform with AbbVie’s strong neurodegenerative disease research to modify DUBs.

The predicted outcome of this collaboration should see the modified DUBs able to regulate the degradation of these toxic proteins.

This will make sure that the cells in the brain remain healthy by preventing the spread of toxic proteins from these conditions from spreading around the body. This partnership is definitely one of the most exciting AI in pharma collaborations this year.

AbbVie Receives FDA Accelerated Approval For VENCLEXTRA

VENCLEXTRA, which was developed by AbbVie and Roche in the U.S and by AbbVie alone globally, treats people with newly-diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy.

Acute myeloid leukemia is one of the most aggressive blood cancers and commonly affects older adults, who’re less likely to be able to withstand the standard chemotherapy traditionally offered.

It comes with a very low survival rate and very few options for those who don’t qualify for intensive chemotherapy.

VENCLEXTRA offers a brand new option for those with nowhere else to turn, and an increased chance of surviving, based on research conducted by AbbVie and Roche.

It works as an inhibitor that prevents cancer cells from undergoing their nature death, or self-destruction process known as apoptosis, by targeting the BCL-2 protein in the blood.

AbbVie’s drug approval from the FDA is currently limited to adults aged 75 or over, or those who have comorbidities which make them unsuitable for intensive chemotherapy.

AbbVie’s Maigret Scores 100 Percent Cure Rate For Hepatitis C Patients With Compensated Cirrhosis

The AbbVie Mavyret is a pan-genotypic chronic hepatitis C virus treatment.

This year, AbbVie has undertaken a number of different studies that suggest the treatment may be 100 percent effective.

These results were presented on the 13th November 2018 at The Live Meeting 2018 in San Francisco, California.

Said studies show that, after 8 weeks of taking the AbbVie Mavyret, 100 percent of genotype 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 patients presented a sustained virologic response that was present 12 weeks after the treatment.

Those who achieve sustained virologic responses for this period of time are considered to have been completed cured of hepatitis C.

AbbVie and Morphic Therapeutic Announce Collaboration Targeting Fibrotic Diseases

This is the second time an AbbVie Morphic Therapeutic collaboration has been mentioned in this article, with both companies coming together to conduct unique research into targeting fibrotic diseases.

Morphic Therapeutic brings to the table their unique platform for developing oral integrin drugs, while AbbVie’s part in the collaboration largely stems from their global development and commercialization capabilities.

In this research and development collaboration, both companies will work together to advance a number of the oral integrin therapeutics Morphic already has on the market for fibrosis-related indications.

Fibrosis occurs when chronic inflammation or persistent injury leads to the development of excessive connective tissue.

This, in turn, leads to organ damage and impaired function overall.

There are currently very few effective treatment options on the market, meaning fibrotic diseases all to often lead to serious illness, and even death.

The research collaboration is still in its early stages, but Morphic Therapeutic has already developed a unique platform for designing integrin oral inhibitors that block TGF-β activation.

This is thought to be the key approach to halt or reverse fibrosis.

The AbbVie Morphic Therapeutics collaboration will see them working together to develop further therapies for patients with fibrosis in the next few years.

AbbVie’s Orissa Makes Double Phase 3 Win

AbbVie Orilissa is a landmark drug that was approved by the FDA in July and provides women suffering from endometriosis with a new drug option for the first time in 10 years.

Almost 800 people with heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids were evaluated during the two Orissa Phase 3 study.

Over the course of six months, these studies measured the safety, tolerability, and efficiency of AbbVie’s Orilissa in combination with a low-dose hormone.

The results proved a success for AbbVie, with findings revealing a reduction in the heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids when compared with the placebo.

Numbers from the Phase 3 study show that 68.5 percent of women with uterine fibroids achieved clinically reduced blood flow, compared to just 8.7 percent who were on the placebo trial.

AbbVie Announces IMBRUVICA Plus Rituximab Approval By FDA As First Chemotherapy-Free Combination Treatment For Adults With Waldenström's macroglobulinemia

Investigating safer treatments for people with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a rare type of blood cancer, is the latest in a long list of research AbbVie has conducted into helping to improve the lives of patients with cancer.

Prior to the approval from the FDA, using IMBRUVICA alongside Rituximab went through a rigorous, Phase 3 study.

This provides data that shows a 30-month progression-free survival rate of 82 percent for patients on the combination therapy, compared to just 28 percent of patients who take rituximab alone.

Research into treatments using IMBRUVICA is ongoing, with the FDA approving nine uses for it in the five years since its first approval.

This means that there is the possibility that this drug could go on to provide chemotherapy-free combination treatments for people with other cancers in the future, based on the knowledge gained from this study alone.

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Arina Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at OnlineNewsBuzz.

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