May 2020
NIHR Innovation Observatory Soft Intelligence Squad
About The NIHR Innovation Observatory’s Soft Intelligence Squad (NIHRIO SIS) are monitoring, tracking, and analysing ‘soft intelligence’ to explore health impacts. Mobilised in March 2020, the group are using novel text mining and machine learning techniques, involving sentiment detection, analysis, and classification, to help extract and synthesise meaningful insights from the ‘public voice’. Led and …
January 2021
Belzutifan for von Hippel-Lindau disease-associated clear cell renal cell carcinoma – first line
Belzutifan is in clinical development for the treatment of von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease-associated clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). VHL is a hereditary disease that results in the body producing an increased amount of the protein hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) – 2α. This leads to an increased risk of tumours developing in various parts of the body including the kidney. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer. ccRCC is named as such because when this type of tumour is viewed under a microscope the cells appear clear. Currently patients with VHL disease have limited treatment options which focus on surgically removing tumours once they have developed.
January 2021
Pembrolizumab for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer
Pembrolizumab is an immunotherapy drug administered by intravenous (IV) infusion. It works by improving the activity of white blood cells (T-cells) by blocking a protein, PD-L1, thereby increasing the ability of the immune system to kill cancer cells. If licenced, pembrolizumab could provide an additional treatment option for patients with platinum pre-treated recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer.
January 2021
Phelinun for reduced intensity conditioning treatment prior to allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Phelinun is in development as a conditioning treatment prior to allogenic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for various haematological diseases in children and adults. HSCT involves infusing stem cells from a donor into a patient whose bone marrow is damaged or defective. Conditioning treatment prior to HSCT is required in order to kill cancer cells, remove existing bone marrow from the patient and suppress the immune system, to reduce the risk of rejection from the transplant. Conditioning treatment is essential for a successful transplant but there are major associated side effects, including increased mortality. Therefore, there is a need for less toxic conditioning treatments.
January 2021
Mosunetuzumab for relapsed or refractory B-cell follicular lymphoma – third-line and greater
Mosunetuzumab is in clinical development for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell follicular lymphoma (FL). FL is a type of slow growing blood cancer that affects white blood cells. In FL, the affected white blood cells start to multiply in an abnormal way and begin to aggregate in certain parts of the body such as the lymph nodes. A recurrence of lymphoma after going into complete remission is known as a relapse. Lymphoma that is unresponsive to therapy it is called refractory lymphoma. The condition can become more difficult to treat if it is relapsed or refractory, as treatment options are limited.
January 2021
Ranibizumab Biosimilar for Age-related Macular Degeneration
Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), also known as wet age‐related macular degeneration (wet AMD), is a chronic eye disease characterised by the formation and proliferation of blood vessels underneath the retina (a layer of tissue in the back of the eye that senses light and sends images to the brain). nAMD is a leading cause of central sight loss and blindness.
January 2021
Inolimomab for acute Graft versus Host Disease
Inolimomab is being developed for the treatment of grade II to IV steroid-refractory acute Graft versus Host Disease (aGvHD) in adult patients after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT). GvHD is characterised as a frequent complication of bone marrow transplantation and involves a reaction between the donor cells and the recipient’s native tissues, leading to injury of the recipient’s tissues. GvHD occurs in acute and chronic form. The organs most commonly affected in aGvHD are the stomach and the intestines, the skin, and the liver. Up to 50% of aGvHD patients do not respond to initial steroid treatment and are left with few therapeutic options.