Industry update: The latest developments in the field of therapeutic delivery, July 2018

Abstract

July 2018, the period covered by this article, appeared to be a good month for industry advances in therapeutic delivery, with strong activity in mergers/acquisitions and collaborations, including gene delivery deals, an oral delivery technology for oligonucleotides and multiple activities in the ever-growing landscape of immuno-oncology. Potential advances in the treatment of rare diseases also figured in the news, and July brought an announcement of the first, long-term, positive data from an investigational HIV vaccine. There was comment in a recent industry update [1] of a reducing investment in neuroscience by industry, and the continued failure in clinical trials of potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease. This month showed that there is in fact much ongoing investment and possibly success in these areas, with work on the discovery of a novel mode of intervention in multiple sclerosis, in possible developments in immuno-neurology, and advances for anti-Alzheimer's drugs-including data on an anti-amyloid β(Aβ) antibody that suggest it to be disease modifying. Information sources employed to provide the materials used in compiling this update included company press releases, conference news and other news websites.