Monthly Archives: July 2017

Dog domestication happened just once, ancient DNA study suggests – Science News Magazine

Posted: July 19, 2017 at 3:47 am

People and pooches may have struck up a lasting friendship after just one try, a new genetic study suggests.

New data from ancient dogs indicates that dogs became distinct from wolves between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago, researchers report July 18 in Nature Communications. Dogs then formed genetically distinct eastern and western groups 17,000 to 24,000 years ago, the researchers calculate. That timing and other genetic data point to dogs being domesticated just once.

That idea contrasts with a hypothesis put forward last year that dogs were domesticated separately in Europe and East Asia, with the Asian dogs eventually replacing the European mutts (SN: 7/9/16, p. 15).

Scientists agree that dogs stem from wolves, but where, when and how many times dogs were domesticated passing down tameness and other traits over generations has been rethought many times in the last few years (SN: 7/8/17, p. 20).

The new study puts dog origins into one time and place again. Thats really important, says Peter Savolainen, an evolutionary geneticist at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm who was not involved in either study. These new data indicate theres a single origin, and it wasnt in Europe, says Savolainen, a proponent of an East Asian origin of dogs.

The new study examined the complete genetic blueprints, or genome, from a 7,000-year-old dog from Herxheim in Germany, and a 4,700-year-old dog from Cherry Tree Cave (also known as Kirshbaumhle) in Germany. The scientists also analyzed DNA data from a 4,800-year-old dog from Newgrange, Ireland, that had been described in the previous study positing two domestication events.

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A claim of multiple domestications for dogs requires extraordinary evidence, says study coauthor Krishna Veeramah, an evolutionary geneticist at Stony Brook University in New York. But complete genomes of the ancient dogs suggest a simpler story. We can explain all of our data just using one domestication event, Veeramah says.

Although Veeramah and colleagues see a split between eastern and western dogs, that split probably happened after domestication took place. Modern European dogs still share heritage with Stone Age canines on the continent, hinting that all the pups came from a common source rather than separately domesticated Asian dogs replacing their European counterparts.

These new data dont completely rule out multiple domestications (the single event is just the simpler explanation), nor do they indicate where humans and canines became BFFs, Veeramah says. A family tree constructed from the DNA data puts todays Southeast Asian breeds on the earliest branch, implying an origin in Asia. But a dog breeds present-day location may not reflect where dogs were actually domesticated more than 20,000 years ago, Veeramah says.

The team that proposed double domestication is not convinced of a single origin. The new study is based on genetic data alone and doesnt take archaeological evidence into account, says Greger Larson, an evolutionary geneticist at the University of Oxford.

Theres no smoking gun here, and theres no direct contradiction, says Larson. Our hypothesis of a dual origin remains a possibility, as does a single origin. Researchers wont know for sure until theyve analyzed older dogs from multiple places.

The ancient doggy data also challenge a recently proposed idea that dogs were domesticated when early mongrels developed the ability to digest starch better than wolves could (SN Online: 1/23/13), allowing them to eat grains in early farmers trash heaps. A previous study found that todays dogs have many copies of the AMY2B gene, which produces an enzyme that helps break down starch, while wolves have only two copies.

The new study finds that both ancient German dogs had two copies of AMY2B, while the Newgrange dog had three. Since those dogs lived thousands of years after domestication, the findings suggest the first domesticated dogs were no better equipped to digest starch than wolves were. But the ancient dogs do have other genetic variants that made it possible for the amylase gene to be copied later, Veeramah says. Exactly when that happened isnt clear.

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Didn’t Reveal DNA Results On ‘L&HH’Reunion – Hollywood Life

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Viewers lost their minds when Kirk Frost didnt come clean with the results of the DNA test on the finale reunion episode of L&HH! Now our insider has the EXCLUSIVE details on Jasmine Washingtons fiery response!

Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta fans might be scattered far and wide but we can all agree on one thing: Kirk Frost, 48, flat blew it on the final reunion episode! After an entire season of hyping the paternity test and waiting to discover if, in fact, he is the father of Jasmine Washingtons sonwe got a big fat nothing! Nothing! The episode ended and fans were ready to revolt! But heres the thing: viewers arent the only ones up in arms over the disappointing finale! Jasmine herself is seething over Kirks decision and, thanks to a source, weve got her side of the story! Take a peek at pics of the stunning reality star here!

Jasmine is bitter and hurt that she did not get redemption with the release of the DNA tests during the LHH reunion special, an insider shared with HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. She is waiting like the rest of the world even though she knows Kirk is the father, she just wants the truth to come out. She needs child support and the court has ordered a DNA test. If the network producers cant get Kirk to take responsibility, Jasmine is hoping the good courts of Georgia can. Yes, girl!

HollywoodLifers, are you anxiously awaiting the DNA test results? Let us know below!

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Kirk Frost Refuses to Reveal His DNA Test Results and Fans Are Salty AF – In Touch Weekly

Posted: at 3:47 am

Another day, another Twitter rant! Part two of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta's reunion special aired last night and fans were finally ready to get some answers. The only problem? Well, nothing was answered. During last week's first installment, Kirk Frost, 48, shockingly confessed the details of his affair with Jasmine Washington, 27, while his wife Rasheeda, 35, listened.

Unfortunately, fans waited 17 episodes for an answer that would never come and they're PISSED. "VH1 made us wait 17 episodes to not get Kirk's DNA test?!?!" one Twitter user ranted. "Love & Hip Hop season finale just pissed me TF off. They need to stop playing and release Kirk Frost DNA test result," another chimed in. "Can we please get Maury to give Kirk Frost a DNA test and find Rasheeda a backbone and a new storyline?" a third added.

MORE: Karen "KK" King Stirs up a Whole Mess of Drama With Tommie Lee on the 'Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta' Reunion!

Kirk's mistress didn't participate in either part of the reunion, but while last week's episode aired, she took to Instagram to vent in posts that have since been deleted. She said, "Only posting this [because] this man continues to drag my name through the mud and LIE about EVERYTHING. He's gone too far with the lies & defamation.. so I will go just as far with the truth. If I'm a scammer so are you [Kirk]. For you slow pokes, my son was born in 2016. So yes the messages are from then and before." Yikes!

Take a look below at the most hilarious and straight-up ruthless posts from Twitter!

MORE: Joseline Hernandez Comes for Stevie J's Teenage Daughter and Mimi Faust Is Not Having It!

Waiting for part 2 of the reunion . Hoping to find out the DNA results like ... #LHHATL #LHHATLREUNION pic.twitter.com/KAV12yK6os

Ok Mona it's now or never . Release the DNA results. And I don't want to wait for part 16 either . #LHHATL #LHHATLReunion pic.twitter.com/azqPPmgM1z

WAIT. Sooo they focused the entire season on Kirk's infidelity and we STILL don't know if the child is his!! I'm done. #LHHATLReunion pic.twitter.com/t0Ln5bAnAK

So they really not going to do the Kirk's DNA #LHHATLReunion pic.twitter.com/MlM1ztc4xG

Joseline Hernandez Leaves 'Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta' Amid Feud With Mona Scott-Young

Tommie Lee Fired From 'Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta' Find out Why She Was "Let Go" (REPORT)

'Love & Hip Hop' Star Kirk Frost Blames His Wife Rasheeda for His Latest Cheating Scandal

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Ultrasensitive DNA quantification by light scattering – Phys.Org

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July 18, 2017 Credit: Wiley

Traces of biomolecules such as DNA can be detected with a new "dynamic" technique based on the observation of association and dissociation events of gold nanoparticles. If the desired DNA sequence is present, it can reversibly bind two nanoparticles together. This can be detected in real time through a change in light scattering. As reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie, this method differentiates true signals from noise and can detect deviations of individual bases.

Detecting and quantifying biomolecules at extremely small concentrations is increasingly important for applications such as early and precise diagnosis, monitoring cancer treatment, forensic investigations, and highly sensitive tests for biological weapons. The current method of choice is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is based on the enzymatic replication of DNA. The disadvantage of this method is the false positives that may result from the tiniest amounts of impurity.

Scientists working with Jwa-Min Nam at Seoul National University (South Korea) have now developed a new method for detecting extremely small amounts of DNAwithout replication, signal amplification, or false positive results. Their method is based on the detection of individual binding events. Because the binding partners continuously separate and then bind again, the number of detectable results is multiplied and unspecific signals are minimized. This associating and dissociating nanodimer analysis (ADNA) is based on the measurement of light scattering by gold nanoparticles using dark-field microscopy.

The sample and two types of gold nanoparticles are placed onto a glass slide coated in a lipid double layer. One type of nanoparticle has binding sites on the surface that anchor to the lipid layer. The other type reversibly binds to the lipid layer, remaining mobile. Both nanoparticles have short single-stranded DNA segments that are complementary to two different sequences in the target DNA so that they can bind it. When a mobile nanoparticle comes very close to an immobilized one, the target DNA can bind them into a dimer.

When two nanoparticles are bound, their vibrations (plasmons) are coupled. This changes the intensity and color of scattered light, which can be detected in real time. The dynamic analysis of dimers that dissociated during observation is the key to the clear differentiation between the presence and absence of the target DNA. The kinetics of the dissociation are significantly different for DNA that is a perfect match and DNA with a single altered base.

Even in the presence of other DNA, such as in a sample of human blood serum, it was possible to selectively detect and reliably quantify ultra-low concentrations of the target DNA. Under the test conditions used, the detection limit was about 46 DNA copies.

Explore further: Nanoparticles offer insights into interactions between single-stranded DNA and their binding proteins

More information: Keunsuk Kim et al. Associating and Dissociating Nanodimer Analysis for Quantifying Ultrasmall Amounts of DNA, Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2017). DOI: 10.1002/anie.201705330

Double-stranded DNA must disentangle itself into single strands during replication or repair to allow functional molecules to bind and perform their various operations. Cellular proteins specifically bind to single-stranded ...

(PhysOrg.com) -- Mention of arsenic poisoning usually brings to mind underhanded murder. However, the danger of arsenic poisoning from contaminated drinking water is far greater. Low concentrations of arsenic are found in ...

The INM Leibniz Institute for New Materials has joined forces with a manufacturer of analytical equipment to reduce particles losses and avoid false negatives.

Five years of hard work and a little "cosmic luck" led Rice University researchers to a new method to obtain structural details on molecules in biomembranes.

Medical diagnostics is searching for substances capable of documenting early on whether a serious disease is developing or what its course will be. In many cases, the treacherous molecules are present only in trace amounts ...

Infectious diseases such as malaria and syphilis can be diagnosed rapidly and reliably in the field by using a simple test developed by Canadian scientists. The test is based on the use of DNAzymes and gold nanoparticles. ...

Material scientists and physicists from Heidelberg University (Germany) and the University of St Andrews (Scotland) have demonstrated electrical generation of hybrid light-matter particles, so-called exciton-polaritons, by ...

Traces of biomolecules such as DNA can be detected with a new "dynamic" technique based on the observation of association and dissociation events of gold nanoparticles. If the desired DNA sequence is present, it can reversibly ...

An exotic interaction between light and metal can be harnessed to make chemical reactions more sustainable, but the physics behind it has been widely debated in the field.

A hypoallergenic electronic sensor can be worn on the skin continuously for a week without discomfort, and is so light and thin that users forget they even have it on, says a Japanese group of scientists. The elastic electrode ...

A Rice University professor's method to "upconvert" light could make solar cells more efficient and disease-targeting nanoparticles more effective.

Scientists from the Swiss Nanoscience Institute and the University of Basel have succeeded in coupling an extremely small quantum dot with 1,000 times larger trumpet-shaped nanowire. The movement of the nanowire can be detected ...

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Did human women contribute to Neanderthal genomes over 200000 years ago? – The Guardian

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Head and shoulders of a sculpted model of a female Neanderthal.

Keeping pace with new developments in the field of human evolution these days is a daunting prospect. It seems as though every few weeks theres an announcement of exciting new findings from hominin fossils, or the recovery of an ancient genome that significantly impacts our understanding of our species history.

The best way to keep up is by regularly revisiting and reassessing a few core questions. When and where did our species first appear? How and where did we migrate? What was our relationship to our (now-extinct) hominin relatives? What evolutionary and cultural factors influenced our histories? How do new findings change the answers to these questions? Are they generally accepted by the relevant community of experts, or are they provisional or controversial?

This months challenge is to understand the significance of a recently published Neanderthal mitochondrial genome from a femur that was excavated in 1937 from the Hohlenstein-Stadel (HST) cave site in southwestern Germany. This new genome brings the total number of Neanderthals from whom we have genetic information to eighteen.

Reconstructing past population history accurately requires temporal and geographic diversity in sampling. Its tremendously important. Someday we will have so many archaic genomes sequenced that a new one isnt a big deal and doesnt add very much to the panoply. But that day isnt here yet, and so the recovery of genetic data from each new individual has the potential to make a huge difference in how we understand evolutionary history.

This is the case with the new HST Neanderthal mitochondrial genome, which is strikingly different to all others sequenced thus far so much so that it nearly doubles the known genetic diversity of Neanderthal populations.

The HST genome may resolve a longstanding point of confusion regarding the evolutionary relationships between modern humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans. We actually get different histories for the three groups depending on whether we analyze their mitochondrial (maternally inherited) or nuclear (bi-parentally inherited) genomes. Nuclear DNA indicates that Neanderthals and Denisovans were more closely related to one another than to humans, and that the three groups last shared a common ancestor sometime between 765-550,000 years ago. Neanderthals and Denisovans diverged later (probably by 430,000 years ago) into genetically and geographically distinct groups.

However, mitochondrial DNA (inherited exclusively maternally) shows a different pattern: humans and Neanderthals appear to be more closely related to each other, and the Denisovans are a more distant cousin group.

The nuclear DNA story is most likely the correct one, as nuclear genomes give us a much more robust glimpse into the past by allowing us to look at the independent histories of thousands of genetic markers. But why does the mitochondrial DNA disagree?

One explanation for these results is that Neanderthal mitochondrial genomes may actually derive from gene flow with another group of hominins from Africa, ancestral or closely related to modern humans, whose maternal lineages effectively replaced the older Denisovan-like lineages. Indeed, the 430,000 year old hominins from the Sima de los Huesos site in Spain, who physically resemble the ancestors of Neanderthals, have early Neanderthal-like nuclear genomes but more Denisovan-like mitochondrial genomes, suggesting that the early Neanderthal populations had maternal lineages very unlike those found in later populations. If there was gene flow into Neanderthal population from female hominins from Africa, its possible that there could have been a complete replacement of the maternal lineages in this population without obscuring the histories reflected in the nuclear genome.

The HST genome has now provided a good chance to test this hypothesis, because it is quite old about 124,000 years, according to an estimate based on the molecular clock (in contrast to most other published Neanderthal genomes, which are much more recent). HSTs mitochondrial lineage is distinct from all other Neanderthal mitochondrial genomes sequenced thus far, and is basal (very ancient) relative to them. Using this new mitochondrial genome in their analyses, researchers found it was indeed plausible that some hominins may have migrated out of Africa and interbred with Neanderthals sometime between 413,000 and 270,000 years ago, perhaps in the Middle East. This event would have significantly predated the major Out-of-Africa human migration, which is currently thought to have occurred around 75,000 years ago. There is other evidence to suggest that early human populations were much more mobile than we had previously thought, such as the recent classification of hominin fossils in Morocco dating to 300,000 years ago as early pre-modern H. sapiens. These data may give indirect support for early small-scale migrations before the major spread of human populations out of Africa.

The HST mitochondrial genome adds more important details to our ever-expanding understanding of hominin evolution and allows us to be a bit more confident in one model that resolves seemingly contradictory genetic results. While nuclear DNA from the HST fossil would tell us even more, unfortunately the endogenous Neanderthal DNA in the fossil is not well preserved. Of the ~240,000 unique sequence reads recovered from the femur, only about 1,110 were from the Neanderthal. The rest were from other organisms such as soil bacteria and modern humans. These high contamination and low endogenous DNA levels mean that it will be difficult to obtain a nuclear genome from this bone.

I feel like every time I write about ancient DNA its an exercise in expectation lowering, since so few remains ever yield their genetic secrets. So here I want to emphasize that what we have learned about our histories from this single fossil really is remarkable. The brand new editions of textbooks that many of us are planning on using for our courses next term are already completely out of date, and Im hopeful there are even more surprises to come in the near future. Im sure I speak for the whole biological anthropology community when I say that we couldnt be happier about the pace of discoveries these days, even if it does feel overwhelming.

Further reading

Posth C., et al. 2017. Deeply divergent archaic mitochondrial genome provides lower time boundary for African gene flow into Neanderthals. Nature Communications. doi:10.1038/ncomms16046

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New research suggests at least 75% of the human genome is junk … – ScienceAlert

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At least three quarters of the human genome consists of non-functional, 'junk DNA', according to a new study, and the actual proportion is likely to be even greater than that.

Ever since Watson and Crick discovered the double helix structure of DNA back in the 1950s, scientists have been debating what extent of the genome is responsible for making you you and now an evolutionary biologist says the answer to the riddle lies in some basic math.

Dan Graur from the University of Houston calculates that the functional portion of the human genome probably constitutes only about 10 to 15 percent of our overall DNA, with an upper limit of 25 percent.

The rest of our genome somewhere between around 75 to 90 percent of our DNA is what's called junk DNA: not necessarily harmful or toxic genetic matter, but useless, garbled nucleotide sequences that aren't functional in terms of encoding proteins that spur all the important chemical reactions going off inside our bodies.

The rationale for Graur's model is based on the way mutations creep into DNA, and how as a species we weed these mutations out for the benefit of all.

These kinds of genetic variants, called deleterious mutations, appear in our genome over time, subtly shifting or reordering the four chemical bases that make up DNA adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine in parts of our genetic code.

When mutations take place in junk DNA, they're considered neutral since that genetic code doesn't do anything, anyway but when mutations occur to our functional, defining DNA, they can often be harmful and even ultimately lethal, as they mess up the instructions that code for healthy tissue and biological processes.

On that basis, it's better for our evolutionary prospects if less of our DNA is functional, because less of it is then exposed to the risk of mutation and the increased chances of early death it invites.

In Graur's calculations, given the risk of deleterious mutations to the survival of the species on one hand and the known stability of population and reproduction rates throughout human history on the other the limit of functional DNA has to be very low.

Otherwise dangerous mutations would keep stacking up, meaning we'd have to produce impossibly huge numbers of offspring for the small percentage of healthy bubs to survive.

"Under the assumption of 100 percent functionality and the range of deleterious mutation rates used in this paper, maintaining a constant population size would necessitate that each couple on average produce a minimum of 24 and a maximum of 5 1053 children," he writes in his paper.

Of course, nobody really other than creationists is suggesting that we carry around zero junk DNA, but a huge 2012 study called the Encyclopaedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project did claim that as much as 80 percent of human DNA was functional.

That study was controversial partly because many scientists claimed that the ENCODE definition of 'functional' was too broad.

In Graur's use of the term where functional DNA is code that's evolved to be useful in terms of its evolutionary effects the 80 percent figure just doesn't add up.

"For 80 percent of the human genome to be functional, each couple in the world would have to beget on average 15 children and all but two would have to die or fail to reproduce," he writes.

It's more likely then that only about 10 to 25 percent isn't junk DNA, Graur thinks.

While his is unlikely to be the last word on the subject the new results do coincide somewhat neatly with the findings of a separate 2014 study and could help focus vital scientific efforts on researching a smaller window of uncontested, 'functional' DNA.

"We need to know the functional fraction of the human genome in order to focus biomedical research on the parts that can be used to prevent and cure disease," Graur says.

"There is no need to sequence everything under the sun. We need only to sequence the sections we know are functional."

The findings are reported in Genome Biology and Evolution.

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Longevity, education, and the huge new worldwide increases in … – American Enterprise Institute

Posted: at 3:46 am

If we widen our gaze from income inequality, it should be almost immediately apparent that a number of remarkable worldwide trends that are not only improving the human condition overall, but also making that condition markedly less unequal.

@cdw21 via Twenty20

Is the human condition becoming more unequal? A chorus of authoritative voices today insists that the answer is yes, unquestionably so. Inequality, the voices say, is sharply on the upswing in America, as everyone is supposed to know. It is also on the rise throughout other affluent democracies, they inform. We further hear that growing worldwide inequality is all but foreordained by the global triumph of capitalism: in 2014s runaway international bestseller Capital in the 21st Century, Thomas Piketty even has a formula to prove it.

The trouble with todays received wisdom about growing inequality, though, is that it focuses almost exclusively on the matter of economic inequality, and usually more narrowly still on only income inequality. Although this distinction may sound unobjectionable, it is actually quite problematic in two key respects.

For one thing, our true ability to measure economic inequality remains far less precise than is generally understood. Even in data-rich America, for example, statistics on the nations wealth distribution are at best rudimentary. Estimates of economic inequality differ dramatically depending on whether one looks at personal income or instead examines personal consumption, which seems to be distributed much more evenly.

This excerpt is part of a chapter that appears inAnti-Piketty Capital for the 21stCentury, 2017 the Cato Institute. Used by permission. Copies are availablehere.

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Psoriasis: FDA approves guselkumab – European Biotechnology

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The Food and Drug Administration has granted US market approval to Janssen Biotech/MorphoSys IL23 blocker guselkumab (Temfya) as therapy for moderate to severe psoriasis.

The authorisation triggered an milestone payment from Janssen Biotech, Inc. to MorphoSys AG (Martinsried, Germany), which had discovered and licenced the first ever approved IL23-blocking antibody to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis to the US company. The approval of the immunosuppressive antibody, which will be sold under the tradename Tremfya, comes after an expedited regulatory review following application of an FDA Priority Review Voucher.

In the pivotal studies VOYAGE 1 and VOYAGE 2, the subcutanously administered antibody proved to be superior to standard of care (adalimumab) in PASI 90 after 16-48 weeks of treatment. Improvements were also demonstrated in psoriasis involving the scalp and in symptoms of plaque psoriasis including itch, pain, stinging, burning and skin tightness at week 16. MorphoSys announced its partner Janssen will commence marketing of the drug in Q3/2017.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder characterised by epidermal hyperproliferation and dermal inflammation that vary in severity. It affects about 23% of the global population, making it one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases worldwide, and can be associated with other inflammatory conditions, such as psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and coronary artery disease.

GlobalData estimates the psoriasis market to grow from currently US$7.5bn to US$13.3bn by 2024. GlobalDatas analyst Nikhilesh Sanyal predicts that recently approved immunosuppressive antibody drugs such as guselkumab or Eli Lillys IL-17 blocker ixekizumab annual sales might exceed US$1bn. However, the psoriasis market is crowded, with other biologics such as Sun Pharmas IL23p19 blocker tildrakizumab and AstraZeneca/Valeants (NYSE: VRX) brodalumab, which, however, had been linked to suicidal thoughts. Furthermore, outgoing patent protection for J&Js infliximab, Abbvies adalimumab, and Amgens etanercept has triggered development of several biosimilars, which may come with a significant pricing advantage.

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J&J’s New Psoriasis Drug Approved by FDA – Drug Discovery & Development

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Like many other conditions, a one-size-fits-all therapy does not apply to patients with plaque psoriasis. Now, there is another treatment option for those not responding to current available therapies.

Janssen Biotech, Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson, has announced U.S. FDA approval of guselkumab (Tremfya) for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

Approval comes after an expedited regulatory review following application of an FDA Priority Review Voucher. Its the first drug approved that selectively blocks interleukin (IL)-23, a cytokine thought to play a role in the disease.

The treatment is administered as a 100 mg subcutaneous injection every eight weeks, following two starter doses at weeks 0 and 4. It is indicated for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

Regulators made the approval based on results from Phase III clinical studies that included more than 2,000 patients. The VOYAGE 1, VOYAGE 2, and NAVIGATE studies showed 7 out of ten patients receiving the treatment achieved at least 90 percent improvement in skin clearance at week 16.

The VOYAGE 1 AND VOYAGE 2 trials tested guselkumab against placebo and adalimumab (Humira).

Patients receiving guselkumab experienced significant improvement in skin clearance and greater improvement in symptoms of plaque psoriasis including itch, pain, stinging, burning and skin tightness when compared with placebo at week 16.

In a head-to-head analysis against adalimumab, more than seven out of ten patients treated with guselkumab reported at least 90 percent clearer skin at week 24 compared with more than four out of ten patients treated with adalimumab.

NAVIGATE findings demonstrated the effectiveness of guselkumab in patients who had an inadequate response to treatment with J&Js IL-12 and IL-23 antagonist ustekinumab (Stelara). At week 28, 31 percent of guselkumab-treated patients were considered cleared or almost cleared versus 14 percent of ustekinumab-treated patients 12 weeks after randomization to continue ustekinumab or transition to guselkumab.

Tremfya represents a significant milestone in the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis as evidenced by the proven skin clearance demonstrated in the majority of study patients receiving this IL-23specific therapy at week 16 and up to week 48," said Andrew Blauvelt, M.D., M.B.A., President of Oregon Medical Research Center, and study investigator in the companys announcement. "We continue to make progress in understanding the science of psoriasis and the important role IL-23 plays in the pathogenesis of this disease, which is another reason why today's approval of Tremfya is exciting, both as a researcher and a practicing dermatologist."

"The approval of new and effective treatment options is always welcome news for the plaque psoriasis patient community, as not all patients respond similarly to currently available treatments," said Michael Siegel, Ph.D., Vice President of Research Programs for the National Psoriasis Foundation in a statement from Janssen. "For the more than one million Americans living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, the approval of Tremfya is a meaningful addition and offers physicians and patients an effective new, first-in-class therapy that selectively inhibits IL-23."

There is an ongoing Phase III study evaluating guselkumab as a treatment for active psoriatic arthritis and a Phase III trial evaluating efficacy compared to secukinumab (Cosentyx) for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

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FDA Approves Tremfya for Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis – P&T Community

Posted: at 3:44 am

FDA Approves Tremfya for Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis
P&T Community
The FDA has approved guselkumab (Tremfya, Janssen Biotech) for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. Tremfya is the first approved biologic therapy that selectively ...

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