Introduction:Condom giant sales drop by 40%, with 50% of usage scenarios occurring outside the home; inbound travelers require monkeypox screening; Science: Artificial DNA guides cell, tissue, and organ development… BioExplorer brings you the "pharma" news, exploring the value of biotechnology!
01Condom Giant Sees 40% Drop in Sales, 50% of Usage Occurs Outside the Home
Recently, due to the impact of the pandemic, Malaysia's Karex Bhd, the world’s largest condom manufacturer, faced its first loss since going public in 2013, with global sales dropping by a full 40%. As a result, the company has had to open new production lines and switch to manufacturing gloves. Karex produces 5.5 billion condoms annually, primarily as an OEM supplier for well-known condom brands (such as Durex and Nox), while also operating its own brands.
Kangle predicted at the early stage of the pandemic that, due to economic uncertainty and people being confined to their homes, the demand for condoms would surge as people would take contraceptive measures. However, the actual situation showed a significant drop in the demand for condoms, which was unexpected. Industry insiders believe that the decline in condom sales might be related to usage scenarios: "Under the impact of the pandemic, once lockdowns occur and people can't communicate, (sales) will definitely decrease. Because apart from within the family, condoms have other usage scenarios, and there are quite a few of them." When people's communication and interactions decreased, the frequency of condom use also dropped. In the Chinese market, nearly 50% of condom usage occurs outside the home.
02NHCC: Incoming travelers required to undergo Mpox virus screening
Recently, the National Health Commission of China released the "Technical Guidelines for Monkeypox Prevention and Control (2022 Edition)", which mentioned that during the current quarantine period for incoming travelers, while screening for COVID-19 infections, local authorities should proactively screen incoming travelers for monkeypox virus, especially those who have traveled to countries with reported monkeypox outbreaks within 21 days prior to entry. Close monitoring for rashes should be conducted, and any suspected or probable cases should be promptly reported to the local Center for Disease Control (CDC) in accordance with relevant regulations and transferred to designated medical treatment facilities.
The guideline also mentioned: People returning from epidemic areas should pay attention to self-health monitoring. If symptoms such as rashes appear, they should seek medical attention proactively and inform the attending doctor of their travel history in epidemic areas to aid in diagnosis and treatment. If there has been a history of contact or exposure abroad but no symptoms have appeared yet, they can proactively contact the local disease control center for consultation and registration.
03Science: Artificial DNA Guides Cell, Tissue, and Organ Development
On July 1, a study titled "Synthetic regulatory reconstitution reveals principles of mammalian Hox cluster regulation" was published in Science, confirming how synthetic Hox gene clusters help cells learn and remember their positions in the body. Researchers found that these gene-dense clusters alone contain all the information needed for cells to decode and memorize positional signals. This suggests that the compact nature of Hox gene clusters aids cells in understanding their location, validating a long-standing hypothesis about Hox genes that was previously difficult to confirm. The creation of synthetic DNA and artificial Hox genes paves the way for future research into animal development and human diseases.
04Continuous introduction of favorable policies, biopharmaceuticals continue to rebound from the bottom
On July 5, the A-share market opened high but then declined during the morning session. However, the pharmaceuticals sector bucked the trend and rose. Hong Kong's technology and biotechnology sectors in the Hong Kong stock market also performed notably well. Recently, a series of policies such as the "14th Five-Year Plan for Bioeconomy Development" and the "14th Five-Year Plan for National Health" have been issued intensively, showing clear support from the state for the high-quality development of the innovative drug industry. Coupled with the enormous demand for innovative medicines in China, the long-term development logic of this sector is clear. Focus particularly on high-growth sub-sectors like biotechnology and innovative drugs. Meanwhile, after nearly a year of adjustment, the pharmaceuticals sector is already at a historically low valuation level, making it potentially a high cost-effective interval for allocating to the pharmaceuticals sector.
05FDA Grants Priority Review Status to Alzheimer's Disease Therapy Lecanemab
On July 6, Eisai and Biogen announced that the U.S. FDA has granted Priority Review status to their investigational Alzheimer's disease treatment, lecanemab, with a PDUFA date of January 6, 2023. This therapy targets β-amyloid protofibrils and aims to treat mild cognitive impairment caused by Alzheimer’s disease. The patients it addresses must exhibit amyloid pathology in the brain.
Compiled by | Qiaowei Jun
Typesetting|Mu Zijiu
