Keyword: drug development

The research group of Professor Riitta Lahesmaa have discovered a novel modulator for human regulatory T cells. This novel regulator can strengthen or dampen immune response and provides a new basis for therapeutic approaches for immune mediated diseases. The Lahesmaa group is based at Turku Bioscience Centre of the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University and is part of the InFLAMES Research Flagship.

Researchers at the University of Turku have uncovered how the new bexmarilimab therapy alters the function of immune cells so that they can infiltrate the tumour in cancer patients who do not respond to any other current therapies.

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), also known as the squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, is the most common form of metastatic skin cancer. The incidence of cSCC is increasing worldwide with millions of new cases diagnosed each year. The prognosis of metastatic cSCC is poor as there are currently no effective targeted treatments available. New study conducted at the University of Turku, Finland, shows that plixorafenib, a new drug developed for treating melanoma and lung cancer, can also stop the progression of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

The higher education institutions of the Turku region together with Bayer organised a Corporate Corner event in Medisiina D and Visitor and Innovation Centre Joki on Monday, 10 October 2022. The event set out to discover new collaboration opportunities in the fields of pharmaceutical research, product development, and manufacturing technology. The event also featured an interactive and gamified drug development simulation organised in Visitor and Innovation Centre Joki in the afternoon.

Does Finland need its own drug development and manufacturing or will Europe take care of us even in the event of a crisis? Is the security of medicine supply guaranteed? These and other topics will be discussed in the InFLAMES panel discussion at the science day of the Turku Europe Forum on 24 August. The panel is organised at the Marina Palace at 11.30am-12.15pm. The discussion will be interpreted into English.

Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru signed an agreement on the establishment of the national Drug Development Centre (Kansallinen lääkekehityskeskus Oy) on Friday, 4 February 2022. The establishment of the national Drug Development Centre in Turku will promote competitive drug development, and it will serve the researchers in the whole country, for example in universities, research centres, and hospitals.

InFLAMES (Innovation Ecosystem based on the Immune System) is a Finnish research flagship that aims at identifying novel drug targets using the most modern technological platforms and finding novel diagnostic tools to identify the patients benefitting from personalised therapies.

The InFLAMES Flagship of the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University has invited four recognised experts in their fields as visiting professors. The expertise in the Flagship will be strengthened by Professor Petter Brodin, Professor Sarah Coupland, Dr Simon Goodman, and Professor Reijo Salonen. Their terms will last until the end of 2024.

Docent Juha Laine has been appointed as Professor of Practice in Pharmacoeconomics and Dr. Timo Veromaa Professor of Practice in Drug Development. The appointments strengthen the operations of the InFLAMES Flagship, joint effort of the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, funded by the Academy of Finland. Both professors of practice have been offered part-time positions for the duration of the InFLAMES Flagship funding period.