Despite a patent extension, Merck’s muscle relaxant reversal injection is now facing potential generic competition from Hikma Pharmaceuticals, which is seeking the FDA’s approval for a copycat version. Merck in an SEC filing disclosed on Monday that Hikma Pharmaceuticals U.S. is seeking the FDA’s approval for its generic version of the muscle relaxant reversal injection Bridion (sugammadex) prior to the drug’s patent expiration. Hikma notified Merck of its intention on Feb. 5, 2024, according to the SEC filing. The British pharma is making its regulatory request under the Hatch-Waxman Act—also known as the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984—which established the approval pathway for generics.

First mirror-image cyclodextrins come together ‘like Lego’ BY ANDY EXTANCE5 APRIL 2024 The first L-cyclodextrins have been synthesised in the lab – these rings of six to eight sugar units are the mirror-image structures of more common D-cyclodextrins. Fraser Stoddart’s team at Northwestern University in the US used a straightforward one-pot strategy to make the substances in half-gram amounts. D-cyclodextrins have been known for over 130 years but no one had been able to make L-cyclodextrins until now ‘We have made L-cyclodextrins in a very efficient and scalable manner,’ says Yong Wu, who synthesised the compounds. ‘We optimised a lot of the conditions, and we got quite remarkable results. This strategy is very straightforward, like Lego.’ ‘The discovery of a missing piece of the cyclodextrin jigsaw puzzle sets the stage for scientists to explore the mirror-image world of naturally occurring cyclodextrins,

Chemists love to tinker with cyclodextrins (CDs)—macrocyclic daisy chains of glucose molecules that feature a hydrophobic core surrounded by a hydrophilic exterior. They’ve been used to encapsulate drugs, in air fresheners to sop up smelly molecules, and in water purification systems to capture and destroy micropollutants. Structure of alpha-L-cyclodextrin Now, more than 130 years after their discovery, CDs are finally getting a glimpse of their mirror image. For the first time, chemists have synthesized L-CDs using the unnatural sugar L-glucose.

L-cyclodextrins synthesized in the lab for the first time A team of chemists at Northwestern University has successfully synthesized three L-cyclodextrins in the lab for the first time. In their study, published in the journal Nature Synthesis, the group used a one-pot strategy to achieve the feat.

Molecular light switch speeds up tricky cyclodextrin synthesis Because it is so difficult to make, γ-cyclodextrin is about 10 times more expensive than the six-glucose α-cyclodextrin A light-activated molecular switch could drive down the cost of a useful, but difficult to make γ-cyclodextrin.

What to know about horse chestnut Horse chestnut is a tree that produces spiny-shelled fruits containing seeds, known as conkers. These may have some health benefits, for instance in treating varicose veins and hemorrhoids. However, they may also have adverse effects.