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Read our latest stories on the people and scientific innovations making a difference in patients’ lives.
Science & Innovation
Pursuing the Next Breakthrough in Cancer Cachexia
Cachexia, a complex wasting syndrome, impacts an estimated 9 million people worldwide.[i] In people living with cancer, cachexia can diminish the tolerance of therapies and is linked to reduced survival rates. Currently, there are no FDA-approved treatments targeting its underlying cause.Over time, the way researchers and physicians understand cachexia has evolved, with growing focus on uncovering the biology behind this devastating disease.In an effort to address a critical gap in care and help...
Science & Innovation
Brighter Together: How the Pharmaceutical Industry is Shining a Light on a Rare Cause of Heart Failure
Roughly one in three Americans is at risk for heart failure1, a condition where the heart can no longer effectively pump blood. And one in four will develop heart failure at some point in their lives1. Behind these statistics is a complex issue: the causes of heart failure differ widely among affected individuals. And identifying the underlying cause – especially if it’s rare – can be tricky.Among the less recognized causes is transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, or ATTR-CM, which can mimic...
Science & Innovation
Developing a Path Forward in Cancer Cachexia
Across disciplines, therapeutic areas, and even continents, Pfizer scientists have been working to advance understanding of – and potential treatments for – cachexia, a complex metabolic condition associated with certain chronic conditions, such as cancer, and characterized by severe weight loss, decreased appetite, fatigue, and muscle wasting. Its symptoms can often be misattributed, and there are currently no FDA-approved treatments targeting its root cause.But, over the past decade, the...
Science & Innovation
The Next Era of Decentralized Clinical Trials: The Clinical Trial Anywhere Model
During the early months of 2020, decentralized modalities to conduct clinical trials went mainstream as a solution to a short-term problem: how to continue clinical trials amid pandemic closures. At Pfizer, however, remote trials and the use of digital tools to conduct clinical trials were implemented long before the pandemic. Increased adoption of modalities like telehealth visits became catalysts for how — and where — clinical research could be done.What's more, surveys show that participants...
Science & Innovation
Harnessing the Power of AI to Detect ATTR-CM
Artificial intelligence (AI) has quietly become a part of our daily lives – through personalized recommendations, virtual assistants, or smart devices, we barely notice it anymore. Yet many of us might not realize the advances AI is making in healthcare. From accelerating drug discovery to improving disease detection, it is transforming the way we understand and manage health.AI has had numerous applications in cardiology in recent years, from analyzing results of cardiac imaging tests to...
Science & Innovation
In Search of a New Hemophilia Treatment
Despite significant advancements in hemophilia treatments over the past several decades, a fundamental challenge remains for many patients: balancing management of the disorder while maintaining regular day-to-day activities.Historically, treatments could be cumbersome and time-consuming to administer. They typically required intravenous administration up to several times a week to prevent bleeding episodes.1 Even treatments that could be administered at home required infusions multiple times a...
Science & Innovation
Viral vs Bacterial Infections: Different Pathogens, Different Approaches
When you experience symptoms of an infection such as fever, fatigue, decreased appetite, or pain, knowing whether a virus or bacteria is making you sick may be the key to getting the right treatment and feeling better.1,2Viruses and bacteria are among the most well-known causes of infection.3 Infections occur when viruses or bacteria invade the human host and proliferate.3 But there are some important distinctions between them, and it’s important to determine whether it’s a bacteria or virus...
Science & Innovation
Pharma Peers Unite to Build DNA-Encoded Libraries
Finding tools and hits for targets in drug discovery can feel like hunting for four leaf clovers in a blizzard. And researcher Sylvie Sakata was close to giving up on one discovery tool, DNA-encoded libraries, when a new consortium started to fall into place. Now this technology is garnering more interest for its potential to discover new molecular compounds, known as “hits,” to exponentially impact the early research efforts that can lead to potential new medicines.Sakata is the Head of...
Science & Innovation
What You Need to Know About a Promising Vaccine Candidate that May Stem the Growing Risk of Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States.1 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that state health departments reported over 63,000 cases in 2022.2 However, the CDC uses other methods to estimate that approximately 476,000 people in the U.S. may be diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease annually.2In other words, the estimated number of Lyme disease cases in the U.S. seems to be much higher than what is being reported to public health...
Science & Innovation
A New Road to Migraine Relief
Migraine, a debilitating neurological disorder,1 affects over a billion people globally.2,3 The cause of migraine remains an active area of research–experts believe genetics, the nervous system, and the brain's blood vessels are involved in the condition.4,5 The majority of people have episodic migraine, experiencing between 0-14 days of headache per month.6 On the other hand, those with chronic migraine experience 15 or more days of headaches a month, with at least 8 of those days caused by...
Science & Innovation
In Celebrating 175 Years, Pfizer Challenges Itself to ‘Outdo Yesterday’
Image caption: Site of the Pfizer World Headquarters Building as it Appeared in 1861It started with a breakthrough.The year was 1849, and people everywhere were getting sick to their stomachs. In the days before widespread refrigeration, a simple meal of meat and potatoes could cause intestinal worms. A drug called santonin could kill the parasites, but it tasted so bitter many people avoided it.Charles Pfizer and his cousin, Charles Erhart, had just immigrated to the U.S. from Germany and...
Science & Innovation
Mathematical Sandbox: How Quantitative Systems Pharmacology Steers Safer, Faster Drug Development
Fear and anxiety swirled when Dr. Cynthia J. Musante’s husband contracted COVID-19. He faced agreater risk of coming down with a severe case since he was already unwell.But all their worries vanished in just 24 hours.Dr. Musante recalls that her husband soon started to feel better after being prescribed an investigational oral treatment for those with COVID-19. “It felt like a miracle,” he said. “I had felt so horrible.”As relief settled in, Dr. Musante felt something else: pride.After all, from...
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