Margarida Azevedo, MSc,  —

Margarida graduated with a BS in Health Sciences from the University of Lisbon and a MSc in Biotechnology from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST-UL). She worked as a molecular biologist research associate at a Cambridge UK-based biotech company that discovers and develops therapeutic, fully human monoclonal antibodies.

Articles by Margarida Azevedo

EMA Weighs Easing Clinical Trial Demands to Speed Testing of Hemophilia Therapies

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is considering lowering the minimum number of patients required in clinical trials of potential hemophilia treatments because of “dramatic” increases in hemophilia research and concerns about the availability of patients for rare diseases like hemophilia A. “EMA began the process after becoming concerned that the minimum…

New Data on Hemophilia Drug Candidate Emicizumab Presented by Genentech at 2016 World Congress

Genentech recently presented positive Phase 1/2 extension results for its investigational hemophilia A medicine, emicizumab, at the 2016 World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) World Congress in Orlando, Florida. Emicizumab is being developed by Genentech (a Roche company) and Chugai Pharmaceutical. The latest data analysis continued to show a promising profile…

FDA Approves Easier Preparation System for Hemophilia A Patients on Adynovate Therapy

Shire recently announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its Baxject III reconstitution system for Adynovate, an approved treatment for Hemophilia A. This system will allow patients and caregivers to prepare the therapy with fewer steps, minimizing the chances for possible errors. Adynovate is a recombinant Factor VIII (rFVIII) treatment with…

Gene Therapy for Severe Hemophilia A, BMN 270, Showing Early Promise in Clinical Trial

BioMarin Pharmaceuticals presented positive interim data from an open-label Phase 1/2 clinical trial of BMN 270, an investigational gene therapy for severe hemophilia A. The promising results, presented at the XXXII International Congress of the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH), showed that patients had improved and sustained clotting function. BMN 270 is designed to alter…

FDA Grants Breakthrough Designation for Hemophilia B Treatment

The US Food and Drug Administration has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to biotech Spark Therapeutics and pharmacology giant Pfizer for the hemophilia B treatment SPK-9001. The designation allows expedited development and FDA review of the gene therapy currently undergoing a Phase 1/2 trial as a potential one-time therapy. The trial is recruiting patients.

Biogen and Sobi to Present Long-term Data on Hemophilia A and B Therapies at WFH 2016

Biogen and Sobi  announced that they will be presenting updated and long-term data on two approved hemophilia treatments, Eloctate  (marketed as Elocta in Europe) for hemophilia A, and Alprolix for hemophilia B, at the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH)’s 2016 World Congress next week. Specifically, data from separate Phase 3 extension studies evaluating each treatment’s safety and…

CSL to Present New Data on 2 Hemophilia Treatments, Idelvion and Afstyla, at the WFH Congress

CSL Behring announced that new data from studies of two approved treatments for hemophilia — Idelvion and Afstyla, both recombinant coagulation factors — will be presented at the XXXII International Congress of the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) 2016 next week. CSL will present six posters highlighting Idelvion, a long-acting recombinant albumin fusion…