Advancing Medical Research

Foundations of Science

A Novel Approach to Hemophilia: Stopping the Body’s Natural Clotting Brakes

Our bodies delicately balance clotting and anti-clotting mechanisms, which help to stop bleeding when there’s an injury or dissolve dangerous clots that can form in blood vessels.

But for patients with hemophilia, a rare genetic disease that causes deficiencies in clotting factor VIII or IX, this…

Seeking to Improve Quality of Life for Children with Achondroplasia

For children with achondroplasia, the most common type of dwarfism, scientists are exploring new ways to restore bone growth and potentially address some of the major health complications with the condition, such as spinal problems, swelling in the brain, frequent ear infections and sleep apnea.

Achondroplasia is a rare genetic bone disorder affecting…

Mending Broken Walls: 5 Insights About Gut Health Helping IBD Patients

Our skin is the most visible barrier that separates our bodies from the outside world. But deep inside the body, we have another critical wall, the gut epithelial barrier, which helps to block pathogens and toxins, while selectively allowing nutrients and water to be absorbed.

Meet the New Digital Assistants Transforming Patient Medical Information

Pfizer’s trio of recently launched digital assistants, Medibot in the US, Fabi in Brazil and Maibo in Japan, make it easier for patients and healthcare providers to access medical information. Meet Fabi, a digital assistant with an easy smile and brown curly hair who can make small talk in Portuguese and answer hundreds of questions related to Pfizer’s medicines in Brazil.

Taking a New Tack for Next-Generation IBD Treatments

When biologics to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were first released over two decades ago, they greatly improved quality of life for many patients. But these first-generation therapies have their shortcomings. Fewer than half of patients treated with these inflammation-blocking drugs will be in remission after one year of treatment. These treatments can also suppress the immune system, making patients…

The Rise of RNA: The Cellular Workhorse Behind a New Class of Next-Gen Therapies

In a new Get Science series, we’re exploring how recent insights into RNA’s role in a variety of biological processes are helping scientists develop promising scientific breathroughs that may lead to new medicines for diseases, such as cancer and autoimmune conditions.

The Table of Everything: A Scientist’s Quest to Make Human Genetic Data More User-Friendly

Since the human genome was first sequenced in 2003, scientists have collected a wealth of genetic information that could potentially be used to help create new medicines. Remarkably, as sequencing technology gets faster and cheaper, the amount of human genetic data now doubles every seven…

How RNA Technology Could Revolutionize Vaccine Production

Every year, millions of people get the flu shot. Although the vaccine provides protection for many people, some people still get the flu, in part, because the influenza vaccine production cycle starts at least six months in advance of the flu season. And while the World Health Organization’s selection is based on surveillance data collected from around the world, the strains in the vaccine do not always match those…

Partnering to Turn the 'Undruggable' into Promising Targets

In the world of drug discovery, “undruggable” targets are like the stubborn children of biology, proteins that are considered too challenging to bind with conventional molecules. With the rapid pace of scientific advancement, however, the “undruggable” targets of yesterday now represent a promising new area of research.