The Latest
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Deep Dive
After a record run, fewer biotechs are going public. Here’s how they’re performing.
Adlai Nortye’s IPO is the 16th for a biotechnology company this year, and raised a smaller amount than it had pitched in early August.
Updated Sept. 11, 2023 -
Sponsored by Viatris
Driving innovation to benefit people living with MS
A holistic approach to R&D is key to support MS patients throughout their treatment journey.
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PTC to lay off more staff following drug setback in Europe
The biotech is expanding cuts it announced a few months ago after the EMA decided against renewing a conditional clearance for its drug Translarna.
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Karuna submits schizophrenia drug for US approval
The drug’s success in two late-stage clinical trials has buoyed Karuna to a market valuation exceeding $6 billion.
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (2020). "Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2" [Micrograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
Gritstone wins ‘Project NextGen’ funding to run head-to-head COVID vaccine study
In a note to clients, Evercore ISI analyst Jonathan Miller described the Project NextGen contract for Gritstone as “certainly a nice signal of continued government support for COVID research.”
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Harbinger Health raises $140M to study blood-based cancer screening test
The test developer will use the Series B funding to complete a 10,000-person clinical trial ahead of a planned launch in 2025.
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Deep Dive
Biotech M&A is picking back up. Here are the latest deals.
While Alfasigma’s bid for Intercept comes at an 82% premium to Monday’s close, the proposed $19 per share price is well below what the stock was worth a few years ago.
Updated Sept. 26, 2023 -
Roche bets on Ionis RNA medicines with neuroscience deal
The Swiss drugmaker is restocking its pipeline by buying into preclinical Ionis medicines for Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases.
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Q&A
Inside Bavarian Nordic’s late-stage stumbles — and drive to become a vaccine giant
Despite the company's recent Phase 3 setbacks in RSV and COVID, CEO Paul Chaplin sees a path forward for the Danish biotech in the travel vaccine market.
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ProQR sale of eye drugs comes undone over employment contracts
Laboratoires Théa terminated its planned purchase of ProQR’s sepofarsen after certain ProQR personnel opted against working for the French company.
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Former Novartis executive Tsai to lead UK heart drug startup
John Tsai, previously Novartis’ chief medical officer, has been named CEO of Forcefield Therapeutics, an 18-month-old biotech that recently licensed AAV technology from Freeline Therapeutics.
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Immunovant data show potential for autoimmune disease drug
Much anticipated clinical trial data for Immunovant’s experimental FcRn inhibitor could catalyze business development decisions for its parent, Roivant Sciences.
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Novo Nordisk, Evotec partner in metabolic disease drug discovery pact
Hunting for more metabolic disease drugs, Novo plans to work with Evotec to shape early academic research into new development programs.
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Novartis radiopharmaceutical drug succeeds in first-line gut cancer study
Novartis has made a large investment in targeted radiotherapies, sparking competition from fellow pharma companies and young biotechs.
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ALS drug development
FDA staff hold ‘major concerns’ with Brainstorm ALS therapy, documents show
A panel of expert FDA advisers is meeting today to discuss the treatment, and whether Brainstorm’s data provide “substantial evidence” of its effectiveness.
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New Alzheimer's drugs
Eisai’s Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi approved in Japan
Eisai and Biogen’s anti-amyloid drug is still undergoing regulatory reviews in the EU, U.K. and elsewhere.
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Latest trial win supports expanded use of Bristol Myers’ Opdivo in lung cancer
The drug, which is already cleared as a neoadjuvant lung cancer treatment, could better compete with Merck’s Keytruda if it gains approval in the adjuvant setting for non-small cell tumors.
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Seagen’s cancer drug succeeds in ‘must-win’ trial
Compared to chemotherapy, a combination of Seagen’s Padcev and Merck’s Keytruda was significantly better at keeping bladder cancer patients alive longer and their disease from progressing.
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AstraZeneca and Daiichi’s next cancer medicine scores in breast tumors
Results show that the medicine helped patients who progressed on earlier-line treatments live longer than those receiving chemotherapy without their disease getting worse, according to a Friday announcement.
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Intarcia’s diabetes drug-device combo voted down again by FDA panel
The 19-member advisory committee unanimously voted against Intarcia in the review, citing cardiovascular and kidney safety concerns.
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Cell therapy developer closes funding round to support diabetes program
More than $50 million in venture funding has now gone into Seraxis, which is among a series of biotechs trying to fundamentally alter diabetes treatment.
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Novo Nordisk parent backs cell therapy manufacturing facility
The Novo Nordisk Foundation’s planned manufacturing facility will help both private companies and academic researchers develop new cell therapies.
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Genentech takes up a deal to make ‘molecular glue’ drugs
Targeted protein degradation has emerged as one of the more competitive areas of pharmaceutical research in recent years as scientists develop new ways to reach difficult-to-drug targets.
Updated Sept. 20, 2023 -
Roche’s Genentech bets on radiopharmaceuticals in partnership with PeptiDream
The new deal expands on a yearslong partnership between the two drug developers to advance targeted radioisotopes for certain cancers.
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Taysha drops lead gene therapy following FDA feedback
Additional studies proposed by the FDA would be too challenging, according to Taysha, which simultaneously announced that its partner Astellas has declined to pick up an option for the therapy, called TSHA-120.
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Alvotech gets new FDA review for Humira biosimilar
The regulator has twice rejected Alvotech’s copycat drug due to manufacturing issues with a plant in Europe.