BioSpace News Archive

Drug Development

After Five Potential Blockbuster Wins This Year, Novartis Sees 25 More on Its Horizon

Over the course of the past year, Novartis has seen significant success with the approval of five drugs that have blockbuster potential and the company sees an additional 25 potential blockbuster drugs in its pipeline.

December 6, 2019
·
3 min read
·
Alex Keown
Drug Development

Biogen Alzheimer’s Plans Met with Hope, Some Skepticism

Biogen’s plan to seek regulatory approval for aducanumab as a potential new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease is being met with hope for a needed therapy for a dreaded disease, but also some skepticism regarding its long-term efficacy and, ultimately, potential.

December 6, 2019
·
4 min read
·
Alex Keown
Business

Veritas Genetics Lays Off 50, Ceases US Operations in Light of Weak Investments

Veritas Genetics was offering whole-genome sequencing for about $600, going head-to-head with companies like 23andMe and Ancestry.com. Earlier this week there were reports the company laid off 50 staffers and now they’ve announced they are ending operations in the U.S.

December 6, 2019
·
2 min read
·
Mark Terry
BioForest

Clinical Catch-Up: December 2-5

It was, as usual, a pretty busy week in clinical trial news. Here’s a look.

December 6, 2019
·
10 min read
·
Mark Terry
Business

Alexion Board Rejects Stakeholder Recommendation to Sell the Company

Shares of Alexion Pharmaceuticals have jumped nearly 5% after the company’s board of directors rejected a push for a sale of the company from one of its largest stakeholders, U.K.-based Elliott Advisors, Ltd.

December 6, 2019
·
2 min read
·
Alex Keown
Policy

Prescription Drug Prices Dip Slightly in the U.S., the First Time in 45 Years

Prescription drug prices dropped 1% last year, the first time such a drop has occurred in the United States in 45 years. The drop was driven primarily by a greater reliance on generic drugs and much slower increases in branded drugs, according to a government study.

December 6, 2019
·
2 min read
·
Alex Keown
Drug Development

FerGene’s Bladder Cancer Phase III Trial Hits Its Mark

FerGene, a gene therapy company formed by Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Blackstone Life Sciences, reported that its Phase III trial of nadofaragene firadenovec (rAd-IFN/Syn3) met its primary endpoint.

December 6, 2019
·
2 min read
·
Mark Terry
Policy

Gilead Fends Off Monopoly Accusation from HIV Advocacy Group PrEP4All

Earlier this week, an HIV-prevention advocacy group, PrEP4All Collaboration, filed a petition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) alleging that Gilead Sciences intentionally delayed the development of a safer HIV drug.

December 6, 2019
·
3 min read
·
Mark Terry
Drug Development

Ipsen, Enzyvant Hit with Setbacks from the FDA This Week

Shares of France-based Ipsen are down more than 2% on the Euronext Paris exchange after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration placed a partial clinical hold on its investigational treatment for fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) and multiple osteochondromas (MO).

December 6, 2019
·
2 min read
·
Alex Keown
Business

CENTOGENE Expands Executive Leadership Team with the appointment of Philip Lambert, PhD

CENTOGENE announced the expansion of its executive leadership team with the appointment of Philip Lambert, PhD in Cambridge, MA as Chief Scientific Officer.

December 6, 2019
·
5 min read