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Roche’s obesity candidate achieves 22.5% weight loss in Phase II; Moderna pulls the plug on late-stage vaccine trials as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s anti-vaccine policies and rhetoric continues; and embattled gene therapy maker Sarepta announces new data in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
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With the biopharma industry performing better of late, analysts, executives and other industry watchers are “cautiously optimistic”—a term heard all over the streets of San Francisco at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference earlier this month.
Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK and Merck are contributing drug ingredients as part of their deals with the White House but are keeping many of the terms of their agreements private.
Some 200 rare disease therapies are at risk of losing eligibility for a pediatric priority review voucher, a recent analysis by the Rare Disease Company Coalition shows. That could mean $4 billion in missed revenue for already cash-strapped biotechs.
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The FDA’s rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program missed reauthorization at the last minute in 2024; advocates have been fighting to get it back ever since.
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The major biopharma players have promised to increase their investments in France to help boost their respective global manufacturing and R&D capabilities, with Sanofi committing more than $1 billion.
Results from a Phase I study presented Friday at the ASGCT 2024 annual meeting showed that despite a good safety profile, Excision BioTherapeutics’ HIV gene editor failed to suppress viral activity.
An updated draft of the BIOSECURE Act introduced on Friday would give U.S. drug manufacturers additional leeway for existing contracts with certain Chinese “companies of concern” until 2032.
Two of the five fatalities were found to be unrelated to MacroGenics’ investigational antibody-drug conjugate vobra duo, while the other three are still under investigation.
While these technologies are now a therapeutic reality, the ASGCT 2024 annual meeting this week was a reminder of just how far we are from widespread use.
Anticipating approval for its COPD therapy ensifentrine, Verona has entered into a $650 million financing deal with Oaktree Capital Management and OMERS Life Sciences.
With its $525 million investment, Royalty Pharma will acquire the royalties and milestones for ImmuNext’s anti-CD40 therapy frexalimab, which is currently in Phase III trials for multiple sclerosis.
With 15 patients started across its three gene therapies, bluebird bio claims a 138% year-over-year revenue growth and aims to initiate up to around 100 new patients in the current year.
At a Thursday ASGCT 2024 session, CBER Director Peter Marks made the case for a better, “more convergent” global framework on cell and gene therapies, especially for rare diseases.
The Bay Area–based biotech plans to use the funds to advance two lead programs, one to treat atopic dermatitis and another for immune-mediated diseases.