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If ultimately confirmed, Makary’s planned departure, broken by The Wall Street Journal Friday afternoon, would follow a controversial tenure in which his deputy and constant co-author Vinay Prasad riled biopharma feathers with myriad unexpected drug rejections. Prasad stepped down as biologics chief last week.
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The Department of Health and Human Services is spinning its wheels, unable to establish steady leadership at three major divisions—the CDC and the FDA’s two primary review units.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s health department has consistently touted radical transparency as being key to its mission. Recent instances—the FDA’s decision not to disclose the recipients of three Commissioner’s National Priority Vouchers and FDA and CDC choices not to publish vaccine-related papers—call this intent into question.
In Salt Lake City, biotech founders new and seasoned reflect on ways to ride out the industry’s challenges, such as sending cold emails to investors and learning to address leadership weaknesses.
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Antibody-drug conjugate Adcetris, when used with rituximab or lenalidomide, improved overall survival in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Pfizer secured access to Seagen’s ADC in March 2023.
The regulator’s new draft guidance, released on Monday, provides additional details regarding the use of surrogate and biomarker endpoints to support accelerated approvals.
In Monday’s neurology update for investors, Roche touted data from a small Ib/IIa trial for trontinemab, an investigational therapy for Alzheimer’s disease which demonstrated “rapid and robust” amyloid plaque reduction.
Acadia Pharmaceuticals is terminating development of its antipsychotic drug pimavanserin, which did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement over placebo in the late-stage study’s primary endpoint.
Alkermes spun off its oncology business in late 2023 to become a pure-play neuroscience company, while Jazz Pharmaceuticals continues to invest in and focus on both of its businesses.
Incyte’s povorcitinib met both primary and secondary endpoints to relieve itching and improve skin clearance by 16 weeks, suggesting efficacy that is competitive with Sanofi and Regeneron’s blockbuster Dupixent.
Boehringer Ingelheim has paid $27.3 million upfront to Sosei Heptares to develop a small molecule agonist of GPR52 to treat the positive, negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.
The Chinese biopharma company will be closing its U.S. headquarters and wet lab in the D.C. suburbs, according to scientists who recently lost their jobs.
With Monday’s FDA rejection of their long-acting glatiramer acetate formulation, Viatris and Mapi Pharma continue the biopharma industry’s recent losing streak in multiple sclerosis.
Early Phase IIb data from 66 patients showed Novartis’ BTK inhibitor remibrutinib has potential outside chronic spontaneous urticaria, leading to symptomatic relief in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa.