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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.
FDA
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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Studies presented Monday at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting show semaglutide has positive impact on outcomes for total hip arthroplasty patients.
Plus, tips for finding biophama job opportunities, and when and how to follow up after a job interview.
The startup will use the money to fund a Phase II trial in combination with Eli Lilly’s Zepbound in the hopes of increased weight loss results, while attempting to protect body composition from muscle wasting.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, Biogen’s revenue from multiple sclerosis drugs fell 8% due to generics competition and the company paid $60 million in close out costs related to Alzheimer’s treatment Aduhelm.
Analysts say Novo Holdings made the right decision last week in scooping up the CDMO to increase manufacturing capacity for Novo Nordisk’s diabetes and weight-loss drugs.
Citing a pipeline review and “evolving” external factors, Roche has returned the potentially best-in-class camonsertib to Repare Therapeutics, which will continue to evaluate the asset in various tumor types.
Following Biogen’s $7.3 billion acquisition of Reata Pharmaceuticals in July 2023, the drug on Monday was approved in the European Union for treating the rare genetic disorder that causes progressive damage to the nervous system.
AVP-786 was unable to significantly reduce total scores in the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory versus placebo, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals reported Monday. The company is evaluating the next steps for the drug combination.
On Monday, the Biden administration got an early victory in pharma’s legal challenge to the Inflation Reduction Act, with a Texas judge dismissing a complaint from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
On Friday, the regulator greenlit Iovance’s lifileucel to treat advanced melanoma. Prior to the approval, experts told BioSpace that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes therapies also hold the potential to treat several other solid tumors.