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The cornerstone of the deal is Ixo-vec, an intravitreal gene therapy currently in Phase III development for wet age-related macular degeneration. Eli Lilly made another foray into genetic medicine in June, picking up Verve Therapeutics for up to $1.3 billion.
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The patient-specific nature of autologous cell therapies presents unique challenges that can best be addressed by a middle path between on-site and centralized manufacturing.
Some observers see risks to becoming over-reliant on local facilities, noting the potential need for trade partners if domestic production is disrupted.
After decades without much movement, a handful of new treatments for this rare autoimmune disease are now approved, and several companies, including argenx and Regeneron, have recently released promising late-stage trial results.
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Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
Unpredictable communication and a lack of transparency are eroding the industry’s and the public’s trust. The FDA, experts agree, needs to take control of the narrative.
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While the benefits of AI are clear, the amount data sets needed for effective AI integration is proving to be a challenge. This is particularly true for cell therapy companies as they are eagerly seeking ways to reduce development costs. Two experts at Charles River Laboratories provide insights by giving their takeaways from their own AI integrations.
To drive true innovation in drug development, executives must not let excitement about the latest shiny object obscure ultimate outcomes.
FDA
Heading into the final quarter of a year that has seen dramatic upheaval at the FDA—from the exodus of numerous senior leaders to unclear policy changes and a safety saga that engulfed the gene therapy space—drug approvals appear roughly on par with recent years.
Therapies from industry leaders BioMarin and Ascendis Pharma supply a key hormone that promotes bone growth. In order to move the field forward, challengers are looking to address the underlying cause of the rare, genetic disease.
The British pharmaceutical giant has joined the direct-to-consumer push, following Pfizer and Amgen’s announcements in response to the president’s calls to lower U.S. drug prices.
A new version of the controversial bill removes the specific company names that were included in a previous iteration but still requires the industry to ditch Chinese biotech contractors in order to receive federal dollars.
Investor reaction to the deal was muted, with BMO Capital Markets analysts saying they “continue to look for more” from Bristol Myers Squibb before they can “get excited about the near term turnaround story.”
AviadoBio will have the option to exclusively license UGX-202, a vision-restoring gene therapy for the rare eye condition retinitis pigmentosa.
GoodRx, an online platform that offers drug discount coupons to patients, is in talks with the government to participate in the forthcoming TrumpRx program.
The British proposal to increase support for pharma is “clearly positive,” according to analysts at Leerink, who noted that the NHS’ move will improve patient access to treatments.