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At the BIO International Convention in San Diego, attendees marked the 50th anniversary of original biotech Genentech, reflecting on the immense challenges facing companies as China becomes a powerhouse innovator.
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A recent FDA reversal sparked new hope for patients with Huntington’s disease. Flying under the radar, Skyhawk Therapeutics revealed 12-month functional data from a midstage trial of its own candidate showing improvements on a key disease measurement scale.
Recent approvals for Corcept Therapeutics and Merck have injected momentum into the space, where GSK, Allarity Therapeutics, OSE Immunotherapies and others are advancing their own candidates.
The FDA plans to hold an advisory committee meeting to discuss Capricor Therapeutics’ application for deramiocel, which the agency rejected last July. The news surprised CEO Linda Marbán, who told BioSpace the FDA has not communicated any issues of concern with the company’s resubmitted application.
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If cell and gene therapy makers are going to achieve their mission to improve patients’ lives, the industry must come together to share information across stakeholders, from regulators to manufacturers to payers.
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The company expects that the U.S. COVID-19 vaccination rate will be “maybe a couple of points lower” than the prior level of around 20% but that pricing and Comirnaty’s market share will hold steady.
The pivotal Phase II trial is testing Allogene’s CAR T candidate cemacabtagene ansegedleucel for large B-cell lymphoma. ALLO-647 was being used as a preparative lymphodepletion therapy.
Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services scrapped a previous proposal, from the Biden administration, to include anti-obesity medications in Medicare Part D coverage.
After decades of limited progress—owing to the difficulty of treating the disease and resultant market risk—glioblastoma research is entering a new phase spurred by smarter trials, targeted funding and renewed interest from companies like Merck and Jazz Pharmaceuticals.
A ripple effect of the NIH’s slashed 2026 budget will be felt throughout the biopharma ecosystem. Young companies must act now to weather the storm.
FDA
Sarepta and Capricor learned of key regulatory decisions from the media and investors, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy families have turned to the news for answers. Meanwhile, the FDA insists it remains committed to notifying companies of any regulatory action before sharing information with the media or public.
Delays in the decision dates for high-dose Eylea are linked to issues at a Catalent-owned facility. Once these are resolved, Regeneron expects “to receive favorable action” on these applications, CEO Leonard Schleifer told investors.
A U.K. Court of Appeals ruling confirms the validity of a patent covering modifications of mRNA used in Moderna’s vaccines.
It’s not often that a CEO outright dismisses M&A prospects, but Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel says the mRNA biotech has enough programs on its hands.
FDA
The FDA has denied that it plans to combine the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research into one entity.