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The rescheduling of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices comes amid fresh leadership upheaval at the CDC as NIH director Jay Bhattacharya replaces Jim O’Neill as acting head of the agency.
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Rare disease drug developers struggle to survive in a biopharma investment market that prioritizes large patient populations. Initiatives like the Orphan Therapeutics Accelerator are attempting to solve what CEO Craig Martin says is not a science problem, but a math problem.
Eli Lilly’s win in a head-to-head trial drove Novo Nordisk’s market cap to pre-Wegovy levels not long after the victor became the first pharma company to top a $1 trillion valuation. It seems one company can do no right, while the other can do no wrong.
Corsera Health’s Chief Operating Officer Rena Denoncourt and CFO Meredith Kaya speak with BioSpace about the biotech’s mission and vision for the next generation of cardiovascular care.
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Following the FDA’s refusal to review Moderna’s investigational mRNA flu vaccine last week, Commissioner Marty Makary faced questions from the U.S. president about the agency’s handling of vaccines. It’s a clear signal that the tension long brewing at the drug regulator has now gone all the way to the top.
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If approved, uniQure’s gene therapy AMT-130—which slowed disease progression by 75%—would be the first genetic treatment for Huntington’s disease. A BLA submission is planned for the first quarter of 2026.
The issues the regulator found include the failure to comprehensively review complaints and product defects.
Lilly expects to open 615 high-wage roles in Texas in connection with its new facility, plus around 4,000 construction roles.
The regulatory action marks the second rejection for a spinal muscular atrophy therapy this week after Scholar Rock’s apitegromab was issued a complete response letter on Tuesday, similarly on manufacturing grounds.
The FDA is hoping to repurpose GSK’s Wellcovorin for cerebral folate deficiency; Pfizer acquired fast-moving weight-loss startup Metsera for nearly $5 billion after suffering a hat trick of R&D failures; psychedelics are primed for M&A action and Eli Lilly may be next in line; RFK Jr.’s revamped CDC advisory committee met last week with confounding results; and Stealth secured its Barth approval.
While last week’s recommended changes by CDC advisors to the MMRV vaccine schedule are unlikely to have a tangible effect on Merck’s business, the company said the removal of choice for healthcare providers is “concerning.”
In its rejection letter, the FDA flagged problems at a third-party fill-finish site owned by Novo Nordisk. Issues at this site have previously been investigated by the regulator.
The agency also pointed to the use of Tylenol and other acetaminophen products during pregnancy as being potentially linked to neurological and developmental defects in children, following a press conference Monday in which President Donald Trump did the same.
An advisory committee last year found that Zynquista’s benefit-risk profile in type 1 diabetes was unfavorable due to cases of diabetic ketoacidosis.
By improving gait stability, Ionis’ zilganersen could be “potentially disease modifying,” according to analysts at William Blair.