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As big pharmas including Takeda and Novo Nordisk flee the cell therapy space and smaller biotechs shutter their operations, these players are sticking around to take the modality as far as it can go.
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A week into his tenure as head of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, experts agree that Rick Pazdur is the “ideal fit” to stabilize the agency. And, according to one ex-FDA official, if his CBER counterpart Vinay Prasad tries to supersede Pazdur’s authority, “there will be hell to pay.”
The introduction of AbbVie’s hepatitis C drugs in 2014 forced Gilead’s hand in the fight for market dominance in hepatitis C. A similar dynamic is now playing out between Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk in the obesity space, with some key differences.
The industry’s ability to generate a return on billions of dollars of investment rests on a heavily regulated supply chain defined by time-pressured logistics.
Job Trends
1 in 5 respondents either have had or do have a fractional role, according to a recent BioSpace poll, and over half are considering it. Two recruitment experts, a fractional worker and an aspiring fractional worker share their insights.
FROM OUR EDITORS
Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
After Sarepta reported the death of a patient who had recently taken the gene therapy Elevidys, patient advocacy group Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy stepped up—as they always do.
THE LATEST
Mixed headlines have plagued the cell and gene therapy space of late. We believe that a renewed case of optimism is not only warranted but essential if these therapies are to reach their full potential.
Since July, several biotechs have been forced to pivot as previous agreements with the FDA around evidence required for approval were reversed, a phenomenon that, according to experts, could portend a more restrictive regulator.
The regulator has received reports that a group of patients treated with Adzynma had neutralizing antibodies against the protein the therapy replaces.
After revoking Sarepta’s award in July and awarding one to Krystal last month, the FDA’s platform technology designation program appears to be back on track. These six biotechs could be on the regulator’s radar.
While expressing disappointment, William Blair analysts were unsurprised by the Phase II failure, having assigned the VISTA study a high level of risk given the “mixed” performance of a similar drug in a prior multiple sclerosis study.
After GSK subsidiary Tesaro filed a lawsuit Thursday claiming that AnaptysBio breached “certain requirements” under their 2014 license agreement involving GSK’s Jemperli, Anaptys responded Friday morning.
Amid an aggressive savings push, Moderna has cut three assets and taken on a loan to increase “flexibility.”
A new analysis from Jefferies shows that drugs receiving breakthrough designations sail through the regulatory process more quickly, on top of frequently winning approval.
The drugmaker’s dominance of the obesity market is fueling predictions that years of growth lie ahead.
Aspen is now also considering the possibility of an initial public offering next year in an effort to bring its cell therapy to the market.