News

The FDA outright refuses to review Moderna’s mRNA-based flu vaccine as CBER director Vinay Prasad’s conduct is scrutinized; Disc Medicine receives an unexpected rejection, which Prasad may also have had a hand in; Compass Pathways posts new late-stage data on its psilocybin-based depression drug; CDC is once again leaderless.
FEATURED STORIES
Competing with giants like Takeda and Moderna, the plucky biotech believes it has unlocked a future with an easy, yearly oral vaccine.
The limited supply of this common reagent is set to drive drug prices higher, but there are ways for companies to lessen the impact.
Suppliers are investing in production to support deals with AstraZeneca, Bayer and other drugmakers that are advancing radioisotope-based cancer therapies.
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Follow along as BioSpace tracks job cuts and restructuring initiatives.
FROM OUR EDITORS
Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
FDA
The FDA’s refusal to review Moderna’s mRNA-based flu vaccine is part of a larger communications crisis unfolding at the agency over the past nine months that has also ensnarled Sarepta, Capricor, uniQure and many more.
THE LATEST
Altimmune’s obesity candidate pemvidutide strongly preserved lean muscle mass, with fat accounting for more than 78% of weight lost by participants in a Phase II study.
Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy elicited greater weight loss in women than in men with heart failure, according to data presented Sunday at the American Diabetes Association’s 2024 Scientific Sessions.
The combined company began trading Friday under the Nasdaq symbol TECX. A $130 million private placement was also completed, with a cash runway into mid-2027.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ calcium channel modulator suvecaltamide in a mid-stage trial was unable to significantly lower tremor burden in patients with essential tremor, the company reported Thursday.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ three cystic fibrosis drugs—Kaftrio/Trikafta, Symkevi and Orkambi—will now be available through England’s National Health Service, following the signing of a long-term reimbursement agreement.
Vanda Pharmaceuticals has rejected two unsolicited takeover offers, saying that they are “opportunistic attempts” to acquire the biotech at a heavily discounted price.
FDA
While Thursday’s label expansion and traditional approval for the gene therapy is an important milestone, many challenges still face the Duchenne muscular dystrophy community.
Zealand Pharma’s petrelintide cut body weight by more than 8% on average, with a good overall safety and tolerability profile.
FDA
On the heels of a Phase III flop for Pfizer’s Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy candidate, the FDA has green lighted the expanded use of Sarepta Therapeutics’ Elevidys.
The pharma industry is staring down the barrel of a widespread loss of exclusivity, with more than 190 products going off-patent between 2022 and 2030. Here are some strategies company are employing to manage the drop in revenue.