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If ultimately confirmed, Makary’s planned departure, broken by The Wall Street Journal Friday afternoon, would follow a controversial tenure in which his deputy and constant co-author Vinay Prasad riled biopharma feathers with myriad unexpected drug rejections. Prasad stepped down as biologics chief last week.
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The Department of Health and Human Services is spinning its wheels, unable to establish steady leadership at three major divisions—the CDC and the FDA’s two primary review units.
FDA
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s health department has consistently touted radical transparency as being key to its mission. Recent instances—the FDA’s decision not to disclose the recipients of three Commissioner’s National Priority Vouchers and FDA and CDC choices not to publish vaccine-related papers—call this intent into question.
In Salt Lake City, biotech founders new and seasoned reflect on ways to ride out the industry’s challenges, such as sending cold emails to investors and learning to address leadership weaknesses.
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With promising early results, cell and gene therapies are making headway against both rare and common ocular and auditory diseases.
The FDA has three regulatory milestones in the next two weeks, including a decision on a subcutaneous formulation of an effective multiple sclerosis therapy.
With gene therapies by REGENXBIO and AbbVie, Adverum and others in mid- or late-stage trials, this therapeutic class could soon be an option for this common cause of blindness in the elderly.
NuCana’s chemotherapy replacement has failed to improve progression-free survival in a Phase II test, sending the biotech’s shares down by 50%.
Despite the added survival benefit for its drug, Alnylam still faces steep competition from Pfizer, whose ATTR-CM therapies have become established treatment options.
Eli Lilly this week announced plans to sell single-dose vials of its weight loss drug Zepbound directly to consumers. Novo Nordisk could adopt a similar strategy for Wegovy as its CEO is set to testify Sept. 24 before the Senate health committee.
J&J gained rights to the FcRn blocker nipocalimab when it acquired Momenta Pharmaceuticals in August 2020 for $6.5 billion.
In agreeing with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, Pennsylvania judge Karen Spencer Marston said the court should first settle questions of gastroparesis diagnosis and sufficient warnings for side effects.
Emergent BioSolutions joins Bavarian Nordic on pharma’s frontline in the fight against the ongoing mpox emergency.
In Texas, the Plano City Council approved a development agreement that supports a planned project that would bring over 3 million square feet of life sciences space to the area.