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Alternatives to opioids are desperately needed to better treat moderate to severe acute pain, but to date, we’ve seen few novel analgesics hit the market.
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IPO
LB Pharma needed $350 million to advance a promising schizophrenia candidate at a time when the biotech markets were locked up tight. Fortunately, it wasn’t CEO Heather Turner’s first rodeo.
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.
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FDA
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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Presented at this week’s European Congress on Obesity, the two studies also demonstrate that Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) provides cardiovascular benefits irrespective of starting weight and the amount of weight lost.
Crackdowns on drug pricing have forced one major insulin out of the market. Are more to come?
Takeda on Monday said it is paying AC Immune $100 million upfront for an option on a Phase Ib/II Alzheimer’s disease candidate that could activate the immune system to clear amyloid beta plaques.
A pre-planned analysis revealed patients receiving the vibostolimab-Keytruda coformulation in a late-stage trial had a high rate of dropouts due to immune-related adverse events, Merck announced Monday.
The major biopharma players have promised to increase their investments in France to help boost their respective global manufacturing and R&D capabilities, with Sanofi committing more than $1 billion.
Results from a Phase I study presented Friday at the ASGCT 2024 annual meeting showed that despite a good safety profile, Excision BioTherapeutics’ HIV gene editor failed to suppress viral activity.
An updated draft of the BIOSECURE Act introduced on Friday would give U.S. drug manufacturers additional leeway for existing contracts with certain Chinese “companies of concern” until 2032.
Two of the five fatalities were found to be unrelated to MacroGenics’ investigational antibody-drug conjugate vobra duo, while the other three are still under investigation.
While these technologies are now a therapeutic reality, the ASGCT 2024 annual meeting this week was a reminder of just how far we are from widespread use.
Anticipating approval for its COPD therapy ensifentrine, Verona has entered into a $650 million financing deal with Oaktree Capital Management and OMERS Life Sciences.