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Biogen’s new data, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, supports a tau-focused approach to the intractable neurodegenerative disease; psychedelics are back in the news with more positive data from Compass Pathways and final guidance from the FDA; and the ATTR-CM space got a major shakeup with the late-stage failure of AstraZeneca and Ionis’ antisense therapeutic.
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Biopharma is entering its second-quarter earnings season riding high on a wave of massive deals and venture capital flow, plus a clearing of regulatory and policy overhangs. What can industry watchers expect to hear on the upcoming investor calls?
Biogen touted an “unprecedented” drop in tau in a Phase 2 trial, backing the company’s decision to take diranersen to Phase 3 despite a missed primary endpoint and seemingly supporting the anti-tau approach.
As antibody-drug conjugates advance and move into earlier lines of treatment, drug developers have to build gentler therapies that don’t just extend survival but improve it.
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Congressional letters sent to the CEOs of Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Merck, BMS and AbbVie this week voicing concerns about the pharmas’ clinical trials in China highlight an ongoing discrepancy in how government and industry think about the rise of the Asian country’s biotech industry.
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Possibly reflecting the current Bear market, Berkshire Hathaway has walked away from its stake in both AbbVie and BMS.
Pfizer apparently hasn’t begun any combination trials in human beings of Paxlovid, and no reported human tests are using the drug in combination with other therapies.
The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy annual meeting continues to see companies showcasing promising therapeutics for multiple disease indications.
The current president, CEO and board member, Keith Kendall, is departing Aquestive. He will be replaced by Daniel Barber, its current chief operating officer.
Greece’s Health Minister Thanos Plevris announced plans to sue Novartis over what he alleges are illegal practices. In addition to demanding compensation, the country is implementing a three-point plan.
Hengrui Pharma is seeking to make medicines more available and affordable worldwide with the launch of Luzsana that opens up access to treatment for hundreds of illnesses.
Axsome Therapeutics announced that it published the results of its Ascend Phase-II clinical trial of AXS-05 to treat Major Depressive Disorder in The American Journal of Psychiatry.
Scientists in New Zealand have found that mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines produce greater antibody levels compared to adenovirus vector-based ones across major COVID-19 variants.
ShouTi believes many targets addressed by biologic and peptide therapeutics can be reached by innovative, rationally-designed, best-in-class small molecules that don’t need refrigeration or injection.
Cytokinetics filed with the SEC reporting that the FDA planned to hold an advisory committee meeting to review its New Drug Application (NDA) for omecamtiv mecarbil.