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An inspection of a facility making Elevar’s rivoceranib uncovered deficiencies, leading the FDA to reject a combination therapy that includes the drug. The rebuff is the third strike for the partners after the agency issued manufacturing-related denials for the other drug in the combo.
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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.
FDA’s rare disease decisions are strongest when the patient community has a voice in advisory committee decisions.
The lineup at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference will provide critical insight into where the industry is headed with regard to targets being explored to vanquish the elusive neurodegenerative disease.
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Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
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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FDA
Three draft recommendation documents published on Wednesday are intended to guide drug sponsors and accelerate the development of cell and gene therapies.
While Harmony management has not disclosed future plans for ZYN002, Jefferies analysts expect the asset to be shelved.
Talent acquisition leaders at leading pharma and biotech organizations are leveraging technologies, including automation, to develop internal talent marketplaces and systems that support upskilling and reskilling their workforce. BioSpace spoke to leaders at Pfizer and Bayer about their evolving approach to resourcing.
Acadia Pharmaceuticals was testing the drug, an intranasal formulation of the oxytocin analogue carbetocin, for its potential to ease hyperphagia in the rare neurological condition.
Sanofi Ventures, which now has $1.4 billion in total assets, will focus its investment efforts on early players working in immunology, rare diseases, neurology and vaccines.
If approved, uniQure’s gene therapy AMT-130—which slowed disease progression by 75%—would be the first genetic treatment for Huntington’s disease. A BLA submission is planned for the first quarter of 2026.
The issues the regulator found include the failure to comprehensively review complaints and product defects.
Lilly expects to open 615 high-wage roles in Texas in connection with its new facility, plus around 4,000 construction roles.
The regulatory action marks the second rejection for a spinal muscular atrophy therapy this week after Scholar Rock’s apitegromab was issued a complete response letter on Tuesday, similarly on manufacturing grounds.
The FDA is hoping to repurpose GSK’s Wellcovorin for cerebral folate deficiency; Pfizer acquired fast-moving weight-loss startup Metsera for nearly $5 billion after suffering a hat trick of R&D failures; psychedelics are primed for M&A action and Eli Lilly may be next in line; RFK Jr.’s revamped CDC advisory committee met last week with confounding results; and Stealth secured its Barth approval.