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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.
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Corsera Health’s Chief Operating Officer Rena Denoncourt and CFO Meredith Kaya speak with BioSpace about the biotech’s mission and vision for the next generation of cardiovascular care.
Billions of dollars’ worth of cancer drugs are discarded each year. Manufacturers must refund Medicare for some of this waste. A data-driven approach offers a practical path to greater efficiency.
Sales of Merck’s longtime oncology blockbuster Keytruda will erode more starkly in about 2033 rather than 2029, predicts Bloomberg Intelligence, translating to some $22 billion more in revenue.
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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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GlycoEra’s lead candidate targets IgG4 autoantibodies, potentially addressing autoimmune diseases such as muscle-specific kinase myasthenia gravis and pemphigus.
Acute systemic infection caused the patient to develop fatal capillary leak syndrome, highlighting the unpredictability of gene therapies and potentially challenging investment in the space, analysts say.
With $90 million to start, Syndeio has a lead asset in Phase II clinical trials for major depressive disorder, with plans to soon launch a biomarker trial in Alzheimer’s disease.
According to President Trump, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz is a “tough hombre” who can bring down drug costs “like a rock.”
Prothena has already discontinued the development of birtamimab, and anticipates further spending cuts, including workforce reduction.
As the World Health Organization initiates a new agreement for coordinating global responses to future pandemics, the future of vaccine development in the U.S. faces growing challenges, including waning funding and regulatory changes, that threaten next-gen COVID-19 vaccine candidates and pandemic preparedness more broadly.
Beginning this week in Chicago, the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual conference will feature presentations that could have far-reaching implications for breast and blood cancers and more.
Vocal skeptics of COVID-19 vaccinations gave mRNA a bad name and government funding for mRNA research is now being cut. On the flip side, at least one CEO said the pandemic also provided “elevated acceleration” for the field, which also holds promise in therapeutics for cancer and rare diseases.
FDA
The report takes from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s playbook, calling out rising autism rates, the vaccine schedule and over medication of children as reasons for chronic diseases.
In an opinion issued late Thursday night, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston wrote that the president and department agency heads do not have the authority to reorganize the government without Congress’ input.