News
FEATURED STORIES
Mixed headlines have plagued the cell and gene therapy space of late. We believe that a renewed case of optimism is not only warranted but essential if these therapies are to reach their full potential.
Since July, several biotechs have been forced to pivot as previous agreements with the FDA around evidence required for approval were reversed, a phenomenon that, according to experts, could portend a more restrictive regulator.
The drugmaker’s dominance of the obesity market is fueling predictions that years of growth lie ahead.
Job Trends
Astellas Pharma Inc. announced that The Lancet published detailed data from the Phase 3 SPOTLIGHT trial evaluating first-line treatment with zolbetuximab, an investigational first-in-class Claudin 18.2 targeted monoclonal antibody, plus mFOLFOX6 versus placebo plus mFOLFOX6 in patients with CLDN18.2-positive, HER2-negative, locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.
FROM OUR EDITORS
Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
Unpredictable communication and a lack of transparency are eroding the industry’s and the public’s trust. The FDA, experts agree, needs to take control of the narrative.
THE LATEST
While the regulator conducts another review into the supply of Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide, compounders will be able to continue selling their own remixed versions of the blockbuster drug.
The approval makes Pfizer’s Hympavzi the first once-weekly subcutaneous prophylactic injection for hemophilia B in the U.S., according to the company, which is currently embroiled in a row with activist investor Starboard Value.
While ex vivo genome editing results in highly effective cell therapies, it can lead to off-target effects. Caribou Biosciences has come up with a novel approach for potentially more precise gene editing compared to all-RNA guides.
The FDA is looking at four events for the remainder of October, one of which is an advisory committee meeting for a dual SGLT inhibitor for use alongside insulin in type 1 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
Since its inception in 1992, the FDA’s accelerated approval pathway has helped shepherd nearly 300 new drugs to the market. However, recent years have seen a number of high-profile market withdrawals and failed confirmatory trials.
As companies roll out data showing the power and improved safety profile of antibodies that target two antigens, analysts say the class could overtake monoclonal antibody Keytruda as the “immunotherapy backbone” of solid tumor treatment.
Senator Elizabeth Warren told the Federal Trade Commission that the acquisition of contract manufacturer Catalent could increase Novo’s dominance over the hot GLP-1 market, reducing competition and increasing prices.
Turnstone is shifting resources to focus on clinical advancement of its selected tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy as three C-suite members exit their roles.
Two biotechs set out for the public markets this week, with Upstream Bio raising $255 million for its inflammatory disease work, while CAMP4 Therapeutics picked up $75 million to develop RNA-targeting drugs.
Despite substantial variability in the presented data and no well-controlled trial, the FDA advisory committee voted in favor of Stealth BioTherapeutics’ Barth syndrome therapy elamipretide, citing the urgent unmet need.