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Tristan Manalac

Tristan Manalac

Contributing Writer | News

Tristan is an independent science writer based in Metro Manila, with more than eight years of experience writing about medicine, biotech and science. Being formally trained in molecular biology, he once dreamed of collecting degrees and starting his own lab. But these days, he finds his greatest joy in a bottle of beer and a beautiful sentence. He can be reached at tristan.manalac@biospace.com, tristan@tristanmanalac.com or on LinkedIn.

3D illustration of a T cell killing a cancer cell
Drug Development
Preliminary Findings Point to Low Risk of Secondary Cancers from CAR-T Therapies
In a joint conference event on Monday, cell therapy pioneer Carl June revealed unpublished results showing that in around 1,500 patients treated with CAR-T therapies, no cases of secondary malignancy could be definitively linked to the treatment.
May 7, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Sign outside BioNTech's building in Germany
Business
BioNTech Misses Q1 Earnings, Revenue on Lower COVID-19 Sales
Reeling from “endemic-level demand” for its COVID-19 vaccine, BioNTech on Monday reported a steep decline in revenues and a loss per share that fell short of analysts’ consensus estimates for the first quarter of 2024.
May 6, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: J&J's office in Madrid, Spain
Drug Development
J&J’s ‘Pretzel’ Drug-Device Combo Scores in Mid-Stage Bladder Cancer Study
Following the regulatory victory of Balversa in urothelial carcinoma, Johnson & Johnson on Friday continued its bladder cancer winning streak with an 82.8% complete response rate forTAR-200 in high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
May 6, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: 3D concept art showing a bladder surrounded by cancer cells
Drug Development
CG Oncology Touts Bladder Cancer Complete Response Rate for Immunotherapy
Following an upsized IPO earlier this year, CG Oncology on Friday posted promising Phase III data for cretostimogene, which elicited a 75% complete response rate in high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patients.
May 6, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Novo Nordisk's corporate headquarters in Denmark
Deals
Novo’s $16.5B Deal with Catalent Gets Another 30 Days Added to FTC Antitrust Review
The Federal Trade Commission has asked for an additional 30 days for its review of Novo Nordisk’s $16.5 billion acquisition of Catalent, with the companies expecting to complete the merger by the end of 2024.
May 6, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Boehringer Ingelheim's office in California
Drug Development
Boehringer, Walgreens Team Up for Obesity Trial as Weight-Loss Drug Race Heats Up
In an effort to improve diversity and accessibility in clinical trials, Boehringer Ingelheim is partnering with Walgreens to conduct a Phase III study in obesity and type 2 diabetes.
May 3, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: The front entrance to the FDA headquarters/iStock, Grandbrothers
Policy
FDA’s Accelerated Approval of Sarepta DMD Gene Therapy Comes Under Fire
Ahead of the FDA’s June target action date for Sarepta’s Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy, ICER Chief Medical Officer David Rind blasted the regulator’s accelerated pathway in a JAMA viewpoint article.
May 3, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: AstraZeneca signage at its office in Sweden
Drug Development
AstraZeneca Targets First-Line Mantle Cell Lymphoma Therapy with Phase III Data
AstraZeneca’s blockbuster BTK inhibitor Calquence significantly improved progression-free survival when used as a frontline treatment in patients with mantle cell lymphoma, according to Thursday’s late-stage results.
May 3, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Amgen's office in Tampa, Florida
Drug Development
Amgen Pushes Obesity Drug MariTide Forward, Reports 22% Q1 Revenue Growth
Following strong Phase II data, Amgen is going all in on its next-generation obesity treatment MariTide, with plans to run a Phase III trial and a separate mid-stage study for diabetes.
May 3, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Facade of Novo Nordisk's office in Fremont, California
Business
Novo’s Q1 Revenue Grows 24%, Raises Guidance as Wegovy Sales Surge
Novo Nordisk on Thursday reported a jump in first-quarter 2024 revenue, driven by a more than 100% increase in sales of weight-loss drug Wegovy and the strong performance of type 2 diabetes medication Ozempic.
May 2, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Boehringer Ingelheim's office in California
FDA
FDA Approval Fuels Boehringer’s Biosimilar Challenge to AbbVie’s Humira
Boehringer Ingelheim on Wednesday won the FDA’s approval for a high-concentration and citrate-free version of its Humira biosimilar Cyltezo, targeting AbbVie’s blockbuster drug.
May 2, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Facade of Moderna's building in Massachusetts
Business
Moderna Walks Away from Potential $3B Gene Editing Deal with Metagenomi
Citing a strategic prioritization by Moderna, Metagenomi announced Wednesday that the partners have “mutually agreed” to terminate their gene editing agreement.
May 2, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Astellas Pharma US headquarters in Illinois
Business
Astellas Inks Second CAR-T Agreement with Poseida to Develop ‘Convertible’ Cancer Therapies
Astellas Pharma and Poseida Therapeutics have entered into a second CAR-T contract to develop novel and flexible allogeneic cell therapies in oncology.
May 2, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Pfizer's signage outside its office in Canada/iStock, JHVEPhoto
Business
Pfizer Beats Q1 Forecast Despite 20% Revenue Drop, Cuts Four Pipeline Programs
Despite being hit with a 20% sales decline due to a plunge in demand for its COVID-19 products, Pfizer on Wednesday reported $14.88 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2024, exceeding analyst expectations.
May 1, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Entrance to the FTC's office in Washington, DC
Policy
FTC Targets ‘Junk’ Patents Including Novo’s Ozempic, GSK’s Trelegy Ellipta and Other Drugs
In a bid to improve competition in the industry, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is challenging the patents of 20 different pharmaceutical products, disputing the accuracy and relevance of their patents.
May 1, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
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