SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
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.

Pictured: Blue Sanofi sign on building in Germany at night
Policy
Sanofi Agrees to Settle 4,000 Zantac Cancer Lawsuits in US State Courts
Sanofi has in principle reached a settlement related to its discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, though the French pharma did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.
April 4, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Eli Lilly's headquarters in Indianapolis
Policy
Four Doses of Lilly’s Mounjaro Will Be in Short Supply Through April 2024: FDA
The four highest doses of Eli Lilly’s blockbuster diabetes treatment Mounjaro will be in short supply through the rest of the month due to strong demand, according to the regulator.
April 3, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Man holding a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing
Deals
Acorda Joins Growing Group of Biotechs Filing for Bankruptcy, Divests Assets to Merz
Acorda Therapeutics becomes the latest biotechnology company in 2024 to go bankrupt and shutter its business, following years of financial difficulty. Merz Therapeutics will acquire two commercial medicines from Acorda for $185 million.
April 3, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
FDA signage at its office in Maryland
FDA
Vanda Gets FDA Approval for Fanapt Antipsychotic, Expands into Bipolar Disorder
After sustaining a regulatory defeat in insomnia, Vanda Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday won the FDA’s approval for its atypical antipsychotic Fanapt for the treatment of manic or mixed episodes in adults with bipolar I disorder.
April 3, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Businessmen shaking hands after closing a deal
Deals
Genmab Leans into Hot ADC Space with $1.8B ProfoundBio Acquisition
Genmab announced Wednesday it is buying ProfoundBio and its pipeline of next-generation antibody-drug conjugates being developed for gynecologic cancers and other solid tumors.
April 3, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Healthcare worker holding up a vial for an LDL-C test
Drug Development
Verve Halts Trial for Lead Gene Editing Program Due to Safety Concerns
Verve Therapeutics is pausing enrollment in the Phase Ib Heart-1 study for its gene editor VERVE-101 after a patient developed grade 3 laboratory abnormalities, the company announced Tuesday.
April 2, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
Entrance to Vertex's office in Boston, Massachusetts
Drug Development
Vertex Pushes Oral Drug into Phase III Kidney Disease Trial, Eyes Accelerated Approval
Following promising Phase IIa data, Vertex Pharmaceuticals will now evaluate its oral drug candidate inaxaplin in a late-stage study of APOL-1 mediated kidney disease.
April 2, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
Pictured: A U.S. federal bankruptcy courthouse building
Deals
Eiger Files for Bankruptcy, Plans to Shutter Operations After Difficult Year
Following a series of rejections and clinical failures, Eiger BioPharmaceuticals has declared bankruptcy and will sell all its assets as the company winds down operations.
April 2, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Sign above the entrance to a U.S. courthouse
Policy
Teva, Viatris Again Challenge J&J Patent for Schizophrenia Drug with Appeals Court Win
A federal appeals court Monday backed Teva and Viatris’ challenge to a lower court ruling, finding that the companies can again make their case against Johnson & Johnson’s patent covering its schizophrenia drug Invega Sustenna.
April 2, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain
Policy
Biogen and Eisai Fall Behind on Leqembi’s Subcutaneous BLA for Alzheimer’s
The filing of a Biologics License Application for a subcutaneous version of Biogen and Eisai’s Leqembi (lecanemab) has been delayed due to procedural reasons, the companies announced Monday.
April 1, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Man prepares his GLP-1 receptor agonist injection
Policy
Lack of Medicare Coverage for GLP-1 Drugs Tied to Lower Prescription Rates: Study
Despite strong demand for weight-loss drugs, the lack of Medicare coverage is potentially interfering with prescription and dispensing rates of anti-obesity medications for elderly adults, according to a new study.
April 1, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
Pictured: BMS sign on a building in San Diego, California/iStock, JHVEPhoto
Drug Development
BMS Pulls Ahead of Amgen, Aces Confirmatory Phase III NSCLC Trial for Krazati
Bristol Myers Squibb’s $4.8 billion acquisition of Mirati pays off with strong data from the KRYSTAL-12 study of Krazati, showing that the KRAS inhibitor significantly improves progression-free survival.
April 1, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
Pictured: A close-up of the U.S. Capitol dome/iSto
Policy
WuXi AppTec Shared Client IP with Beijing, Say US Intelligence Officials: Reuters
U.S. intelligence officials have informed senators that China-based biotech WuXi AppTec transferred an American client’s intellectual property to the Chinese government without consent, reports Reuters.
March 29, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
Facade of the FDA's office in Maryland
Policy
FDA Extends Review Period for Applied Therapeutics’ Govorestat by Three Months
Citing the need for more time to review a major amendment, the FDA is pushing the target action date for the investigational aldose reductase inhibitor in the treatment of classic galactosemia to Nov. 28, 2024.
March 29, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Gilead's headquarters in Silicon Valley/
FDA
Gilead Wins Label Expansion for Vemlidy to Treat Hepatitis B Virus in Kids
Gilead Sciences’ Vemlidy on Thursday secured a label expansion from the FDA, allowing the antiviral drug’s use to treat chronic hepatitis B in pediatric patients aged six years and older.
March 29, 2024
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Tristan Manalac
Load More