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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.

Pictured: Exterior view of the headquarters of the
FDA
Gamida’s Long Regulatory Road Ends in Approval of Blood Cancer Cell Therapy
Omisirge is approved for patients who receive cord blood transplantation following myeloablative therapy.
April 18, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Pneumonia patient on a ventilator/Courte
Drug Development
FDA Adcomm Backs Innoviva’s Pneumonia Antibiotic
A unanimous FDA committee vote supported the favorable risk-benefit profile of Innoviva’s sulbactam-durlobactam for hospital-acquired A. baumannii infections.
April 18, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Drug Development
AACR Weekend Roundup: Roche, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Merck and Affimed
Roche, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Merck and Affimed presented new data in liver cancer, lung cancer, melanoma and lymphoma.
April 17, 2023
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5 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Kirkland, Quebec, Canada - September 3, 2021: Merck Canada head office in Kirkland, Quebec, Canada. Merck is an American multinational pharmaceutical company.
Deals
Merck Finalizes $10.8B Prometheus Buy
Merck finalized the acquisition of immune-focused Prometheus Biosciences for approximately $10.8 billion, picking up mid-stage ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s asset.
April 17, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Judicial gavel and scales of justice/Cou
FDA
Supreme Court Extends Abortion Pill Stay Through Friday
The Supreme Court extended the stay deadline to Friday at midnight to keep mifepristone on the market in the interim without conditions.
April 17, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Man holding a cell phone in front of com
IPO Market Shows Signs of Life as Acelyrin Begins Nasdaq Bid
California-based Acelyrin could be seeking $100 million, based on a Filing Fee Table included in its SEC filing.
April 14, 2023
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Eli Lilly Campus in San Diego
Drug Development
FDA Rejects Lilly’s Ulcerative Colitis Drug over Manufacturing Concerns
The regulator found no issues with mirikizumab’s clinical or safety data.
April 14, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Stack of $100 bills / iStock, Nattakorn
Drug Development
Alentis Wins $105M in Series C to Advance Claudin-1-Based Therapies
The company has several targeted therapeutics in early-stage trials and preclinical development for cancer types with high expression levels of the protein.
April 13, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Merck KGaA logo with Fall trees/TF-Image
Drug Development
Merck’s BTK Inhibitor Evobrutinib Slapped with Partial Clinical Hold
Liver toxicities triggered a partial clinical hold on Merck KGaA’s trial studying its BTK inhibitor candidate for multiple sclerosis.
April 13, 2023
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Man carrying a box of his office items after being laid off
Drug Development
Aeglea Cuts Majority of Staff Following Mixed Trial Results
Following mixed Phase I/II data for its homocystinuria hopeful pegtarviliase, Aeglea lays off all but 10 employees and launches a sweeping strategic review.
April 12, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Facade of Moderna's building in Massachusetts
Drug Development
Moderna’s Flu Shot Falls Short of Early Success Threshold
An interim analysis of the Phase III P302 study showed Moderna’s investigational flu shot, mRNA-1010, fell short of the statistical threshold for early success.
April 12, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Elizabeth Holmes/Courtesy Yichuan Cao/Nu
Policy
Holmes to Remain in Prison While Appeal Plays Out
A California judge denied Elizabeth Holmes’ motion for release pending appeal, ruling that the former Theranos CEO must serve her prison sentence while she appeals her guilty verdict.
April 12, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Doctor holding model of kidney/Shidlovsk
Drug Development
HI-Bio Advances Rare Kidney Disease Therapy to Late-Stage Studies
Data from two mid-stage studies show HI-Bio’s investigational therapy felzartamab lowers pathogenic antibody titers in patients with primary membranous nephropathy (PMN).
April 11, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Gavel/Courtesy of Getty Images
FDA
Appellate Court Partially Blocks Texas Abortion Pill Ruling
In an open letter published Monday, more than 480 biopharma industry leaders expressed their support for the FDA after a Texas federal judge ruled to hold the approval of the abortion pill mifepristone.
April 11, 2023
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Business
In Another Round of Cuts, Biogen Lays Off Unspecified Number of Employees
The Boston Business Journal reported the layoffs would affect the multiple sclerosis team, but Biogen declined to confirm the details.
April 10, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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