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Tristan Manalac

Tristan Manalac

Senior Staff Writer

Tristan is BioSpace‘s senior staff writer. Based in Metro Manila, Tristan has 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: Flu vaccine vials and syringe/iStock, vc
Drug Development
Vir’s GSK-Backed Flu Vaccine Candidate Fails Phase II Trial
Even at its highest dose, Vir Biotechnology’s investigational flu shot failed to significantly outperform placebo at preventing influenza A illness in a mid-stage study.
July 21, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: A close-up of the U.S. Capitol dome/iSto
Policy
Lawmakers Push for Medicare Coverage of Weight-Loss Drugs
Amid high rates of U.S. obesity, a bipartisan bill has been reintroduced in the Senate and House of Representatives with backing from Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Boehringer Ingelheim.
July 21, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: GSK's office in Poznan, Poland/iStock, W
Business
GSK Returns Shigella Vaccine Candidate to LimmaTech as Drug-Resistant Cases Rise
The company is handing back a multivalent Shigella vaccine candidate to LimmaTech Biologics, which spun out in 2015 after GSK’s acquisition of GlycoVaxyn for $190 million.
July 20, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: U.S. FTC building in Washington, DC/iSto
Policy
FTC, Amgen Break Off Settlement Talks Over Horizon Deal
The Federal Trade Commission and the company had been in settlement discussions, but those talks have ended as the agency’s antitrust lawsuit seeks to block the Horizon Therapeutics sale.
July 20, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
External view of the U.S. Capitol building
Policy
House Panel Presses FDA on Inspections of Indian, Chinese Plants Amid Drug Shortages
Republican lawmakers have called on the Food and Drug Administration to explain its foreign inspection programs for drug manufacturers in China and India as shortages continue in the U.S.
July 20, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Merck Research Laboratories headquarters in Silicon Valley
Drug Development
Phase III Data Show Keytruda’s Promise in Earlier-Stage Cervical Cancer
Late-stage study suggests Merck’s Keytruda is a promising treatment candidate in newly diagnosed patients with locally advanced cervical cancer, inducing better progression-free survival.
July 19, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: J&J's building in Switzerland
Doctors Without Borders Calls on J&J to Stop Enforcing Sirturo Extended Patents
With its primary patent expiring in India this week, MSF has urged Johnson & Johnson to drop all secondary protections and withdraw pending applications for the drug-resistant tuberculosis drug.
July 19, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: U.S. Capitol Building, Washington DC
Policy
House Judiciary Committee Probes Big Pharma’s Potential Role in COVID-19 Censorship
J&J, Merck and Pfizer are the subjects of a House Judiciary Committee investigation for their alleged participation in a government-sanctioned censorship campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 19, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Pfizer's signage at its world headquarters in New York
Business
Pfizer Inks Potential $7B Deal with Flagship to Deepen Pipeline
Tuesday’s partnership will dig into Flagship’s deep ecosystem of companies and technologies to discover medicines in line with Pfizer’s core strategic areas.
July 18, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Entrance to the U.S. Department of Healt
Policy
Medicare’s Proposed Coverage for Alzheimer’s Scan Could Be Boon for Eisai/Biogen
Following the full approval of Leqembi, the CMS suggests expanding its coverage of beta-amyloid PET scans, which could improve the uptake of novel Alzheimer’s disease treatments.
July 18, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Photo of an argenx building/argenx
Drug Development
Argenx Raises $1.1B in Global Stock Offering Following Positive Phase II Data
The Netherlands-based immunology company said Wednesday it brought in $1.1 billion by selling more than two million shares in the U.S. and Europe.
July 18, 2023
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Doctor points to a heart ultrasound/iSto
Drug Development
BridgeBio Stages ATTR-CM Comeback with Promising Phase III Data for Acoramidis
Following disappointing topline data, BridgeBio’s acoramidis has scored a late-stage win in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, leading to significant survival and quality of life benefits.
July 17, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: FTC sign above a doorway/iStock, Gromit7
Deals
FTC Digs Deeper into Pfizer’s $43B Buyout of Seagen
The Federal Trade Commission is asking for more information regarding Pfizer’s planned $43 billion acquisition of Seagen, according to the latter’s Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday.
July 17, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Illustration of a lymphoma cell/iStock,
Drug Development
Caribou Scores Early CAR-T Lymphoma Win, Plans $125M Public Offering
In a Phase I trial, Caribou’s allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy candidate induced high rates of treatment response in patients with relapsed or refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
July 14, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
FDA signage at its office in Maryland
Drug Development
FDA Action Alert: Verrica, Citius and Daiichi Sankyo
After beginning July with a splash in the Alzheimer’s space, the FDA is expected to make three decisions during the next two weeks; two for cancer and one for a viral skin disease.
July 13, 2023
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4 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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