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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.

FDA/Courtesy: Grandbrothers, Adobe Stock
FDA
FDA Advisory Panel Backs ARS Pharma’s Epinephrine Nasal Spray
Despite concerns regarding neffy’s lack of clinical evidence, the panel of experts voted in favor of the nasal spray’s approval for the emergency treatment of type 1 allergic reactions.
May 12, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: U.S. Capitol/Courtesy Andrea Izzotti/Ado
Policy
Senate Health Committee Seeks to Rein in Drug Prices with Four New Bills
Lawmakers on Thursday voted 18–3 to increase oversight of pharmacy benefit managers and limit their practice of spread pricing, when PBMs charge payers for drugs more than they pay pharmacies.
May 12, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: FDA Action Alert graphic/@Nicole Bean
Drug Development
FDA Action Alert: Krystal, Genmab/AbbVie, Pfizer and Intercept
The FDA has four events lined up this week, including a target action date for Krystal Biotech’s gene therapy for a rare skin disease and an adcomm meeting for Pfizer’s RSV vaccine candidate.
May 11, 2023
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5 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Martin Shkreli walking, Courtesy JStone/
Deals
Convicted ‘Pharma Bro’ Shkreli’s Vyera Files for Bankruptcy
The Chapter 11 bankruptcy was driven by increasing generic competition, declining profits and the unrelenting legal woes of its head Martin Shkreli, dubbed “Pharma Bro” in the media.
May 11, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Front of FDA headquarters/Grandbrothers/
FDA
FDA Advisory Panel Strongly Backs Perrigo’s OTC Birth Control Pill
The joint committee of external experts voted unanimously in favor of Perrigo, finding that the benefits of allowing non-prescription use of the birth control tablet Opill outweigh its risks.
May 11, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Blue sign outside FDA building/JHVEPhoto
FDA
FDA Approves Fabry Disease Treatment from Chiesi, Protalix
Elfabrio’s label contains a boxed warning for hypersensitivity reactions, such as anaphylaxis, and recommends that medical support measures should be on standby when administering the treatment.
May 10, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Courtesy of Amgen
Business
Amgen Drops Drug Delivery Partnership, Targets Crohn’s Disease with TScan Pact
The biotech company shuffled deals around Tuesday, dropping a four-year collaboration with Israel’s Entera Bio and picking a new partner in Massachusetts-based TScan Therapeutics.
May 10, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Courtesy of Tada Images/Getty Images
Policy
Gilead Wins HIV Patent Suit, Nabs Oncology and Inflammation Startup
The biopharma company scored two major wins on Tuesday: a court victory over HIV patent claims and an acquisition deal to expand its pipeline in cancer and inflammatory diseases.
May 10, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Gloved hand holding syringe in front of
Drug Development
Novavax Cuts 25% of Staff Amid Post-Pandemic Business Challenges
The layoffs come as the company posts nearly $300 million in net losses and just over $80 million in revenue during the first quarter of 2023.
May 9, 2023
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Alexis Borisy and Melanie Nallicheri pos
Business
EQRx Cuts More Than Half of Headcount in Strategic Reset
The pharma company will lay off 170 employees and drop all candidates but one, as it seeks to rebuild its business.
May 9, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Man holding a cell phone in front of com
Business
Catalent Delays Earnings Call, Shaves $400M Off FY23 Guidance
The delay and guidance downgrade follow a spate of operational issues that have affected three of Catalent’s major manufacturing sites.
May 9, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Sign outside BioNTech's building in Germany
Business
BioNTech Looks to Expand into Other Markets as COVID-19 Revenues Dwindle
The German biotech is trying to deepen its pipeline in cancer and other infectious diseases as COVID-19 markets contract and the international public health emergency comes to an end.
May 8, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Regeneron logo on a light brown building
Business
Regeneron Diversifies Portfolio as Eylea Revenue Takes a Hit
As competition eats away at profits for the wet age-related macular degeneration drug, Regeneron is diversifying its portfolio and pumping more money into research and development.
May 5, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
FDA Action Alert logo/© Nicole Bean for BioSpace
Policy
FDA Action Alert: Sarepta, Protalix, Otsuka/Lundbeck and More
The FDA’s agenda includes an advisory committee meeting for Sarepta’s delandistrogene moxeparvovec, which, if approved, would become the first gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
May 5, 2023
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6 min read
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Tristan Manalac
A Novo Nordisk flag flies in the wind/Courtesy jor
Drug Development
Novo Nordisk’s Hemophilia Hopeful Hits FDA Roadblock, Company Cuts Wegovy Supply
During a first-quarter earnings call, Novo revealed its hemophilia candidate had been blocked by the FDA, and that the company is reducing the U.S. supply of lower doses of weight-loss drug Wegovy.
May 5, 2023
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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