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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.

Hand pointing upward with growth arrow. Business success and positive progress.
CAR-T
Legend soars on ‘best-in-class,’ ‘best-in-disease’ in vivo CAR T in early lymphoma study
All six non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients on Legend Biotech’s CAR T therapy responded to treatment—findings that could make the biotech an attractive takeover target, according to analysts at Oppenheimer.
June 3, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
concept - kidney tumor.
RNA editing
Lilly targets kidney disease with Ascidian’s RNA exon editors for up to $1.9B
For an investment of up to $1.9 billion, Eli Lilly will be able to use Ascidian Therapeutics’ platform that removes mutated exons from mRNA molecules, avoiding the expression of disease-causing proteins.
June 3, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Business people shaking hand in China.
China
Lilly bets $3B+ to add China’s Haisco to growing list of partners in five-program pact
Eli Lilly and the Haisco Pharmaceutical Group have yet to disclose what specific indications they plan to prioritize.
June 2, 2026
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Hand putting print screen dart and target board wooden cube on up arrows. Target of investment and business concept.
mRNA
ASCO: Moderna’s mRNA-based melanoma vaccine shows ‘encouraging’ 5-year survival
When used alongside Merck’s Keytruda, Moderna’s personalized cancer vaccine halved the risk of death or disease recurrence in a mid-stage trial of advanced melanoma—a result analysts said could help “instill confidence” in the regimen.
June 2, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Vector image of China and USA flag zipping together or zipping apart
China
Big Pharma makes ‘creative effort’ to fold Chinese assets into pipelines
Recent deals from Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb hint at Big Pharma’s more collaborative approach to partnering with Chinese companies.
June 2, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Businessman carrying a stopwatch on a progress bar illustrating last minute deadline to complete a business project
Regulatory
FDA delays verdict on Beren’s rare disease drug by three months
Beren Therapeutics is seeking approval in Neimann-Pick disease type C, an application the FDA was set to decide on by August 17. The new target action date is November 17.
May 29, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
a 3D rendering of a capsule-shaped pill showcases the flag of United State of America and flag of China
China
Pfizer bets up to $10.5B in 12-candidate cancer collab with China’s Innovent
Pfizer continues its dealmaking spree by striking a back-heavy partnership with China’s Innovent Biologics to assemble a pipeline of antibody-based therapies for cancer.
May 29, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Infectious disease
GSK, Ionis’ hepatitis B functional cure effectively eliminates virus in nearly 20% of patients
The antisense oligonucleotide was even more effective in patients with relatively low viral activity. More than one-quarter of these individuals had undetectable levels of the virus in the blood for at least six months after stopping treatment.
May 28, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Support. Businessman draws a line as a bridge to help employees cross the cliff. vector
Obesity
Kailera walks path paved by Lilly in post-IPO ‘catalyst-rich period’
Kailera Therapeutics is advancing a pipeline of weight loss medicines that mirrors Eli Lilly’s: an injectable GLP-1/GIP dual agonist like Zepbound, an oral GLP-1 like Foundayo and a triple-G therapy like retatrutide.
May 28, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Illustration of hands with thumbs up in a row, radiating positivity and consensus in bright tones on a clean background
Approvals
AbbVie snags FDA’s first ADC approval for ultra-rare blood cancer
Decnupaz is the first antibody-drug conjugate for blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm, an ultra-rare and aggressive blood cancer.
May 28, 2026
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Creative pattern made with a syringe on pastel pink background. Vaccine for Coronavirus infection. Pandemic concept.
COVID-19
FDA assembles vaccine experts to update COVID-19 formulation
The FDA will convene its vaccines advisory panel to discuss seasonal COVID-19 vaccines—a surprise move after Health Secretary and vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. overhauled a separate vaccine committee.
May 27, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Contemporary art collage showing a hand giving a thumbs down surrounded by red arrows pointing down, concept of negative feedback and bad review
Breast cancer
AstraZeneca’s breast cancer pill hit with review delay after negative adcomm vote
An FDA advisory committee recently voted against approving AstraZeneca’s oral SERD drug camizestrant for certain patients with advanced breast cancer. It is unclear when the new target action date for the drug will be.
May 27, 2026
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4 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Cancer
Kura’s encouraging cancer drug data could unlock $2B market opportunity
Nearly 80% of patients saw tumor shrinkage after being treated with Kura Oncology’s darlifarnib plus Bristol Myers Squibb’s Krazati, findings Mizuho analysts say could open up a $2 billion opportunity for the biotech.
May 27, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Isometric Office chair with vacancy sign isolated on blue background. Employment, vacancy and hiring job vector concept
Regulatory
Makary’s reforms will live on at FDA even as leadership turns over
Under the temporary reign of top food executive Kyle Diamantas, the FDA will sustain programs initiated by former Commissioner Marty Makary, including the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher initiative.
May 27, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
A businessman stands on a high mountain with his hands raised in pride of a successful business. Business or success concept vector illustration.
Business
Lilly is pharma’s top dog, placing first in innovation and invention: IDEA
Eli Lilly is the first pharma company to take first place in both categories in the eight years that intelligence firm IDEA Pharma has put out its analysis. Skyrocketing sales and multiple FDA approvals helped the company shoot to the top.
May 26, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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