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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.

Dollar boat swimming on paper waves
Startups
Harbour Cofunds Cancer Startup, Hands Off Clinical-Stage Antibody
Solstice Oncology will gain an exclusive worldwide license to Harbour BioMed’s porustobrt, an anti-CTLA-4 antibody currently being studied for melanoma, colorectal cancer and other malignancies in China.
February 25, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Alarm clock with pause sign, take a break, menopause concept, hormone replacement therapy
Regulatory
Patient Death Forces Partial Freeze on MacroGenics’ Gynecologic Cancer Study
A trial of a MacroGenics’ drug temporarily paused enrollment after several safety events, including a fatality. The deceased patient had developed a severe case of neutropenia and concurrent septic shock.
February 25, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Art collage, coins, and arrow up on the red and paper background. Concept of business and financial growth.
Funding
Slate, Alveus Raise Hefty Series A Hauls for Migraine, Obesity Drugs
Slate Medicines will move forward with a migraine drug from a Chinese biotech, while Alveus Therapeutics will advance a dual GLP-1/GIPR fusion protein for weight loss.
February 25, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
screenshot of Marty Makary speaking on the Megyn Kelly Show
Vaccines
FDA’s Makary Backs mRNA Vaccines but Says Companies ‘Can Fund Their Own Research’
In August last year, the Health Department cut around $500 million in mRNA research funding, with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. saying the agency would instead divert the money “toward safer, broader vaccine platforms.”
February 24, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Business people shaking hand in China.
GLP-1
Pfizer Builds Global GLP-1 Strategy With up to $495M Sciwind Deal
Ecnoglutide, which Pfizer licensed from Sciwind Biosciences, is already approved in China for type 2 diabetes mellitus, and a marketing application for weight loss has been accepted by regulatory authorities in the country.
February 24, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Business and financial crisis vector concept with businessman falling down the hole. Symbol of market crash, recession, risk, bankruptcy and loss. Eps10 illustration.
Cardiovascular disease
Gossamer Nosedives as Late-Stage Failure Plunges PAH Program Into Uncertainty
Following a disappointing Phase 3 performance and given Gossamer Bio’s balance sheet, seralutinib’s path to the market for pulmonary arterial hypertension has become unclear, according to analysts at Guggenheim Partners.
February 24, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Contemporary art collage. Purple hand holding fan of dollar bills against bright yellow background. stock photo
Collaboration
Astellas Bets up to $1.7B for Vir’s ‘Robust Competitor’ in Prostate Cancer
In a Phase 1 study, 82% of patients on VIR-5500 achieved at least a 50% reduction in PSA levels—a result analysts praised as competitive in the prostate cancer space.
February 24, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Conceptual origami paper plane pulling business finance growth chart line flying upwards on blue sky background.
Approvals
Vanda Rebounds From Jet Lag Rejection With FDA Nod for Bipolar, Schizophrenia Drug
Bysanti is based on iloperidone, an active metabolite of a compound that forms the core of Fanapt, another drug by Vanda Pharmaceuticals.
February 23, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Collage halftone banner with two hands that put objects on scales. Halftone hands holding circle and square and put them on the scales. Concept of business balance in teamwork. Vector illustration.
Legal
REGENXBIO Secures Legal Win in Gene Therapy Patent Battle Vs. Sarepta
A lower court had previously ruled for Sarepta in the companies’ long-running dispute, finding that REGENXBIO’s AAV patent was invalid because its elements were naturally occurring. The appeals court on Friday said that this original decision adopts a “narrow” view of the invention.
February 23, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Hand collage holding dollar paper money isolated on yellow background. Using cash to buy concept. Halftone effect in pop art style illustration.
Mergers & acquisitions
Gilead Doubles Down on CAR T With $7.8B Arcellx Acquisition
The centerpiece of the takeover is anito-cel, a CAR T therapy under development for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. An FDA decision on the therapy is expected by December 2026.
February 23, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Man hand with magnifying glass. Yellow ray coming from loupe. Conducting check, information search and analysis concept. Spy, accountant, auditor job in abstract style. High quality photo
Regulatory
FDA’s Top Drug Regulator To Probe Safety of Antidepressants, RSV Antibodies
Tracy Beth Høeg addressed FDA staffers for the first time in her role as the fifth CDER chief under President Donald Trump, announcing inquiries into the use of SSRIs in pregnancy and RSV antibodies in infants despite well-documented safety of these treatments.
February 20, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Collage with colorful casino chips cards dices representing online gambling poker betting e-gaming entertainment.
Collaboration
Novartis Bets Up to $1.7B in Cardio-Focused Peptide Partnership
Novartis and Unnatural Products did not specify which disease targets they’re going after, only noting that the latter’s macrocyclic platform can generate potentially next-generation therapies that could apply to cardiovascular conditions.
February 19, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Black box mockup for cosmetics, perfume, presentation with shadows, isolated on background. Product photo for advertising package. Template for stylish cardboard packaging for goods.
Government
Cassidy Names Areas of Improvement for FDA’s Regulatory ‘Black Box’
The FDA’s drug review process can often be “unpredictable,” and review teams typically “differ greatly” in what they ask of drug sponsors, Sen. Bill Cassidy said.
February 19, 2026
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Document checking, agreement or contract validation, financial or budget analysis, search for document files concept, businessman manager holding big magnifying glass checking document paper.
Regulatory
It’s Official: FDA Will Now Default to One Clinical Trial for Drug Applications
Drug sponsors should nevertheless bolster their application with “confirmative evidence,” chief regulators Marty Makary and Vinay Prasad said on Wednesday, including mechanistic data or findings from related indications or animal models.
February 19, 2026
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Piggy bank rocket launcher with smoke trail on blue background. Savings growth concept. 3D Rendering, 3D Illustration
Alzheimer’s disease
Korsana Joins Alzheimer’s Amyloid Arena With $150M Debut, Next-Gen Antibody
Korsana’s lead program uses a next-generation shuttling technology to improve delivery into the brain and lower the incidence of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities.
February 18, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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