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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.

Facade of courthouse with columns.
Policy
Teva Loses Inhaler Patent Case Against Amneal, Must Delete or Amend Orange Book Listing
Teva Pharmaceuticals lost its patent row with Amneal Pharmaceuticals on Monday as a New Jersey court ruled that some of Teva’s claims over its inhaler product ProAir HFA were improperly listed on the FDA’s Orange Book.
June 12, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Merck Research Laboratories headquarters building in Silicon Valley. An experimental covis-19 treatment pill called molnupiravir being developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics - South San Francisco, CA, USA - 2021
Drug Development
Merck Eyes Next-Generation Obesity Drugs That Offer Additional Benefits
Seeking to target the lucrative obesity market, Merck is focusing its R&D efforts on next-generation GLP-1 therapies that offer additional benefits beyond weight loss, according to company executives.
June 12, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Corporate headquarters of Novo Nordisk. A pharmaceutical company headquartered in Denmark. Copenhagen, Denmark - august 12, 2023.
Policy
Sanders Seeks Subpoena for Novo Nordisk President Regarding Ozempic, Wegovy Pricing
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate health committee, has proposed issuing a subpoena to Novo Nordisk President Doug Langa forcing him to testify regarding the company’s pricing for Wegovy and Ozempic.
June 12, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: 3D illustration of an intestine undergoi
Business
Syntis Bio Launches in Effort to Challenge GLP-1s in Lucrative Weight Loss Market
Seeking to carve out its own niche in the obesity space, Syntis Bio launched on Tuesday to develop an oral weight-loss treatment that mimics the effects of gastric bypass surgery.
June 11, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: GSK's headquarters in West London/iStock
Policy
GSK Appeals Delaware Court’s Decision in Zantac Cases as Plaintiff Drops Lawsuit
On Monday, GSK reported that a plaintiff voluntarily dropped her Zantac case against the company and that it is in the process of appealing a Delaware State Court’s decision to admit expert testimony in other cases.
June 11, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
External view of Eli Lilly's world headquarters in Indianapolis
Drug Development
Lilly Sees More Zepbound Out-of-Pocket Payments as Obesity Pill Nears Phase III Readout
More patients are having to pay out-of-pocket for Eli Lilly’s weight-loss medication Zepbound than they did for type 2 diabetes drug Mounjaro, according to Lilly USA President Patrik Jonsson.
June 11, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
FDA signage at its headquarters in Maryland
FDA
Ipsen, Genfit’s Elafibranor Wins FDA Approval for Primary Biliary Cholangitis
Ipsen and Genfit’s elafibranor will now be marketed as Iqirvo and is the first new medicine approved in nearly a decade for the treatment of the rare liver disease, according to the companies.
June 11, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Facade of Moderna's building in Massachusetts
Drug Development
Moderna’s COVID-Flu Combo Shot Beats Separate Vaccines in Phase III Study
Moderna’s combination vaccine candidate for COVID-19 and influenza outperformed licensed vaccines in older adults, according to late-stage results reported on Monday.
June 10, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Eli Lilly Campus in San Diego
Drug Development
Lilly’s Tirzepatide Improves Liver Fibrosis in Phase II MASH Trial
Lilly’s tirzepatide achieved an absence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis without the worsening of fibrosis in more than 50% of patients in a mid-stage study, the company reported Saturday.
June 10, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Entrance to Pfizer's office in Belgium
Drug Development
Pfizer’s Paxlovid Ineffective Against Long COVID Using 15-Day Regimen: Study
While a prolonged, 15-day regimen of Paxlovid is safe, it appears to be ineffective at lowering the symptoms of long COVID, according to results of a Phase II trial funded by Pfizer and conducted by Stanford Medicine.
June 10, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: GSK's office in Poznan, Poland/iStock, W
FDA
GSK’s RSV Shot Wins Expanded FDA Approval for At-Risk Adults Aged 50 to 59
The FDA on Friday approved GSK’s application to use Arexvy to vaccinate adults aged 50 to 59 years who are at increased risk of developing severe respiratory syncytial virus.
June 10, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Boehringer Ingelheim's office in California
Drug Development
Boehringer, Zealand Heat Up MASH Race With Strong Phase II Data
The companies announced Friday that their candidate survodutide, which is licensed to Boehringer Ingelheim from Zealand Pharma, improved fibrosis in more than 50% of treated patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.
June 7, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Boardroom overlooking a city/iStock, ism
Deals
Vanda Gets $466M Unsolicited Offer from Cycle Amid Ongoing Row with FDA
After rejecting a previous takeover offer from Future Pak, Vanda Pharmaceuticals is now fielding another acquisition proposal from Cycle Pharmaceuticals, which values the biotech at $8 per share.
June 7, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
AbbVie's office in South San Francisco, California
Drug Development
AbbVie Sees Early ROI on $10B Immunogen Buy in Phase II Ovarian Cancer Win
AbbVie’s antibody-drug conjugate Elahere, developed by ImmunoGen, elicited a nearly 52% objective response rate in heavily pretreated patients with folate receptor-alpha-positive, platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer.
June 7, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Eli Lilly's biotechnology center in San
Policy
FDA Raises Concerns About Lilly’s Donanemab Alzheimer’s Candidate Ahead of Adcomm
In advance of an advisory committee meeting on Monday, the FDA’s internal reviewers have raised issues regarding Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s disease candidate donanemab, flagging problems with its study design and safety outcomes.
June 7, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
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