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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.

Pictured: Man prepares his GLP-1 receptor agonist injection
Drug Development
Obesity Market to Reach $150B as Demand Grows, Supply Stabilizes: Reuters
Driven by growing market demand and an improving supply chain, the global weight-loss drug market is expected to hit $150 billion in value by the early 2030s, according to analysts cited by Reuters.
May 29, 2024
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Amgen's office in Tampa, Florida
FDA
Amgen Wins FDA Approval for First Biosimilar to AstraZeneca’s Soliris
Amgen on Tuesday secured the FDA’s green light for the first interchangeable biosimilar to AstraZeneca’s Soliris to treat two rare diseases: paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome.
May 29, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Boy in a wheelchair looking out the window
Drug Development
NS Pharma’s DMD Candidate Viltespo Fails Confirmatory Phase III Trial
NS Pharma, a subsidiary of Nippon Shinyaku, announced Monday that its Duchenne muscular dystrophy candidate Viltepso failed a late-stage confirmatory trial, showing no significant motor function improvements over placebo.
May 28, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Novo Nordisk's corporate headquarters in Denmark
Policy
Novo Nordisk’s Once-Weekly Insulin Loses FDA Adcomm Vote for Type 1 Diabetes
Flagging a risk of hypoglycemia, the FDA’s Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee on Friday did not recommend the approval of Novo Nordisk’s once-weekly insulin icodec for type 1 diabetes.
May 28, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Facade of Novartis building in Switzerland
Drug Development
Novartis Eyes Rare Kidney Disease Approvals on Heels of Two Phase III Wins
With back-to-back victories in IgA nephropathy and C3 glomerulopathy, Novartis on Saturday said it is planning to make regulatory submissions for the rare kidney diseases this year.
May 28, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: 3D illustration of antibody-drug conjugates carrying toxic payloads
Drug Development
AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo ADC Misses Endpoint in Phase III NSCLC Study
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s investigational antibody-drug conjugate Dato-DXd failed to significantly improve overall survival in non-small cell lung cancer patients versus docetaxel.
May 28, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Novo Nordisk's corporate headquarters in Denmark
Drug Development
Novo Nordisk’s Semaglutide Cuts Death Risk in Diabetics with CKD in Phase III Trial
Full data from the FLOW study show that Novo Nordisk’s top-selling GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide can significantly reduce the risk of death by 20% in diabetes patients with chronic kidney disease.
May 24, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: 3D illustration of a tumor and its microenvironment
Drug Development
ASCO24: Nimbus Plots Path for Next-Gen IO Therapies with Strong Early HPK1 Blocker Data
After selling off its oral TYK2 blocker to Takeda for $4 billion, Nimbus Therapeutics has posted strong early-stage data for its other clinical candidate, NDI-101150, in solid tumors.
May 24, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Regeneron logo on a light brown building
Drug Development
ASCO24: Regeneron’s Bispecific Antibody Falls Flat in Early Study
Phase I/II data for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals’ costimulatory bispecific antibody were disappointing, with only one complete response when used as a combination treatment with Libtayo for solid tumors.
May 24, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: J&J's building in Switzerland
Drug Development
ASCO24: J&J Reports Four Patient Deaths in Early-Stage Prostate Cancer Trial
Johnson & Johnson’s radiopharma candidate JNJ-6420 returned mixed results in an early-stage study, demonstrating strong biochemical and radiographic response but also resulting in four patient deaths.
May 24, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Facade of Takeda's office in Massachusetts
Business
Takeda Joins Hot Molecular Glue Market With $1.2B Deal
Riding the growing wave of interest in molecular glue degraders, Takeda has partnered with Chinese biotech Degron Therapeutics to develop novel therapies for oncology, neuroscience and inflammation.
May 23, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Sign above the entrance to a U.S. courthouse
Policy
Appeals Court Sides With Drugmakers in 340B Case, Allows Limits on Discounts Under Program
An appellate court ruled on Tuesday that pharmaceutical companies can lawfully impose restrictions on covered drugs under the 340B Drug Pricing Program.
May 23, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Facade of Novo Nordisk's office in Fremont, California
Policy
FDA Flags Hypoglycemia Risk for Novo’s Once-Weekly Insulin Ahead of Adcomm
In advance of Friday’s Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting, the FDA has raised concerns about hypoglycemia linked to Novo Nordisk’s insulin icodec, according to a briefing document.
May 23, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Pfizer's signage outside its office in Canada/iStock, JHVEPhoto
Business
Pfizer Targets Another $1.5B in Cost Cuts By End of 2027
Amid its ongoing efforts to trim $4 billion in spending in 2024, Pfizer in an SEC filing on Wednesday said it is looking to save an additional $1.5 billion over the next several years.
May 23, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Biogen's headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Deals
Biogen Beefs Up Immuno Pipeline with Potential $1.8B HI-Bio Acquisition
Days after backing out of two Ionis-partnered neuro programs, Biogen has inked a potential $1.8 billion buy of Human Immunology Biosciences and boosting its late-stage immunology pipeline.
May 22, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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