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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.

David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Business
Pfizer and Erasca Target Pancreatic, Colorectal Cancer with “Synergistic” Pairing (Updated)
Erasca announced that it was expanding its existing partnership with Pfizer to assess its ERAS-007 in combination with the Big Pharma’s Ibrance.
October 20, 2022
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Stop sign in front of FDA headquarters/S
Policy
FDA Adcomm Votes 14-1 to Pull Covis’ Makena from the Market
The FDA’s Obstetrics Reproductive and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted nearly unanimously to withdraw the approval of Covis’ preterm birth drug Makena.
October 20, 2022
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Tristan Manalac
Michael Vi/Shutterstock
Business
Jazz Drops $50M for Exclusive Rights to Zymeworks’ Bispecific HER2 Hopeful
Jazz and Zymeworks entered into a $50 million licensing agreement over zanidatamab, Zymeworks’ bispecific antibody targeting HER2.
October 19, 2022
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Tristan Manalac
Asian woman holding cardboard box containing personal belongings after being fired by employer
Business
Ambrx Drops Lead Asset, Cuts 15% of Staff in Strategic Reprioritization (Updated)
Ambrx Biopharma Inc. announced it will lay off 15% of its workforce and suspend development of its lead candidate in a strategic realignment initiative.
October 19, 2022
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock
Deals
Lilly Continues Foray into Gene Therapies with $487M Akouos Buyout
Eli Lilly is acquiring precision medicine biotech Akouos for $487 million in cash in a deal focused on developing gene therapies for hearing loss.
October 18, 2022
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Tristan Manalac
John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Business
Biogen-Sage’s Zuranolone Impresses in Phase III Postpartum Depression Trial
Sage Therapeutics and Biogen’s zuranolone met its primary and key secondary endpoints in the Phase III SKYLARK study of women with postpartum depression (PPD).
October 17, 2022
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Tristan Manalac
Business
NeuBase Abandons Huntington’s, 60% of Workforce in Strategic Pivot
NeuBase announced a strategic restructuring, diverting resources from its Huntington’s program and shedding 60% of its workforce.
October 17, 2022
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
Drug Development
Travere Anticipates 3-Month PDUFA Setback for IgA Nephropathy Treatment
The FDA is likely to push back the Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date for Travere Therapeutics’ sparsentan by three months..
October 14, 2022
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Tristan Manalac
Willy Barton/Shutterstock
Drug Development
GSK Joins Pfizer in Driver’s Seat of RSV Vaccine Race
GSK’s RSV vaccine candidate met its primary endpoint in a pivotal Phase III trial, proving to be highly effective against RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease.
October 13, 2022
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Tristan Manalac
Kena Betancur/VIEWpress/Corbis via Getty
Business
Bayer’s Vividion Bets up to $930M for Tavros Oncology Partnership
Vividion Therapeutics and Tavros Therapeutics entered into a five-year collaboration agreement, valued at up to $930 million, to discover and develop four novel oncology targets.
October 12, 2022
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Tristan Manalac
Business
Money on the Move: Vita, scPharmaceuticals, Andera and More
This week, financing came in the form of loans, private placements and a Series B, throwing support behind an injectable heart failure drug, oral immunology therapies and an ASD treatment.
October 12, 2022
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Tristan Manalac
Michel Stoupak/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Drug Development
Dupixent Shows Promise as First Treatment for Childhood EoE
Data from an ongoing Phase III trial showed Sanofi/Regeneron’s Dupixent can induce histological disease remission in young EoE patients aged 1–11.
October 11, 2022
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Tristan Manalac
Courtesy of Sundry Photography/Getty Images, Tom B
Drug Development
Merck’s Sotatercept Shows Stellar Performance in Phase III
Top-line data from the Phase III STELLAR trial revealed that Merck’s activin receptor candidate sotatercept reached its primary endpoint in pulmonary arterial hypertension.
October 10, 2022
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Tristan Manalac
BioMarin HQ/courtesy of BioMarin
Business
BioMarin, Cyclerion Slash Workforce in the Name of Strategic Focus
BioMarin Pharmaceuticals announced Friday it was shedding around 4% of its global workforce, or around 120 jobs, in an effort to improve its operational efficiency.
October 7, 2022
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Drug Development
TauRx Deems Phase III Data Sufficient to Send Tau Inhibitor to Regulators
TauRx announced preliminary results from the Phase III study, showing HMTM, its potent inhibitor of tau aggregates, could slow Alzheimer’s disease progression or cognitive decline.
October 6, 2022
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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