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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.

Assembling jigsaw puzzle. Organizing business people hierarchy.
Earnings
‘Execution, Execution, Execution’: Novo’s New CEO Doubles Down on Obesity, Diabetes and Trims Pipeline
Maziar Mike Doustdar, who was named as Novo Nordisk’s new CEO last week, spoke on a second quarter earnings call of reallocating resources to the company’s “main core” of metabolic disease.
August 6, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Tariffs
Trump Threatens Highest Pharma Tariffs So Far at 250%
President Donald Trump plans to start with a “small tariff” on pharmaceutical imports before ramping duties up to 250% within a year and a half.
August 6, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Biontech SE headquarters with company flags, German biotechnology company, BioNTech Manufacturing, development and production active immunotherapeutic agents in Mainz, Germany - September 7, 2024
Layoffs
BioNTech Cuts 90 Jobs Amid ‘Strategic Alignment’
BioNTech also laid off 63 employees in June in conjunction with the discontinuation of its cell therapy manufacturing operations in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
August 6, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes remarks at an event announcing the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) Commission, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in the East Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)
Vaccines
RFK Jr. Axes 22 mRNA Vaccine Projects Under BARDA
The Department of Health and Human Services is terminating around $500 million in BARDA contracts associated with mRNA vaccine development, a move that will affect several pharma companies, including Moderna, Pfizer, Sanofi and AstraZeneca.
August 6, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Sep 21, 2020 Brisbane / CA / USA - BioMarin headquarters in Silicon Valley; BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. is an American biotechnology company
Rare diseases
BioMarin Axes Pre-Clinical PKU Drug, Citing Underwhelming Immunogenicity
BMN 390 fell short of an immunogenicity threshold that BioMarin was looking for to support its further development. Employees working on the program have been redeployed within the company.
August 5, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Human head with puzzle pieces and doodles vector illustration. Human brain lacking a piece of puzzle. Concept of brain function, memory loss, disorder, dementia. Abstract human head profile
Neuroscience
Praxis’ Seizure Drug Demonstrates ‘Impressive’ Efficacy in Mid-Stage Trial
Praxis’ vormatrigine reduced seizures by 56.3%, an effect size that, according to analysts at Truist Securities, exceeds that of its closest competitors.
August 5, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Start of negative growth trend. Worsening forecast. Cessation of rise inertia, not enough power energy. The risk of recession and sliding into a crisis
Regulatory
Report of Patient Deaths Sends Agios Shares Seesawing
While the deaths occurred in patients who had been treated with Agios’ anemia treatment Pyrukynd, the biotech insisted in an SEC filing midday Monday that the drug’s risk-benefit profile remains unchanged.
August 5, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
A stack of white envelopes with a red envelope on top. Blue background with copy space.
Regulatory
Scientists Behind Trial of Replimune’s Tumor Destroyer Protest FDA’s Rejection
In an open letter, 22 experts who designed and ran Replimune’s Phase III IGNYTE trial answered the FDA’s issues, as outlined in the complete response letter for the melanoma candidate RP1.
August 5, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
3d illustration Antibody
CAR-T
Allogene Scraps Immunosuppressive Antibody After Patient Death in Lymphoma Trial
The pivotal Phase II trial is testing Allogene’s CAR T candidate cemacabtagene ansegedleucel for large B-cell lymphoma. ALLO-647 was being used as a preparative lymphodepletion therapy.
August 4, 2025
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Doubtful person, hands on hips, choosing the way as multiple arrows on the road showing a mess of different directions. Choosing the correct pathway, difficult decision concept, confusion symbol.
Obesity
CMS Mulls About-Face in Coverage of GLP-1 Treatments for Obesity: Report
Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services scrapped a previous proposal, from the Biden administration, to include anti-obesity medications in Medicare Part D coverage.
August 4, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Regeneron logo on a light brown building
Earnings
Regulatory Roadblocks Blemish Regeneron’s Otherwise Strong Q2
Delays in the decision dates for high-dose Eylea are linked to issues at a Catalent-owned facility. Once these are resolved, Regeneron expects “to receive favorable action” on these applications, CEO Leonard Schleifer told investors.
August 1, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
FDA commissioner Marty Makary speaking on a Youtube video, wearing a dark suit and a blue tie
FDA
After Prasad’s Ouster, Makary Looks for Better Drug, Biologic Alignment at FDA
The FDA has denied that it plans to combine the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research into one entity.
August 1, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Creative picture image collage banner of guy worker jump from financial charts determined company success.
Earnings
‘Very Impressive’ Amvuttra ATTR-CM Sales Send Alnylam Soaring
In its first commercial quarter for ATTR-cardiomyopathy, Alnylam’s Amvuttra reached roughly 1,400 patients and made more than $490 million.
August 1, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Company downsizing, staff reduction and layoffs. Employee dismissal, firing and unemployment. Business concept.
Layoffs
Merck’s $3B Savings Push Claims 6,000 Jobs
Merck has characterized its cost-cutting initiative as more of a reallocation of resources to support other, higher-growth areas of its business.
August 1, 2025
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Facade of the FDA's office in Maryland
Regulatory
FDA Issued Myeloma, Alzheimer’s Approvals in July but Rejected Two CGTs
The FDA greenlit multiple new drugs this month and issued some notable label expansions, including for Eli Lilly’s Kisunla. Meanwhile, the regulator turned away a cell therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and a gene therapy for the rare disease Sanfilippo syndrome.
July 31, 2025
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10 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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