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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: Blue Sanofi sign on building in Germany at night
Drug pricing
Sanofi Joins Growing Group of Pharmas Pulling Back From UK
Merck, Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca have similarly suspended or outright canceled investments in the U.K. in the past week after a sizeable increase in a mandatory levy in the region.
September 16, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
CDC approved vaccines for adults to boost the immu
Vaccines
Kennedy Names New ACIP Members as Panel Quiets COVID-19 Vaccine Developers Ahead of Meeting
Like the first batch of appointees to the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, several of the new panelists have documented histories of vaccine and COVID-19 skepticism.
September 16, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
External view of Novartis' office in Massachusetts
Collaboration
Novartis Sticks With Monte Rosa in Second Molecular Glue Deal Worth up to $5.7B
Novartis and Monte Rosa first partnered in October 2024 for a molecular glue asset for immune-mediated and autoimmune diseases. This time, the pharma is putting $120 million down upfront for more of the biotech’s AI-discovered degraders.
September 15, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Hanging questions.Blue background.
Adcomms
FDA Flip-Flops on Scrapping Adcomms
CDER Director George Tidmarsh said on two separate events last week that he thought advisory committee meetings for specific drug applications were redundant, but then denied having said the agency would abandon them.
September 15, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: AstraZeneca's manufacturing facility in Sweden
Europe
AstraZeneca Suspends $270M UK Commitment Months After Scrapping Vaccine Facility
AstraZeneca in January also stopped its $610 million plans to construct a vaccine R&D and manufacturing site in the U.K.
September 15, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Cityscape image of Vienna with the Vienna State Opera during sunset.
Obesity
EASD 2025: Orforglipron in Focus, the Case for Cardiovascular Benefits, More
While Eli Lilly’s orforglipron is top of mind heading into the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting this week, experts told BioSpace the conference will also provide important insights into the therapeutic benefits of incretin therapies beyond weight loss.
September 15, 2025
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6 min read
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Tristan Manalac
A scientist with pill bottles in front of FDA headquarters
FDA
FDA Action Alert: Merck, Sanofi, Biogen and More
On the FDA’s docket for the back half of September is Merck’s proposed subcutaneous formulation of its blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda.
September 15, 2025
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6 min read
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Tristan Manalac
AbbVie headquarters building facade of an American publicly traded biopharmaceutical company. - South San Francisco, California, USA - 2021
Patents
AbbVie Adds Four Years of Exclusivity to Rinvoq Franchise With Generics Settlement
The settlement agreement will extend market exclusivity for AbbVie’s JAK inhibitor in the U.S. until 2037—providing pediatric exclusivity is granted.
September 12, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Crisis. Sanctions. Withdrawal of investment and capital. Stop participation. The collapse of the company, the split of business partners.
Autoimmune disease
Intercept Withdraws Embattled Liver Drug from US Market
Ocaliva won accelerated approval for primary biliary cholangitis in 2016, which the FDA refused to upgrade to full approval last year after an advisory committee was unable to verify a favorable risk/benefit profile.
September 12, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Stack of coins balancing on seesaw over a bottle of pills.
Tariffs
Trump Carves Tariff Exemptions for Some Pharma Products
President Donald Trump is considering tariff exemptions for certain “non-patented” pharmaceuticals, though the White House has yet to release specific guidelines.
September 12, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Focal seizure. Vector illustration of human brain and electroencephalograhy or EEG originating from temporal lobe.
Gene therapy
Capsida Reports Patient Death in Gene Therapy Trial
Capsida has yet to disclose the exact cause of death. The patient had received the gene therapy CAP-002 for a type of epilepsy.
September 11, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Joint pain anatomy medical concept
Pain
FDA Looks To Streamline Development of Non-Opioid Painkillers
New draft guidelines suggest the FDA is open to exercising regulatory flexibility for non-opioid drugs being developed for chronic pain.
September 11, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Goal concept. Human hand in dotted pop art style pointing on the target for red paper plane. Vector illustration
Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Avidity Touts Functional Improvements for DMD Therapy, Clearing Way to FDA
Analysts at BMO Capital Markets expect the lack of other exon-44-skiping therapies to facilitate a “smooth” approval process for Avidity’s del-zota.
September 11, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Merck & Co. headquarters in Silicon Valley; Merck & Co. Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical company
Layoffs
Merck Abandons $1.3B R&D Center in London, Boots 125 Employees
Claiming that the domestic market undervalues pharma innovation, Merck has decided to pull the plug on all of its R&D efforts in the U.K.
September 11, 2025
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Concept art for large layoffs showing a line of blocks a cliff
Layoffs
Lundbeck Offloads Assets to Three Partners as it Exits 27 Markets, Leaving 602 Jobless
These 27 markets, comprising countries across Asia, Europe and South America, together contributed some 12% of Lundbeck’s earnings in 2024.
September 10, 2025
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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