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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.

Silver Spring, MD, USA - June 25, 2022: The FDA White Oak Campus, headquarters of the United States Food and Drug Administration, a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Cancer
FDA Looks To Raise Survival Bar for Cancer Drug Approvals in New Draft Guidance
The FDA recommends that companies use overall survival as a primary endpoint for clinical trials where feasible. The new guidance follows the surprising return of CBER Head Vinay Prasad, who has previously argued for prioritizing OS.
August 20, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Arrows lead to a graph of a downward trend, then c
Layoffs
CSL Overhauls Business With Vaccine Spinout, 15% Layoffs
With its structural changes, CSL expects to generate $500 to $550 million in annualized savings over the next three years.
August 20, 2025
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Healthcare, medical and doctor with kid patient and father holding baby for shot in hospital. Girl, children and family clinic nurse with vaccine for covid, virus or flu shot.
Vaccines
American Academy of Pediatrics Contradicts CDC, Recommends COVID-19 Shot for Kids
The CDC no longer recommends COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children and healthy pregnant women, a position that has been opposed by leading medical societies.
August 20, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Choosing between two distinct paths, leading to different outcomes and destinations. Visual metaphor.
Business
5 Biotechs Taking the Pipeline-in-a-Product Approach to Drug Development
The platform strategy of using one molecule to target an underlying biological pathway to address many different diseases can be a goldmine for smaller companies. But it also has a unique set of challenges.
August 20, 2025
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10 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Abstract creative art collage, market declines in the stock market. The concept of collapse or bankruptcy.
Weight loss
Viking Crashes as Obesity Pill Delivers Over 12% Weight Loss
Viking Therapeutics’ VK2735 achieves a 10.9% placebo-adjusted weight loss at 13 weeks, but a less than ideal safety profile marred the results.
August 19, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Time elapses in achieving the goal. Deadline. Get off schedule. Make it before the end of the term. Overdue work. Loss of relevance. Decrease in achievements, obsolescence of tasks.
Gene therapy
Regenxbio’s Hunter Syndrome Gene Therapy Hit With 3-Month PDUFA Delay
The FDA has postponed its decision date for Regenxbio’s Hunter syndrome gene therapy to review additional longer-term clinical data for the asset.
August 19, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Contemporary art collage. Businessmen, employees walking into open door symbolizing new opportunities. Way to success. Concept of business, promotion, motivation, ambitions and ideas
Immuno-oncology
Genentech Walks Away From $2B Partnership With Adaptive Biotechnologies
Adaptive and Genentech first partnered in 2018 to advance T cell receptor-based therapies for cancer.
August 19, 2025
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
A human hand and a robot hand shake hands over a white circle on a green background
Collaboration
VantAI Links With Halda in Potential $1B+ Proteomics Pact
VantAI will use its machine learning capabilities to identify novel target-effector pairs that Halda can use in designing its bifunctional small-molecule drugs.
August 19, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Poster sketch image artwork photo collage of body language finger showing gesture symbol thumb down dislike dissatisfied minus no opinion.
Sickle cell disease
Pfizer’s $5.4B GBT Bet Disappoints Again as Sickle Cell Therapy Fails in Phase III
Inclacumab, which Pfizer obtained in its 2022 acquisition of Global Blood Therapeutics, failed to significantly lower pain episodes in patients with sickle cell disease over the 48-week treatment period.
August 18, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
A piggy bank crammed with $100 bills on a background of American cash
Funding
Gene Therapy Specialist Kriya Raises $313M
Kriya is advancing a host of gene therapies for a wide variety of chronic diseases, including geographic atrophy, trigeminal neuralgia and type 1 diabetes.
August 18, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Composite artwork collage image picture of aged lady hairdo isolated on creative background.
Pain
Tonix Wins Approval For First New Fibromyalgia Drug in Over 15 Years
In Phase III studies, Tonmya showed significantly superior analgesic effects in patients with fibromyalgia versus placebo. The sublingual pill also led to better clinical outcomes.
August 18, 2025
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Novo Nordisk's logo on the facade of its building in Germany
MASH
Novo Wins MASH Approval for Wegovy
The label expansion could help Novo Nordisk “help shift the momentum” for Wegovy, after a difficult start to 2025, according to analysts at BMO Capital Markets.
August 18, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
The female hand is showing a thumbs-up gesture on a pink background, in an art collage. Positive hand sign. Fashion collage in the style of thumbs up magazine. Contemporary art. Modern design.
Approvals
Precigen Wins First FDA Immunotherapy Nod for Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis
Papzimeos is the first immunotherapy approved for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, a rare lung disorder involving the development of benign tumors in the airways.
August 15, 2025
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem tours the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Cetner with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and U.S. Senator Rand Paul on Fort Detrick, Maryland, June 16, 2025. (DHS photo by Tia Dufour)
Vaccines
Kennedy Revives Childhood Vaccines Safety Group, Led by NIH’s Bhattacharya
The move comes after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received pressure from the Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine non-profit that he co-founded, which last month sued him over his failure to run the “statutorily required Task Force on childhood vaccine,” according to the lawsuit.
August 15, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks while President Donald Trump looks on
Vaccines
After Scrapping mRNA Contracts, Kennedy Says mRNA Vaccines ‘May Be Very Effective’ for Cancer
The Department of Health and Human Services’ mRNA pullback only applies to their use in upper respiratory disease, according to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
August 15, 2025
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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