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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.

FDA sign outside its office in Maryland
Regulatory
FDA Pushes Back PDUFA Dates for Amgen and Intercept
The regulator has delayed its respective decision dates on whether to grant full approval to Amgen’s Lumakras in metastatic colorectal cancer and Intercept Pharmaceuticals’ Ocaliva for primary biliary cholangitis.
October 18, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Infant in the hospital wearing a ventila
RSV
Merck, Pfizer Tout Promising Respective Data in RSV With High Rates of Prevention
Merck’s investigational antibody clesrovimab demonstrated more than 60% effectiveness in reducing some types of respiratory syncytial virus-associated infections in infants, while Pfizer’s RSV vaccine Abrysvo showed 90% effectiveness at preventing the most severe RSV cases in adults 60 years and older.
October 18, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Poznan, Poland – October 29, 2020: The Glaxosmithkline headquarters office building in Poznan. LOGO. GaxoSmithKline also called GSK is a British pharmaceutical company.
Infectious disease
GSK, ViiV Tout 99% Effectiveness for Long-Acting HIV PrEP as Gilead Gains Ground
Real-world evidence show that GSK and ViiV Healthcare’s long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis Apretude can prevent nearly all HIV infections, while rival Gilead Sciences is moving quickly toward an approval for a twice-yearly option.
October 17, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Bavarian Nordic's sign outside its facility in Germany
Vaccines
Bavarian Nordic’s Jynneos Elicits ‘Robust’ Mpox Antibody Response in Adolescents: Study
The mpox vaccine induced an antibody response in adolescents aged 12 to 17 years that matched that in adults, suggesting the shot can be used to protect the highly susceptible group.
October 17, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: BMS sign on a building in San Diego, California/iStock, JHVEPhoto
Lymphoma
BMS’ Opdivo Bests Pfizer’s Adcetris in Late-Stage Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Study
Opdivo showed a 52% progression-free survival advantage over Adcetris in newly diagnosed Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to a Phase III study that combined either therapy with doxorubicin, vinblastine and dacarbazine.
October 17, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Sanofi's Distribution Center in Quebec, Canada
Radiopharmaceuticals
Sanofi Inks $326M Radiopharma Deal With Orano
Thursday’s agreement with Orano Med is the second in as many months. Sanofi in September made its first foray into the radioligand space with a $110 million licensing deal with Orano Med and Texas biotech RadioMedix.
October 17, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Deerfield - Circa June 2019: Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. Takeda recently acquired Irish drugmaker Shire I
Huntington’s disease
Takeda Walks Away From Wave Huntington’s Partnership After Sinking $260M in Collaboration
Wave Life Sciences in a Tuesday filing with the SEC said Takeda has elected to terminate its option to continue work on Wave’s WVE-003 clinical-stage Huntington’s disease program—a potential $5 billion commercial opportunity, according to the biotech.
October 16, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: GSK laboratories in Dresden, Germany
Patents
GSK Sues Moderna for Alleged Patent Infringement on COVID-19, RSV Vaccines
The lawsuits claim that Moderna used and profited from crucial mRNA technology in its COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax and respiratory syncytial virus shot mResvia.
October 16, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: J&J's office in Madrid, Spain
Pipeline
J&J Scraps Pipeline Assets Including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Candidates
Johnson & Johnson is cutting several programs—most of which are in neurology and psychiatry—as the company also pulls back from the infectious diseases market.
October 16, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Doctor looks at a chest x-ray film
Lung cancer
Jazz Touts Survival Benefit for First-Line Maintenance Therapy in SCLC
Jazz Pharmaceuticals contends that its alkylating agent Zepzelca significantly improved both overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, when used as a front-line maintenance therapy with Roche’s Tecentriq.
October 16, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Johnson & Johnson's business center in Switzerland
Earnings
J&J Gets Q3 Beat, Raises Full-Year Guidance on Strong Darzalex Sales
Sales of Johnson & Johnson’s oncology drugs jumped nearly 19% in the third quarter, driven by cancer treatment Darzalex which brought in more than $3 billion.
October 15, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Eli Lilly's biotechnology center in San Diego, California
Inflammatory bowel disease
Lilly’s Omvoh Beats J&J’s Stelara in Head-to-Head Phase III Crohn’s Disease Trial
At 52 weeks of follow-up, more patients on Eli Lilly’s monoclonal antibody Omvoh demonstrated histologic response, suggesting better long-term outcomes than Johnson & Johnson’s blockbuster therapy Stelara.
October 15, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Close-up of back skin with urticaria
Immunology and inflammation
Jasper Posts Promising Mid-Stage Data for Urticaria Drug, Eyes Challenge to Blockbusters
With positive results for patients with the chronic skin condition, Jasper Therapeutics’ briquilimab is looking to take on Novartis and Genentech’s Xolair as well as Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent.
October 15, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Businessman rejecting money in white envelope offered by his partner in the dark, anti bribery concept - panoramic banner
Business
Vanda Rejects Another Acquisition Offer From Cycle, Affirms Confidence in Business
Cycle’s second unsuccessful takeover bid comes on the heels of the FDA denying approval for Vanda’s tradipitant, which was being proposed for the treatment of gastroparesis.
October 15, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Puzzle Brain and US Currency. 3D rendering
Mergers & acquisitions
Lundbeck Deepens Neuro, Rare Disease Portfolio With $2.6B Longboard Buy
Under the deal, the Danish pharma will gain access to Longboard’s 5-HT2C receptor superagonist that is currently in late-stage development for seizures in various developmental and epileptic encephalopathies, including Dravet syndrome.
October 14, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
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