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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: Sign at J&J Vision offices in Silicon Valley
Manufacturing
J&J to Invest $2B in North Carolina Manufacturing Facility, Create 420 Jobs
Johnson & Johnson is making the investment to help meet its 2030 target of launching 20 new medicines and expanding filings for approximately 50 other products.
October 2, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Bristol Myers Squibb office in California
Legal
Federal Judge Dismisses $6.4B Lawsuit Against BMS Over Celgene Acquisition
District Judge Jesse Furman ruled that the plaintiff, UMB Bank, does not have standing to bring the case against Bristol Myers Squibb because it is not a properly appointed trustee for shareholders’ contingent value rights.
October 1, 2024
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
3D illustration of human kidneys on a scientific background
Immunology and inflammation
Kezar Reports Four Patient Deaths in Mid-Stage Lupus Nephritis Study, Pauses Enrollment
William Blair analyst Matt Phipps in a note to investors wrote that despite the patient deaths, the totality of the data still leans in favor of Kezar Life Sciences’ investigational immunoproteasome inhibitor zetomipzomib.
October 1, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Johnson & Johnson's business center in Switzerland
Drug pricing
J&J Reverses Course on 340B Rebate Plans Following HRSA Warning
Faced with potential monetary fines, Johnson & Johnson said Monday it is abandoning a proposed 340B rebate plan for hospitals involving two of its blockbuster drugs, Stelara and Xarelto.
October 1, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
3D illustration of tow GLP-1 therapy autoinjectors
GLP-1
Obesity Startup Metsera Inks Manufacturing Pact With Amneal on Heels of Phase I Readout
A week after it released positive early-stage data, Metsera has partnered with Amneal Pharmaceuticals in an effort to secure the development and supply of its investigational weight loss therapy MET-097.
October 1, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
A scientist with pill bottles in front of FDA headquarters
Regulatory
FDA Action Alert: Biofrontera, BMS and Zealand
One upcoming decision—on a perioperative PD-1 regimen for lung cancer—comes as the FDA considers an overhaul of trial designs in this treatment setting.
September 30, 2024
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4 min read
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Tristan Manalac
AbbVie's office in South San Francisco, California
Parkinson’s disease
AbbVie’s $8.7B Cerevel Buy Starts to Pay off With Phase III Parkinson’s Win
Results from TEMPO-1, which showed that tavapadon significantly improved motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease, will help AbbVie as it builds a regulatory case for the D1/D5 dopamine receptor agonist.
September 27, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
External view of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, DC
Alzheimer’s disease
Cassava Agrees to Pay $40M Fine to Resolve SEC Probe as Company Hit With New Lawsuit
Despite the settlement, the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday sued Cassava Sciences in the Western District Court of Texas, claiming that the company misled investors regarding the Phase IIb performance of its Alzheimer’s disease drug candidate.
September 27, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Roche Diagnostics building in California
Immunology and inflammation
Roche Looks to Push Gazyva Into Lupus Nephritis With Promising Late-Stage Data
In the Phase III REGENCY study, Gazyva elicited superior complete renal response rates in patients with lupus nephritis versus placebo, positioning Roche’s therapeutic antibody for expansion into the indication.
September 27, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Corporate headquarters of Novo Nordisk in Denmark
Collaboration
Novo, Evotec Ink Stem Cell Partnership as Drugmaker Looks to Expand Pipeline
While the companies did not reveal the financial details of the deal, Novo Nordisk will provide funding for two Evotec sites in Germany and Italy to support the development of next-generation cell therapies.
September 26, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Sign in front of Pfizer in Quebec, Canada
Sickle cell disease
Pfizer Takes Sickle Cell Drug Oxbryta Off Global Market, Cites Risk of Death
Based on new safety signals, Pfizer on Wednesday announced that Oxbryta’s overall benefit “no longer outweighs the risk” in patients with sickle cell disease. Guggenheim Securities analysts said the setback increases investor frustrations with the company’s business development track record.
September 26, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Facade of Novo Nordisk's office in Fremont, California
Drug Development
Novo’s Ozempic Potentially Linked to Lower Opioid Overdose Risk in Diabetics
A retrospective cohort study of more than 33,000 patients with type 2 diabetes showed that Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 may lower the risk of opioid overdose by 42% to up to 68%.
September 26, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
3D illustration of neurons
Multiple sclerosis
Study Casts Doubt on Benefit of Anti-CD20 Therapies in Multiple Sclerosis
New research has found that MS patients treated with anti-CD20 antibodies, such as Roche’s Ocrevus, do not experience significantly slower progression of disability.
September 26, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Merck building and sign in Silicon Valley
Cancer
Merck’s Keytruda Combo Fails in Phase III Colorectal Cancer Study
Merck follows in the footsteps of Bristol Myers Squibb, which in December 2023 also failed to secure a late-stage victory for its combo regimen of a PD-1 blocker and an anti-LAG-3 antibody.
September 25, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Amgen's office in Tampa, Florida
Phase III
Amgen Scores Late-Stage Wins in Eczema and Myasthenia Gravis, But Analysts See Mixed Results
Jefferies analyst Michael Yee in a note to investors called rocatinlimab’s atopic dermatitis data “modest,” noting that the OX40 receptor blocker “came in at the lower end of efficacy and expectations,” but found Uplizna’s performance in generalized myasthenia gravis “better than expected.”
September 25, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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