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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.

Woman doctor in surgery outfit looking at a mammogram
Breast cancer
Relay Scores Early Breast Cancer Win, Plans Pivotal Trial Against AstraZeneca’s Truqap
Set to start in 2025, Relay Therapeutics is moving toward a pivotal study of experimental treatment RLY-2608 in heavily pretreated locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
September 9, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Doctor looks at a chest x-ray film
Lung cancer
Summit Declares NSCLC Victory Over Keytruda, Analysts Advise Caution With China-Only Data
In advanced non-small cell lung cancer, Summit Therapeutics’ ivonescimab appears to be 49% more effective at reducing the risk of disease progression or death versus Merck’s Keytruda in a late-stage study. However, analysts contend the caveat is that the trial was conducted in an entirely Chinese patient population.
September 9, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: J&J's office in Madrid, Spain
Lung cancer
J&J Challenges AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso With Phase III Data for Rybrevant, Lazcluze Combo
Follow-up data from the MARIPOSA study show a favorable overall survival trend versus Tagrisso in EGFR-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The findings come just weeks after the Rybrevant-Lazcluze combination was approved for the first-line treatment.
September 9, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Facade of AstraZeneca's office in Shanghai, China
Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)
AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo Turn to AI to Explain Phase III NSCLC Miss for Dato-DXd
Using a computational biomarker, the companies say they can identify which patients would derive significant clinical benefit from their experimental antibody-drug conjugate. AstraZeneca and Roche are co-developing and commercializing a companion diagnostic for the biomarker.
September 9, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
GSK's headquarters in West London
Immunology and inflammation
GSK Builds Nucala’s COPD Case With Phase III Win
If approved in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Nucala will compete with Verona’s Ohtuvayre and—pending a potential approval later this month—Sanofi and Regeneron’s blockbuster Dupixent.
September 6, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
rear view businesswoman standing on wooden pier and looking to sea business and challenge crisis bankruptcy concept horizontal full length vector illustration
People
Lykos CEO to Resign After FDA Rejection of MDMA Therapy, Layoffs
Amy Emerson is stepping down on the heels of the FDA last month rejecting Lykos Therapeutics’ MDMA-based therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and the company laying off three-quarters of its staff.
September 6, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: FDA signage at its office in Washington, DC
Approvals
Travere Wins Full FDA Approval for IgAN Treatment Filspari
With the regulator’s traditional green light in IgA nephropathy, Filspari is up against Novartis’ Fabhalta—which won accelerated approval last month—and Calliditas’ Tarpeyo, which was approved in December 2023.
September 6, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Cigna Healthcare office in Delaware
Pharmacy benefit managers
Cigna Continues Biosimilar Push, Targets J&J’s Stelara With No Out-of-Pocket Cost
Thursday’s announcement comes after the insurance giant last week said it would remove AbbVie’s Humira from its major formularies starting in 2025, replacing the blockbuster with more affordable biosimilars.
September 6, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Eli Lilly's world headquarters in Indianapolis
Diabetes
Lilly Gains Ground on Novo With Positive Phase III Readouts for Weekly Insulin
Eli Lilly’s weekly insulin injection efsitora alfa secured two late-stage victories on Thursday in a potential blow to rival Novo Nordisk, which in July failed to secure the FDA’s approval for its basal insulin icodec.
September 5, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Amgen sign at its headquarters in Thousand Oaks, California, USA.
Obesity
Amgen Plans Phase III Program for Next-Gen Obesity Drug Targeting Liver and Kidney Diseases
A broad indication for MariTide could help Amgen secure Medicare coverage for the treatment following FDA approval, CEO Robert Bradway said at Wednesday’s Morgan Stanley Global Healthcare Conference.
September 5, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
3D illustration of tow GLP-1 therapy autoinjectors
GLP-1
UK’s MHRA Finds No Risk of Suicidal Ideation, Self-Harm With GLP-1 Drugs
Like its U.S. and European counterparts, Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency found no conclusive link between the use of GLP-1s and a heightened risk of suicidal and self-injury thoughts.
September 5, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Novartis' logo outside its building in S
Manufacturing
Novartis Starts Construction on Two US Sites to Bolster Radioligand Therapy Manufacturing
The company is building a new facility in California, its third U.S.-based radioligand therapy production site, and expanding an Indianapolis site for producing isotopes for cancer treatment.
September 5, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Roche's signage at its office in France
Multiple sclerosis
Roche Touts Phase II MS Data on Heels of Sanofi’s Late-Stage Stumbles
Days after Sanofi reported back-to-back failures for its BTK inhibitor, Roche’s fenebrutinib on Wednesday scored a mid-stage win in relapsing multiple sclerosis, demonstrating near-total elimination of disease activity.
September 4, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Nasdaq headquarters in New York/iStock,
IPO
Lilly Partner BioAge Files for IPO to Advance Obesity Candidate
BioAge will use the proceeds from the initial public offering to move its oral apelin receptor agonist azelaprag past its Phase III STRIDES study and into a registrational Phase III trial.
September 4, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
3D illustration of neurons
Alzheimer’s disease
Athira’s Small Molecule Injection for Alzheimer’s Flops in Phase II/III Study
The investigational injection fosgonimeton appeared to have better efficacy in patients with more severe disease, according to post-hoc subgroup analyses, though none resulted in statistically significant effects.
September 4, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
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