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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.

3D illustration of antibodies
Series A
Navigator Closes $100M Series A, Targets Autoimmune Market With Potential Best-in-Class Bispecific Antibody
Navigator Medicine is looking to push its lead asset NAV-240 targeting immune-mediated diseases through to clinical studies “in the coming months,” which the startup in-licensed from a South Korean biotech for $20 million upfront.
August 28, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Nurse inserts an IV line into a patient with a mask
COVID-19
FDA Limits Use of Invivyd’s COVID-19 Prophylactic as New Variants Dominate
The regulator’s restrictions come as the U.S. is experiencing a surge in cases. Invivyd also announced updated Phase III data for Pemgarda, touting an 84% relative reduction in symptomatic COVID-19.
August 28, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Signage at Pfizer's world headquarters in New York City
Business
Pfizer Launches Direct-to-Consumer Portal for Migraine, Flu, COVID-19 Products
The company joins Eli Lilly in offering its own digital platform to more directly connect to patients, allowing them easier access to healthcare providers and prescription drugs.
August 28, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
External view of Eli Lilly's world headquarters in Indianapolis
Obesity
Lilly Looks to Expand Zepbound Supply by Offering Single-Dose Vials
Through its online pharmacy LillyDirect, Eli Lilly announced Tuesday it will allow patients to purchase single-dose vials of Zepbound—without the autoinjector—at a 50% discount or more versus other incretin obesity treatments.
August 27, 2024
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
3D illustration of tow GLP-1 therapy autoinjectors
Drug pricing
Medicare Coverage of Novo’s Semaglutide for CVD Could Cost $145B Annually: Study
The number of patients who will be eligible for Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster GLP-1 under new Medicare Part D plan guidelines will vary depending on how cardiovascular disease is defined, according to researchers.
August 27, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Signage outside Express Scripts' headquarters in Missouri
Pharmacy benefit managers
Cigna to Remove AbbVie’s Humira From Formularies, Putting More Pressure on Blockbuster
Mirroring fellow pharmacy benefit manager CVS Caremark, Cigna’s Express Scripts is taking Humira off its major commercial formularies starting next year and focusing on more affordable biosimilar options.
August 27, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Regeneron logo on a light brown building
Lymphoma
Regeneron Scores EU Lymphoma Approval for Bispecific Antibody Ordspono
With the FDA’s rejection of Ordspono in March, Monday’s green light from the European Commission marks the first approval worldwide and the first regulatory victory for Regeneron’s bispecific antibody platform.
August 27, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Nasdaq building in New York City
IPO
MBX Unveils Plans for Nasdaq Debut, Joins Two Other IPO Hopefuls
MBX Biosciences follows Bicara Therapeutics and Zenas Biopharma, which also announced last week their respective plans to go public in a potential boost to the recent slump in the IPO market.
August 26, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Illustration of businessman being erased
Layoffs
Tome to Lay Off Almost All of Staff After Scaling Back Operations
Tome Biosciences, a gene editing startup that launched in late 2023 with $213 million in funding, will eliminate 131 positions in November, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act notice.
August 26, 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, HRSA at Loggerheads Over 340B Drug Pricing for Stelara and Xarelto
Johnson & Johnson’s proposed changes to the hospital drug discount program are inconsistent with the federal statute, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration.
August 26, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Healthcare worker administers a vaccine to a patient
COVID-19
FDA Greenlights Updated COVID-19 Shots from Pfizer, Moderna for Fall Season
The regulator on Thursday said the mRNA vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty and Moderna’s Spikevax, will better protect against currently circulating variants as COVID continues to surge in many parts of the U.S.
August 23, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
3D concept photo of gene editing showing a tweezers inserting a DNA fragment into a larger strand
Gene editing
Gene Editing Startup Tome Struggles to Stay Afloat Just Months After Launching
Despite the promise of its technology and funding from big backers, Tome Biosciences is “operating at reduced capacity” and weighing its “strategic options” as the Massachusetts-based company faces an uncertain future.
August 23, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Gloved hand holding a vial of mpox vaccine
Earnings
Bavarian Nordic Adopts Optimistic Outlook Amid New Orders for Mpox Vaccine
The Danish biotech on Thursday reported stronger-than-expected earnings and forecasts hitting the upper range of its full-year revenue target amid the ongoing mpox outbreak.
August 23, 2024
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
FDA signage at its headquarters in Maryland
Stomach cancer
FDA Sets Adcomm Meeting to Assess Checkpoint Inhibitors in Stomach Cancer Using PD-L1
The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee in a Sept. 26 meeting will discuss whether the regulator should restrict approval of checkpoint inhibitors based on PD-L1 expression levels.
August 23, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Downward trendline superimposed on a picture of a man working on financial records
China
WuXi Biologics Takes Net Profit Hit Despite Inking Record Number of New Projects
With the potential passage of the BIOSECURE Act looming, WuXi Biologics reported a 24% drop in net profit in the first half of 2024.
August 22, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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