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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: Illumina's sign at its office in California
Business
Illumina Reports $1.47B ‘Goodwill’ Impairment Charge After Grail Spinoff
Following the recently completed spinoff of cancer detection company Grail, sequencing giant Illumina said Thursday it expects to absorb a $1.47 billion goodwill impairment charge.
June 28, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Gloved hand holding a white pill
Drug Development
ICER Doubles Down on Critique of Lykos’ MDMA Therapy, Cites Data Concerns
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review has again flagged “substantial concerns” with Lykos Therapeutics’ data for its MDMA-based therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and propensity for bias.
June 28, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
South San Francisco, CA, USA - May 1, 2022: Exterior view of the Merck Researches Laboratories in South San Francisco, California. Merck & Co., Inc. is a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey. The company does business as Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) outside the United States and Canada.
Policy
Merck’s ADC Pact With Daiichi Hits Regulatory Setback in FDA Rejection
The FDA on Thursday rejected Merck and Daiichi Sankyo’s HER3-targeted antibody-drug conjugate patritumab deruxtecan in a Complete Response Letter, citing problems with a third-party manufacturer.
June 27, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Front view of the CDC museum in Georgia
Policy
CDC Narrows RSV Vaccine Recommendations for Seniors
New recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call for the use of respiratory syncytial virus vaccines in adults aged 75 and older, but limited its use in 60- to 74-year-olds.
June 27, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Washington, D.C., USA- January 13, 2020: FDA Sign at its headquarters in Washington DC. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or USFDA) is a federal agency of the USA.
FDA
AbbVie, Genmab Secure FDA Label Expansion for Epkinly in Follicular Lymphoma
AbbVie and Genmab on Wednesday announced the FDA has expanded the label of their bispecific antibody Epkinly, allowing it to be used in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma.
June 27, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Doctor looking at an x-ray image of lungs
FDA
Verona Wins FDA Approval for COPD Drug, Eyes Q3 Launch With $1B Financing for Rollout
Verona Pharma on Wednesday secured the FDA’s approval for Ohtuvayre, which the company contends is the first inhaled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medicine with a new mechanism of action in over 20 years.
June 27, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: 3D illustration showing T-cells attacing a cancer cell
Drug Development
Lyell Reports Patient Death in Early-Stage CAR T Trial, Shows Otherwise Strong Response Rate
One patient died of respiratory failure in a Phase I study of Lyell Immunopharma’s investigational CAR-T therapy. The company on Wednesday said it has not definitively linked the fatality to the treatment.
June 26, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Whitchurch-Stouffville, On, Canada: - May 30, 2021: Teva Canada Ltd facility in Whitchurch-Stouffville, On, Canada. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is an Israeli pharmaceutical company.
Policy
Teva Pays $750M to Resolve Israeli Tax Issues Going Back More Than a Decade
Teva Pharmaceuticals has settled years of tax litigation with the Israel Tax Authority for $750 million, which the company will pay in installments starting in 2024 to 2029.
June 26, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Eli Lilly's biotechnology center in California
Business
Lilly Teams With OpenAI to Tackle Threat of Drug-Resistant Bacteria
Following in the footsteps of Sanofi and Moderna, Eli Lilly on Tuesday inked a collaboration agreement with OpenAI to develop novel antimicrobial agents against drug-resistant pathogens.
June 26, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
MRI head scan, magnetic resonance imaging of head.
Drug Development
Wave Clears Phase Ib/IIa Study in Huntington’s Disease, Eyes Accelerated Approval
After back-to-back failures in 2021, Wave Life Sciences has finally aced a Phase Ib/IIa Huntington’s disease trial and is looking to a potential accelerated approval for its investigational antisense oligonucleotide.
June 26, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Sep 21, 2020 South San Francisco / CA/ USA - Astra Zeneca headquarters in Silicon Valley; AstraZeneca plc is a British multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company
Drug Development
AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Fails Phase III NSCLC Trial, Aces Late-Stage Bladder Cancer Study
AstraZeneca’s PD-L1 inhibitor failed to significantly improve disease-free survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, but hit its primary endpoint in a late-stage trial in muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
June 25, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
New York City, New York United States - August 29 2021: NASDAQ, National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations corporate logo sign near Times Square.
Deals
Grail to Begin Trading on Nasdaq as Illumina Completes Divestiture
After being spun off of sequencing giant Illumina, Grail on Tuesday is set to start trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market following a years-long antitrust battle with regulators.
June 25, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Darmstadt, Germany - November 10, 2021: Innovation Center at the headquarters of science and technology company Merck KGaA.
Drug Development
Merck KGaA Fails Phase III Study in Head and Neck Cancer, Scraps Trials
Merck KGaA’s drug candidate xevinapant in a late-stage trial was unable to significantly improve event-free survival in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer.
June 25, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Novo Nordisk's office in Fremont, California
Drug Development
Novo Nordisk Continues Manufacturing Spending Spree With $4.1B Investment
Novo Nordisk on Monday announced it is boosting its manufacturing capabilities with a $4.1 billion commitment to construct a second fill and finishing facility in Clayton, North Carolina.
June 25, 2024
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: A scientist with pill bottles in front of FDA headquarters/Taylor Tieden for BioSpace
Policy
FDA Action Alert: Arcutis, Orexo, Phantom and More
The FDA’s calendar is relatively light in July, with only five major deadlines, including one for a PD-1 blocker and another for an opioid overdose drug.
June 25, 2024
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7 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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