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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 the European Patent Office's headquarters in Germany
Drug Development
Moderna Gets Win in COVID-19 Patent Dispute with Pfizer, BioNTech
The European Patent Office last week upheld one of Moderna’s key patents, handing the biotech an important victory in its protracted COVID-19 vaccine battle with Pfizer and BioNTech.
May 20, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Sign above the entrance to a U.S. courthouse
Policy
AstraZeneca to Pay Pfizer $107.5M in Damages in Tagrisso Patent Tussle
Pfizer’s Wyeth unit notched a legal victory over AstraZeneca on Friday as a federal jury found the British-Swedish company violated two key patents in developing and marketing its lung cancer drug Tagrisso.
May 20, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Man prepares his GLP-1 receptor agonist injection
Drug Development
GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Market to Reach $125B by 2033: GlobalData
While Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk currently dominate the GLP-1 receptor agonist space, there are more than 50 candidates in clinical development for obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to analytics firm GlobalData.
May 20, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Amgen's office in Tampa, Florida
FDA
Amgen Wins FDA Approval for Difficult-to-Treat Lung Cancer
Bolstered by promising response data from its Phase II study, Amgen announced Thursday it got the FDA’s green light for its first-in-class bi-specific T-cell engager Imdelltra for extensive-stage small lung cancer.
May 17, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: GSK laboratories in Dresden, Germany
GSK to Sell Remaining Stake in Haleon, Looks to Raise $1.52B
GSK said Thursday it plans to divest its remaining 4.2% stake in the consumer health spinout, its fourth and final round of selling off Haleon shares worth approximately $1.52 billion.
May 17, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Biogen’s headquarters in Massachusetts
Business
Biogen Drops Ionis-Partnered Assets in ALS, Angelman Syndrome After Early-Stage Readouts
Disappointed with Phase I/II results for two Ionis-partnered programs, one for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and another for Angelman syndrome, Biogen has opted to not proceed with their development.
May 17, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Roche tower in Basel, Switzerland
Drug Development
Roche Sees Early ROI on $2.7B Carmot Buy with Phase I Data for Obesity Candidate
Roche’s $2.7 billion acquisition of Carmot Therapeutics in December 2023 appears to be paying off as its investigational GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist induced strong weight loss in a Phase Ib study.
May 16, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Healthcare worker carrying an IV bag
Business
Galapagos Partners with Blood Centers of America to Decentralize CAR-T Production
Belgian biotech Galapagos is teaming with Blood Centers of America to help deploy its decentralized CAR-T therapy manufacturing platform closer to treatment centers across the U.S.
May 16, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Concept art showing a broken head figure
FDA
ICER Finds ‘Substantial Uncertainties’ in Lykos’ MDMA Trials Ahead of Adcomm
With a June 4 FDA advisory committee meeting looming, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review has raised concerns about Lykos Therapeutics’ trials of its MDMA-assisted therapy in post-traumatic stress disorder.
May 16, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Bristol Myers Squibb office in California
FDA
BMS CAR-T Therapy Wins FDA Approval for Expanded Use in Follicular Lymphoma
Following back-to-back approvals in lymphocytic leukemia, Bristol Myers Squibb’s CAR-T therapy Breyanzi on Wednesday won the FDA’s green light for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma.
May 16, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Wall sign of the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Novo Holdings in Denmark
Deals
Novo Acquires Majority Stake in Austrian Life Sciences Tools Company
While the FTC continues to review its $16.5 billion buy of Catalent, Novo Holdings announced Wednesday it has acquired a majority stake in Single Use Support, an Austrian life sciences tools company.
May 15, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Businesspeople discussing graphs during a meeting
Sands Capital Launches $555M Life Sciences Fund Focusing on Private Companies
With more than half a billion dollars in the new life sciences fund, Sands Capital is looking to finance private companies working to transform the diagnosis and treatment of diseases with large unmet medical needs.
May 15, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: FDA signage at its office in Washington, DC
Policy
FDA Delays Review by Three Months for Ascendis’ Hypoparathyroidism Therapy
Following an initial rejection in 2023, Ascendis Pharma on Tuesday said it faces another regulatory bump in the road for TransCon PTH with a three-month delay in the ongoing FDA review.
May 15, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: 3D rendering of amyloid-beta oligomers
Policy
Eisai, Biogen Launch Rolling BLA for Subcutaneous Alzheimer’s Therapy Leqembi
After missing their initial target in March 2024, Eisai and Biogen have initiated a rolling BLA for a subcutaneous maintenance formulation of Leqembi, which could offer a more convenient dosing schedule for Alzheimer’s disease patients.
May 15, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
Pictured: Bayer's global pharmaceuticals headquarters in Germany
Business
Bayer Cuts 1,500 Jobs and Lowers 2024 Earnings Guidance as Q1 Sales Dip
In Tuesday’s first-quarter 2024 financial results, Bayer reported a slight drop in sales amid its sweeping companywide restructuring that resulted in workforce reductions, while lowering its full-year earnings outlook.
May 14, 2024
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Tristan Manalac
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