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Today's Rundown

JPM22, Day 3: BeiGene, Ionis promise 'tidal wave' of new drugs; Roche launches smart, point-of-care glucose monitor
Sanofi makes $75M preclinical bet to join Roche, Novartis and more in congested Parkinson's field
BeyondSpring axes 35% of US staff after November drug rejection
Enanta to move COVID antiviral into the clinic next month, expecting Pfizer and Merck won't fill demand
Daiichi axes 60-person Plexxikon R&D facility in California to free up cash for ADC development
Sana links arms with IASO, Innovent in $204M biobucks pact to use CAR construct in up to 6 cell and gene therapies
FDA cracks down on use of LuSys Labs' unauthorized COVID tests
Eli Lilly gears up for Alzheimer's-diabetes juggling act as 2 key FDA decisions loom
CMS, BCBS leaders share strategies to tackle health inequities long-term
Not just for a pandemic: Decentralized clinical trials pay off financially, study finds

Featured Story

JPM22, Day 3: BeiGene, Ionis promise 'tidal wave' of new drugs; Roche launches smart, point-of-care glucose monitor

By Annalee Armstrong,Conor Hale,Kevin Dunleavy,Kyle LaHucik

Join us for a rolling look at the top life sciences news coming out of this year's virtual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

Sanofi makes $75M preclinical bet to join Roche, Novartis and more in congested Parkinson's field

By Nick Paul Taylor

Add Sanofi to the list of companies aiming to treat Parkinson’s disease by targeting alpha-synuclein. The Big Pharma has claimed a spot toward the back of the pack by paying $75 million upfront for the global rights to a preclinical bispecific that targets the protein.

BeyondSpring axes 35% of US staff after November drug rejection

By Kyle LaHucik

The FDA rejected BeyondSpring's drug for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in late November, and now the biotech is letting go 35% of its U.S. staff. The New York biotech slashed its workforce Tuesday in an effort to trim costs as the uphill battle with the FDA rolls on.

Enanta to move COVID antiviral into the clinic next month, expecting Pfizer and Merck won't fill demand

By Kyle LaHucik

Enanta Pharmaceuticals believes Pfizer and Merck's COVID-19 pills won't be able to meet demand as the biotech enters the clinic in year three of the pandemic with a protease inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2. The biotech will start testing the treatment next month, since it sees room for more meds to treat the virus as more variants emerge.

Daiichi axes 60-person Plexxikon R&D facility in California to free up cash for ADC development

By Nick Paul Taylor

Daiichi Sankyo is shutting down its Plexxikon R&D operation in South San Francisco. More than 10 years after buying the biotech for $805 million upfront, Daiichi has decided to drop the 60-employee operation to focus investment on three antibody-drug conjugates.

Sana links arms with IASO, Innovent in $204M biobucks pact to use CAR construct in up to 6 cell and gene therapies

By Kyle LaHucik

Sana Biotechnology, with a 2021 IPO under its wing, wants to get into the clinic next year to treat multiple myeloma, so it's linking arms with IASO Biotherapeutics and Innovent Biologics. The Seattle biotech will dole out up to $204 million in biobucks for nonexclusive access to the duo's CAR construct for use in in vivo gene therapies and ex vivo cell therapies.

FDA cracks down on use of LuSys Labs' unauthorized COVID tests

By Andrea Park

LuSys Laboratories' antigen and antibody tests haven’t received any marketing clearance or emergency authorization and likely carry a “high risk” of returning incorrect results, the FDA said in a Jan. 11 warning letter.

Eli Lilly gears up for Alzheimer's-diabetes juggling act as 2 key FDA decisions loom

By Fraiser Kansteiner

On the brink of two major approvals this year, Eli Lilly is laser-focused on diabetes and dementia. One market is familiar to the Indianapolis-based drugmaker, while the other remains largely untapped after last year’s controversial approval of a rival drug.

CMS, BCBS leaders share strategies to tackle health inequities long-term

By Anastassia Gliadkovskaya

From collecting data to offering financial incentives to building community partnerships, stakeholders weighed in on ways to think about equity long-term. “It’s not a project; it’s not an initiative. It really has to be woven into the fabric of an ecosystem," said Ryan Schmid, president and CEO of Vera Whole Health.

Not just for a pandemic: Decentralized clinical trials pay off financially, study finds

By Gareth Macdonald

Decentralized clinical trials rode a massive wave during the COVID-19 pandemic as sites, academic centers and hospitals changed the way they conduct their research. A new study from Tufts says there are "substantial" potential benefits to these types of clinical studies, including time and cost savings.