Biogen: a buyer or a target?
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Editor's Note: We will not publish Monday, Jan. 17 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day . We will return to your inboxes on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

Today's Rundown

Featured Story

JPM 2022: Licensing and research tie-ups trump M&A at conference in 'reflection of last year'

Just like at last year's J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, M&A is so 2019. In the third winter of COVID-19, the drug development world hasn’t executive on the type of megamergers we saw in 2019, such as Bristol Myers Squibb’s $74 billion Celgene deal, which dropped in the lead up to the healthcare industry's largest gathering. 

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Top Stories

Biogen compiles buyout target list as Aduhelm woe deepens: Stat

Biogen has found itself increasingly deeper in the quagmire that is the Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm. Like any beleaguered company might do, the Big Biotech is weighing some strategic options, according to a Stat report.

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JPM 2022: Morgan Health, Kaiser Permanente partner on health equity

Beginning this month, JPMorgan Chase's some 8,000 California employees will be able to access care through Kaiser Permanente, and the partnership will put a focus on health disparities.

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Novo Nordisk comes out clean in $1.8B investor lawsuit alleging insulin misdirection

Novo Nordisk investors sued in Denmark in Aug. 2019, alleging the company made “misleading statements and did not make appropriate disclosures regarding its sales of insulin products in the US,” Novo said. The original claim demanded Novo Nordisk pay 11.78 billion Danish krone (about $1.8 billion) in compensation.

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JPM 2022: Bausch + Lomb files IPO for its eye care spinout

Nearly 18 months after announcing plans to spin out its eye health business, Bausch + Lomb has filed the paperwork for an IPO on both the New York and Toronto stock exchanges.

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HHS renews COVID-19 public health emergency order for another 90 days

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency for another 90 days, extending major flexibilities to providers.

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JPM 2022: With Voxzogo approvals adding up, BioMarin is underway with its 'biggest launch,' CEO says

BioMarin has plenty of experience launching rare disease drugs, but the company's newest rollout will feature some notable differences from its prior marketing efforts. All things considered, it's a launch BioMarin CEO Jean-Jacques Bienaimé thinks could become the biggest in the "history of the company.”

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'Shots on goal' to 'deterministic' drug development: Flagship CEO, Moderna Chair Noubar Afeyan pens first annual letter

Written in the middle of the largest pandemic wave to-date, Flagship Pioneering CEO and Moderna Chairman Noubar Afeyan, Ph.D., penned his first annual letter documenting the sea changes in biotech. He also called on more preemptive measures for future pandemics and tackling the underlying diseases of common illnesses.

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Genentech, American Cancer Society flash back to the '70s in PSA to destigmatize lung cancer, encourage screenings

It was the era of bell-bottoms, 8-track tapes, jello molds and the Hustle—and a time when it seemed like everyone, everywhere smoked. Genentech and the American Cancer Society appeal to ex-smokers in a campaign to destigmatize lung cancer and boost regular screenings.

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Verana Health lands J&J, Novo backing in $150M round to fund real-world database for drug, device development

With a new CEO at the helm, the recent launch of an artificial-intelligence-powered data analytics engine and, now, the close of its largest funding round to date, Verana Health appears ready to make good on its promise to revolutionize both drug development and healthcare delivery.

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Bristol Myers plays it safe with first Zeposia TV ad for ulcerative colitis

“I won’t let UC stop me from being me,” says a handsome middle-aged father as he travels from the airport to the great outdoors in a fairly classic, no frills advert for Zeposia, Bristol Myers Squibb’s new ulcerative colitis drug. But it seems like old hat compared to the campaigns we saw in 2021 from rivals.

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MedPAC declines to recommend to Congress additional pay bumps for doctors, hospitals

MedPAC did not recommend that Congress make any additional payments in 2023 to hospitals and doctors beyond current law, noting that targeted relief payments have helped blunt the financial impact of COVID-19.

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JPM 2022: Decentralized trials, broader service offerings and novel drugs key trends in the CRO space

Resurgent demand was a common theme for CROs presenting at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference with Icon, Syneos and PPD owner Thermo Fisher daring to look beyond the pandemic toward changing industry needs.

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Medtronic projects pain relief, longer battery life with low-power spinal cord stimulation

Medtronic delivered new clinical data demonstrating improved relief from chronic pain using a modified, low-power version of its spinal cord stimulation therapy, potentially enabling fewer recharges or a longer overall battery life.

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