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Today's Rundown

GSK kills one of Barron’s early darlings, axing two synthetic lethal programs and Epizyme pact
Teva banks on blockbuster Austedo sales as COVID-19, Copaxone generics take their toll
Lynch: Enrollment in Aetna's ACA exchange plans lower than expected
Bausch Health files for Solta IPO as its three-way split nears completion
Senators to craft major mental health package with focus on reforming pay parity, expand telehealth
Checkmate plucks BMS exec Bash to be new CEO
Roche pharma CEO Anderson talks up Vabysmo’s 'very strong launch' plans as Eylea battle looms
Element Biosciences acquires Loop Genomics to add long-read tech to DNA sequencing platform
Silence drug reduces cardiovascular disease risk factor as plans to 'scale up' drug development get underway
Orthox spins up $12M for trials of spider-inspired artificial cartilage implant
Karyopharm ready to take new Xpovio indication to the FDA but analysts hold out for details
Thirty Madison to merge with Nurx, expanding virtual specialty care services

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GSK kills one of Barron’s early darlings, axing two synthetic lethal programs and Epizyme pact

By Nick Paul Taylor

Shortly after becoming GlaxoSmithKline’s chief scientific officer, Hal Barron highlighted GSK3326595 as one of four early-stage cancer programs to watch. Today, with Barron’s time at the company nearing its end, GSK axed the PRMT5 inhibitor and sibling molecule GSK3368715 from its pipeline.

Teva banks on blockbuster Austedo sales as COVID-19, Copaxone generics take their toll

By Fraiser Kansteiner

Teva Pharmaceutical has a lot riding on tardive dyskinesia (TD) drug Austedo and migraine med Ajovy. Hamstrung by the pandemic, Austedo came just shy of meeting Teva’s 2021 sales projection. Still, 2022 could be the year the drug breaks the blockbuster barrier, executives said Wednesday.

Lynch: Enrollment in Aetna's ACA exchange plans lower than expected

By Paige Minemyer

CVS Health posted $1.3 billion in profit for the fourth quarter of 2021, up from $973 million in the prior-year quarter.

Bausch Health files for Solta IPO as its three-way split nears completion

By Conor Hale

In addition to Solta, the company’s major eye health subsidiary Bausch + Lomb will hold its own IPO, as announced in January. Bausch Health will take over the remaining drug portfolio and continue as Bausch Pharma.

Senators to craft major mental health package with focus on reforming pay parity, expand telehealth

By Robert King

Bipartisan senators are undertaking a major effort to craft new legislation to improve mental health care access, including reforms to pay parity and access to telehealth.

Checkmate plucks BMS exec Bash to be new CEO

By Max Bayer

Checkmate Pharmaceuticals has hired Bristol Myers Squibb SVP Alan Bash as president and CEO, completing a more than three-month search for someone to fill the top post. The company hopes Bash will be able to replicate his success overseeing the U.S. launch of Opdivo.

Roche pharma CEO Anderson talks up Vabysmo’s 'very strong launch' plans as Eylea battle looms

By Ben Adams

The FDA only recently approved Vabysmo, at the end of January, but Roche is already hyping up its launch, as it hopes to go toe-to-toe against ophthalmology powerhouse Eylea from Regeneron and Bayer.

Element Biosciences acquires Loop Genomics to add long-read tech to DNA sequencing platform

By Andrea Park

With the close of the deal, Tuval Ben-Yehezkel, Ph.D., the CEO and founder of Loop, has been named senior director of applications on Element’s leadership team.

Silence drug reduces cardiovascular disease risk factor as plans to 'scale up' drug development get underway

By Kyle LaHucik

Silence Therapeutics is mum no more on its short interfering RNA therapy, which has been found to significantly reduce levels of an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Orthox spins up $12M for trials of spider-inspired artificial cartilage implant

By Andrea Park

Spider-inspired technology isn’t just for comic book characters anymore. A biomaterial that’s made of silk and takes its construction cues from the strength of spiderwebs has the potential to replace worn-down cartilage around the human knee and encourage the natural tissue to regrow around it, according to its makers.

Karyopharm ready to take new Xpovio indication to the FDA but analysts hold out for details

By Eric Sagonowsky

After a tough path to the market, Karyopharm scored a series of FDA approvals for Xpovio in recent years for multiple myeloma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Now, it's looking to take the momentum forward into another cancer indication and move the drug to an earlier line of treatment, which would open up a bigger market.

Thirty Madison to merge with Nurx, expanding virtual specialty care services

By Rebecca Torrence

Telehealth unicorn Thirty Madison and female-focused virtual care provider Nurx are merging, combining online prescriptions for conditions like hair loss and migraines with sexual and reproductive healthcare offerings in a single digital health platform.

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