Merck stands by Keytruda prostate cancer program

Today's Big News

Feb 16, 2023

GSK vaccine R&D head touts consistency of RSV data but is mum on restarting maternal trial


Arrowhead’s $3.7B J&J deal is done, CEO says, after ‘out of the blue’ NASH decision 


After several flops, Merck exec stands by aggressive Keytruda prostate cancer program


On hunt for better gene med delivery, Aera exits stealth with $193M and Alnylam vet at helm


Months after kidney transplant trial resumes, Talaris discontinues program and cuts third of workforce 


Newron's shares accelerate as one-year schizophrenia data boosts chances of historic approval


By merging with struggling Erytech, Pherecydes spies opportunity to boost AMR strategy 


Theratechnologies assembles science team to retool solid tumor trial after clinical hold


Merck KGaA, spying a major market, pays Aqilion €10M to tackle tough autoimmune target


Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker '23: Aera exits stealth with $193M; Hexagon Bio takes shape with $77M

 

Featured

GSK vaccine R&D head touts consistency of RSV data but is mum on restarting maternal trial

GSK's head of vaccine R&D, Phil Dormitzer, is confident that the company has posted pack-leading data for its RSV vaccine, as it nears the finish line of the regulatory race. But he wouldn't commit to restarting trials testing the shot in maternal women after a phase 3 study was halted a year ago.
 

Top Stories

Arrowhead’s $3.7B J&J deal is done, CEO says, after ‘out of the blue’ NASH decision

Hours after Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals revealed that Johnson & Johnson is returning a clinical-stage NASH asset “out of the blue," CEO Chris Anzalone says that the entire $3.7 billion collaboration between the two is done. 

After several flops, Merck exec stands by aggressive Keytruda prostate cancer program

Prostate cancer is giving Merck & Co.’s seemingly unstoppable Keytruda a hard time. But even after three pivotal trial flops in less than a year, clinical development lead Scot Ebbinghaus still thinks Merck made the right decision to go aggressive on its phase 3 program back in 2019.

On hunt for better gene med delivery, Aera exits stealth with $193M and Alnylam vet at helm

A biotech led by a 20-year Alnylam vet has emerged with $193 million in hand and hopes of unlocking genetic medicine’s fullest potential.  

Months after kidney transplant trial resumes, Talaris discontinues program and cuts third of workforce

Four months after getting a phase 3 kidney transplant trial back on track, Talaris Therapeutics is stopping the momentum again—this time permanently—as part of a strategic review that has claimed a third of the biotech's workforce.

Newron's shares accelerate as one-year schizophrenia data boosts chances of historic approval

Newron Pharmaceuticals has reported deepening responses to its add-on schizophrenia therapy out to one year, triggering a further stock boost as investors reassessed the likelihood of evenamide becoming the first approval in treatment-resistant disease since 1989.

By merging with struggling Erytech, Pherecydes spies opportunity to boost AMR strategy

In the year and a half since Erytech Pharma was blindsided by a phase 3 fail that forced a pivot from pancreatic cancer to leukemia, the company has been feeling out strategic options. Now, fellow French biotech Pherecydes has spotted an opportunity to take advantage of Erytech’s money, expertise and U.S. footprint via a merger.

Theratechnologies assembles science team to retool solid tumor trial after clinical hold

Theratechnologies has formed a science advisory committee to try and come up with ways to overcome an imbalance between adverse events and efficacy seen in early results from a phase 1 solid tumor trial of the Canadian biotech’s lead asset.

Merck KGaA, spying a major market, pays Aqilion €10M to tackle tough autoimmune target

Merck KGaA is betting 10 million euros ($10.7 million) that Aqilion has the keys to a tough target. The Big Pharma is handing over that sum, and committing 950 million euros in milestones, for preclinical inhibitors of TAK1 that have applications in a range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker '23: Aera exits stealth with $193M; Hexagon Bio takes shape with $77M

Alongside the new year, we've launched a new Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker to keep the pulse on the industry's financing.

GSK was warned repeatedly about Zantac impurity but played down risks: Bloomberg

Facing tens of thousands of lawsuits over cancer risks on the popular heartburn drug Zantac, GSK has argued there's "no consistent or reliable evidence" that the medicine causes any cancer. But a new report in Bloomberg Businessweek says GSK's own scientists have long known about the risks.

Paxlovid works well against COVID-19 in older adults, but not younger people: study

Paxlovid remains one of the medications being prescribed for individuals suffering from COVID-19. Researchers collected data as the omicron variant rose.

GE HealthCare lands Class I recall for 1,200-pound scanners at risk of falling onto patients

GE HealthCare has begun a recall of several models of its nuclear medicine imaging systems that were found to be at risk of collapsing while in use, potentially crushing or trapping a patient underneath.

10 years after selling Bausch + Lomb, controversial dealmaker Saunders is back as CEO

Ten years after last serving as CEO at Bausch + Lomb, Brent Saunders is back at his former post. But this is not your typical meet-the-new-boss-same-as-the-old-boss story. On Wednesday, when Bausch + Lomb revealed that Saunders would succeed Joe Papa as the company’s CEO effective on March 6, it reunited a company and a wheeling-dealing executive who has been through a lot over the last decade.

Pfizer, targeting a younger demographic, enlists yet another celeb for its latest COVID vaccine ad

Pfizer has enlisted yet another celebrity to push its flagging COVID-19 vaccine franchise. After targeting seniors with its Martha Stewart wields a samurai sword spot, the Big Pharma has swung to the opposite end of the age spectrum with an ad featuring a singer who first made their name on YouTube.
 
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'The Top Line': 2022's top acquisitions and what Amgen's $28B Horizon buy means for M&A in 2023

This week on "The Top Line," we discuss which companies made the list of the top 10 pharma M&A deals of 2022 and what was at stake last year. We also talk about what last year's biggest deal means for M&A activity this year.
 

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The Power of Small & Safety: Nanoplasmid™️ Vector Platform

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Step-wise strategy to address process characterization and late phase development

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For sponsors, cost is a key concern when it comes to managing the supply of their clinical trials. A financial project analyst (FPA) is a specialized expert who can help control clinical supply costs and keep the project within budget. Explore the critical role that a Financial Project Analyst plays in clinical trial supply and budget management.
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Clinical Supply Solutions for the Asia-Pacific Region

Learn how Catalent’s extensive network across APAC can meet a wide range of clinical supply needs for sponsors conducting trials within the region.
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Designing an Optimal APAC Clinical Supply Chain

Discover key considerations that every trial sponsor should know when navigating the complex clinical supply distribution landscape across Asia-Pacific.
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Roles and Responsibilities of Specialized Clinical Supply Experts

How can specialized expertise help you optimize your clinical supply chain? Learn about the roles and responsibilities of unique experts such as clinical supply management, project management, and financial project analysis.
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A Strategy to Standardize Process Characterization & Late Phase Development

Learn more on an approach for process characterization for the production of a monoclonal antibody, which will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the process by targeting the right design and number of experiments.

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Supply Services to Support Clinical Trials in Japan & Beyond

Explore Catalent’s newest clinical supply facility in Japan, including the comprehensive services & solutions it offers to help support trials both in-country & around the world.
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Questions You Need to Ask Your CRO About Clinical Supply

Planning on using a CRO to support your next clinical study? This infographic outlines critical areas to address at the start of the relationship in order to ensure that budget and timelines keep on track for the duration of the trial.
Case Study

A Strategy to Standardize Process Characterization & Late Phase Development

Learn more on an approach for process characterization for the production of a monoclonal antibody, which will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the process by targeting the right design and number of experiments.

 

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