GSK: No regrets on shunning cell therapy

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Today's Big News

Feb 17, 2023

Moderna checks a few boxes in phase 3 mRNA flu shot trial, but misses on B strains and safety


Pfizer pulls 50% of people from phase 3 Lyme disease study for GCP violations at US trial sites


'It's the right call': GSK expresses no regrets on abandoning cell therapy as oligo strategy heats up


Drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer could be curbed with CD70-targeted therapies


Flagship’s Pioneering Medicines to carve a new drug discovery path with Charles River’s AI


Chutes & Ladders—John Reed jumps Sanofi ship, boards J&J team

 

Featured

Moderna checks a few boxes in phase 3 mRNA flu shot trial, but misses on B strains and safety

Moderna checked off two influenza A strains in a phase 3 clinical trial for a new flu shot candidate, but the vaccine struggled against two B strains in the same test, marking a mixed readout for the famed mRNA biotech.
 

Top Stories

Pfizer pulls 50% of people from phase 3 Lyme disease study for GCP violations at US trial sites

Pfizer and Valneva’s phase 3 Lyme disease vaccine clinical trial has gone badly wrong. After discovering good clinical practice violations at some trial sites, the partners have removed around half of the enrolled participants from the study.

'It's the right call': GSK expresses no regrets on abandoning cell therapy as oligo strategy heats up

Rather than racing to get an “off-the-shelf” CAR-T into the clinic or going all-in on a solid tumor strategy, GSK executives told Fierce Biotech they believe the Big Pharma's genetics expertise will offer the smoothest path to market success.

Drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer could be curbed with CD70-targeted therapies

Most patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC will go on to develop drug-resistant tumors, even after a successful initial treatment course. Now, scientists have found a way to wipe out leftover EGFR-mutated NSCLC cells before they develop complete resistance.

Flagship’s Pioneering Medicines to carve a new drug discovery path with Charles River’s AI

A year after Charles River Laboratories teamed up with artificial intelligence developer Valo Health to build an AI-powered drug discovery and development platform, the contract research organization is putting that tech to work.

Madrigal’s NASH candidate looks more cost-effective than Intercept rival, ICER says

Madrigal’s resmetirom fared better than Intercept’s Ocaliva in a study by ICER assessing cost-effectiveness in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). There are no approved treatments for the disorder which affects between 1.5% and 6.5% of adults in the United States.

Senators question why PBMs 'even exist' in heated hearing amid push for reform

Senators decried the lack of transparency in the PBM industry during a hearing Thursday, as lawmakers have sought to jump-start reforms to the controversial market.

Years after the first US biosim launches, doctors still have their concerns: survey

A survey by social media network Sermo shows that 77% of physicians do not favor pharmacists having the power to switch patients from reference products to biosimilars. Only 19% say that financial savings to patients is a consideration in deciding whether to prescribe biosimilars.

Labcorp plots 2023 revenue growth despite a possible 90% drop in COVID test revenues

In a full-year earnings report published Thursday, Labcorp reported a 7.7% year-over-year drop in revenues in 2022, thanks almost entirely to a COVID diagnostics haul that weighed in at less than half the size of the previous year’s.

Senate panel launches effort to shore up health workforce and ease crippling shortages

The Senate HELP Committee is launching a new effort to shore up the healthcare workforce shortage that has been roiling the industry since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fierce Pharma Asia—Takeda's trial win, Biogen's pipeline pivot and Astellas' Super Bowl debut

Takeda's Iclusig beat Novartis' Gleevec in a type of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Biogen has returned a BTK inhibitor to China's InnoCare Pharma. Astellas made its first ad appearance during the Super Bowl. And more.

Chutes & Ladders—John Reed jumps Sanofi ship, boards J&J team

Sanofi's head of global R&D John Reed, M.D., Ph.D., has left for a spot at rival Big Pharma Johnson & Johnson, where he'll serve as executive vice president of pharmaceutical R&D.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don't miss an episode

'The Top Line': What the patent fight between Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech means, negotiating vaccine contracts via text messages and this week's news 

This week on "The Top Line," we discuss the intense patent fight between Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech around the mRNA technology used in their COVID-19 vaccines. We also talk about negotiating vaccine contracts via text messages, one of the biggest medtech deals of the year and other top headlines from this week.
 

Resources

Research

Strategizing for Clinical Trial Diversity

Like many top 10 and global pharma companies, an H1 client needed to diversify both its patient outreach and site investigator profiles for upcoming trials.
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The Power of Small & Safety: Nanoplasmid™️ Vector Platform

Discover the Power of Small with NanoplasmidTM – the next-generation plasmid for manufacturing today’s cell and gene therapies.

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Commercializing Gene Therapies, Part 3 – Cost Drivers

This paper explores the cost drivers behind gene therapies and how they are likely to evolve in the coming years.
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Unlocking the Therapeutic Potential of Previously Undruggable GPCRs

Exploring the biology of G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) and outlining a novel approach for developing therapeutics against previously undruggable GPCRs
Whitepaper

Leveraging Archetypes for Effective Launch Strategy

Learn more about critical success factors for your next launch based on the experience of 100+ pharma product launches.
Whitepaper

Quality attributes that are important for GMP-grade NTPs

What makes nucleotides suitable for current good manufacturing practices?

Whitepaper

Intranasal Drug Product Development: Formulation to Manufacturing

What are key considerations for intranasal delivery in the treatment of acute and chronic conditions?
Research

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

Learn more on Catalent’s step-wise approach for the definition and execution of Process Characterization for the production of a monoclonal antibody for late phase process characterization and development.

Whitepaper

Running Decentralized Trials at Scale

Explore how clinical supply can be scaled up as decentralized programs progress, and how technological solutions can accelerate trial deployment.
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Key Clinical Supply Issues Sponsors Should Consider with their CRO

As sponsors increasingly look to CROs to support their clinical studies, making and addressing certain clinical supply considerations at the outset of the relationship can reduce the risk of potentially unforeseen impact to budget and time later. Discover key issues sponsors should consider to help their CRO or partner of choice better understand their clinical supply needs.

Whitepaper

Specialized Expertise for Management of Clinical Supply Budgets

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.
Whitepaper

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.
Whitepaper

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.
Whitepaper

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.
Research

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.

Whitepaper

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.
Whitepaper

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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