All Blue makes $773M bid for Zymeworks
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Today's Rundown

Catalent Trending Topic: Cell & Gene Therapy
Read on to understand how the industry is addressing gene therapy and cell therapy research and development.

Featured Story

Sanofi moves patients out of Ukraine warzone in 'Herculean effort' to preserve MS trials

Sanofi has moved clinical trial patients out of Ukraine, as European pharma companies scramble to maintain their multiple sclerosis studies in the wake of the conflict brought on by the Russian invasion. 

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Top Stories

AbbVie's cystic fibrosis long-game doesn't pay off, as Galapagos med fails in triple combo

AbbVie is discontinuing a cystic fibrosis medicine after an interim analysis revealed that the therapy did nothing when added to a triple-combo regimen, putting a dent in the pharma’s efforts to compete with Vertex’s Trikafta.

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‘Serious missteps’: All Blue makes case for $773M Zymeworks buyout in wake of flagging stock

Investment firm All Blue Capital has offered Zymeworks a way out of its current troubles. After watching the late-stage biotech’s share price collapse over the past year, All Blue has bid $773 million to take the company private—and torn into perceived leadership failures that contributed to its decline.

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Sponsored: Using Knowledge Graphs to Drive Drug Discovery

Biomedical knowledge graphs can power many different application in drug discovery. Learn which key feature you should look for and why.

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Finch's C. diff drug cleared of FDA hold, but loose ends leave timing for phase 3 restart unclear

Ten days after Finch Therapeutics let go 20% of its workforce, the winds have changed. The FDA has lifted a clinical hold on the biotech’s donor-derived microbiome drug for Clostridioides difficile, clearing the way for a phase 3 study to proceed—eventually.

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While BMS waits for TYK2 inhibitor’s psoriasis nod, a new path potentially clears in lupus

While Bristol Myers Squibb anxiously awaits an FDA decision on its TYK2 inhibitor med to treat plaque psoriasis, it has hinted that the drug could have a separate life as a lupus therapy.

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AstraZeneca kicks off work on 1,500-person R&D center in Kendall Square 

AstraZeneca is again building in a city called Cambridge. Shortly after completing its late, over-budget R&D center in Cambridge, U.K., the British pharma has begun work across the Atlantic on a facility in Kendall Square that will house its staffers alongside their Alexion colleagues. 

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Genocea's Atlas no longer holding up sky, as biotech moves for sell off

Just weeks ago, Genocea Biosciences was touting phase 1/2 proof of concept data. Now, the biotech has hired an investment bank to conduct a strategic review and potentially sell off the company entirely or in parts.

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Biogen CEO's 2021 pay remains level despite Aduhelm tribulations

Biogen CEO Michel Vounatsos’ 2021 pay dropped about $1 million from 2020. Still, the helmsman got off light, considering the incredibly rocky rollout of Biogen’s controversial Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm.

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Music to Cochlear's ears: Demant trades Oticon hearing implant business for $120M

Oticon Medical’s ears must be burning after parent company Demant struck a deal to divest the implant business in a sale to fellow hearing technology developer Cochlear.

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How to reach Hispanics with healthcare messages? Mine the data first, Klick says

One in five Americans are Hispanic (with projections of one in four by 2050), so properly serving this community is not only important but also necessary. Klick Heath and cross-cultural research technology company ThinkNow have some data-based ideas about how to do just that.

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Ex-Cerebral executive files lawsuit claiming the startup overprescribed ADHD meds

A former executive at Cerebral, a well-funded online mental health startup, claims in a labor lawsuit that the company fired him after he complained about unlawful business practices.

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Bristol Myers bags FDA nod for blockbuster-to-be cardio drug Camzyos

The FDA on Thursday granted Bristol Myers Squibb’s mavacamten a green light to treat symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Now christened Camzyos, the drug represents a potential blockbuster addition to BMS’ cardiovascular stable—which needs fresh blood ahead of top-seller Eliquis’ plunge off the patent cliff later this decade.

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Chutes & Ladders—Merck loses another top exec, this time to Moderna

Moderna has tapped Arpa Garay, Merck's chief marketing officer of its human health division, to become chief commercial officer. Novartis brings aboard long-time analyst Gal to guide M&A strategy as it looks to steady the ship. After its once-historic deal with Bristol Myers Squibb cratered, Nektar Therapeutics bid farewell to both its chief medical and commercial officers.

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Fierce Pharma Asia—Astellas’ gene therapy write-off; BeiGene, Novartis’ PD-1 win; Serum Institute’s unused COVID shots

Astellas took another big impairment from its gene therapy programs. Novartis and BeiGene's PD-1 inhibitor posted a survival win in esophageal cancer. AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing partner Serum Institute of India has halted production. And more.

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Resources

Research: Healthcare Has No Borders: The Role of Rescue Sites in Times of Global Calamity

More than 570 clinical trials in Ukraine have been disrupted. Unanticipated disruptions to medical testing and clinical trials impede progress toward new breakthroughs and new therapies that millions of patients around the world hang their hope on. What role do rescue sites play?

Infographic: United Cargo: Providing Comprehensive Solutions For the Most Critical Shipments

The United Cargo team has made a commitment to pharmaceutical and medical partners that we are equipped to support their vaccine transportation needs safely and effectively across our expansive global and domestic network. The safety and security of these commodities is our priority, and we are proud to be a trusted partner in these efforts. Download infographic now.

Research: Get Access to AdisInsight A Year In Review

The journey of drug development in 2021 delivered to your inbox: top 10 AdisInsight drug profiles viewed, new drug profiles released, overview of drug launches, key deals, research trends in 2021 and much more (free of charge).

Whitepaper: Oncology Market Outlook: Key Trends to Watch

What’s in store for the oncology market in 2022 and beyond? This paper looks at 5 trends driving the market.

Whitepaper: Uncovering the hidden value of quality in chemical supply

Learn how to position quality as a central component within your raw material sourcing strategies for the chemicals used throughout your workflows. Download the free whitepaper from Thermo Fisher Scientific.

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