Biogen's Aduhelm heir apparent takes center stage
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Today's Rundown

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Bancel has 'never been as busy' amid M&A talks as Moderna preps for life after COVID

Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said he's "never been as busy" as the company considers M&As to expand its business.

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Top Stories

All Takeda wants for its billion-dollar gene therapy spending spree is functional cures

Madhu Natarajan, head of Takeda’s Rare Disease Drug Discovery unit, knows that to many, cure is a “four-letter word.” But that's no reason not to try.

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Biogen shoves Aduhelm to the side. It's time for lecanemab

Biogen’s CEO is out. Aduhelm is, essentially, on its last legs. So what’s in? Lecanemab, the monoclonal antibody the pharma hopes can reset some of the mistakes of the past.

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Sponsored: Progress with Promise with Ibex® Design’s 11-month DNA to IND guarantee

Exactly what you need from your DNA to IND partner to succeed. A unique guarantee of speed and quantity, backed by Lonza’s 35 years of experience in biologics, for a fixed price.

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Record-breaking 2021 revenue shows there's more to Swiss biotech sector than Roche, Novartis

Swiss biotechs saw record-breaking revenue and R&D investment in 2021, which the industry hopes will lead people to look beyond homegrown giants like Roche and Novartis. 

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Sponsored: With the makings of a hub, NYC primed to be life sciences leader

With a $1 billion public investment, diverse talent and science, space, and funding, NYC emerges as a global leader in life sciences.

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BMS, Merck KGaA push protein degrader ambitions with $2.3B Amphista partnerships

Bristol Myers Squibb and Merck KGaA have made further moves in the protein degrader space, each inking deals with Amphista Therapeutics. The two agreements give the British biotech more than $70 million in upfront cash and potentially $2.2 billion in milestone payments.

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Chasing Bristol Myers and Pfizer, Connect fails phase 2 ulcerative colitis trial but spies path forward

Connect Biopharma’s pursuit of Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer has hit trouble, with a midphase failure in ulcerative colitis sending the biotech’s stock down over 30% to $1.30 apiece in premarket trading despite its positive spin on the results.

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Kezar scarred as midphase autoimmune blowup raises doubts about pipeline-in-a-drug vision

Confidence in Kezar Life Sciences’ vision for zetomipzomib as the one inflammatory disorder drug to rule them all just took a hit, with the failure to beat placebo in a midphase rare autoimmune disease clinical trial sending the stock spiraling down.

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Apnimed closes $62.5M series C after working tirelessly on lead sleep disorder drug

Apnimed isn’t resting on its laurel. A year after its series B financing, the clinical-stage pharmaceutical has closed a $62.5 million Series C funding round that will push its pharmacological treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) into phase 3 clinical trials.

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Catalio reloads with $381M after financing Octant, Pheast

Catalio Capital Management, the life sciences investment firm behind recent funding rounds from Pheast Therapeutics, Octant and more, has reloaded with another $381 million—its largest fund to date to support breakthrough biotech companies.

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Next Biogen CEO's most-prized expertise? Dealmaking experience, investors say

Biogen is showing CEO Michel Vountasos to the door in the aftermath of its Aduhelm debacle. Of all the rebuilding work to be done, business development stands out to investors as the most-desired piece of expertise they’re seeking in a new captain.

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CVS boosts guidance as it posts $2.3B in profit for Q1

The healthcare giant also beat the Street on revenue, posting $76.8 billion for the first quarter.

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AI researchers at Mayo Clinic use the Apple Watch to detect silent, weakening heart disease

The AI spots people whose hearts may be having trouble pumping blood out to the rest of the body.

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A fix to PI3K cancer drugs' immune toxicity? Lessons from an Amgen candidate

The FDA recently put the spotlight on the concerning side effects of marketed PI3K inhibitors for blood cancers. In a new study published in Nature, a transatlantic research team has provided timely clues to why the drug class causes immune-mediated toxicities and offered a possible solution.

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Resources

Whitepaper: Medical Affairs Metamorphosis: Trends Driving Change & What They Mean

Recent trends are driving big changes in Medical Affairs. This paper explores why, and what MA teams can do to stay ahead of the curve.

eBook: Streamline HCP interactions management

Don’t miss these critical considerations when evaluating your HCP interactions management program.

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.

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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