Verily’s medical science chief talks narrowed focus

Today’s Big News

May 15, 2024

BioMarin sheds 170 jobs in wake of narrowed R&D refocus


Eisai predicts sharp Leqembi sales increase as launch efforts begin to bear fruit


Bolt Bio halves workforce and swaps out CEO, while Tenaya lays off 5th of staff


In conversation with Verily's medical science chief Andrew Trister on the company's narrowed focus


Blackstone unearths Uniquity Bio with $300M to explore Merck drug's I&I potential


What's in a clinical trial name? Breaking it down with the Brand Institute, from the acronymic to the aspirational

 

Featured

BioMarin sheds 170 jobs in wake of narrowed R&D refocus

BioMarin had already announced plans to cut its pipeline in half, but now the company has confirmed that 170 employees are also leaving the building as part of the R&D restructure.
 

Top Stories

Eisai predicts sharp Leqembi sales increase as launch efforts begin to bear fruit

Eisai has laid out an ambitious goal to hit 56.5 billion yen (roughly $364 million) in global Leqembi sales for the 2024 fiscal year, which wraps up next March. Eisai banked its estimate on the fact that the company and its partner Biogen have steadily improved Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and treatment pathways over the past year.

Bolt Bio halves workforce and swaps out CEO, while Tenaya lays off 5th of staff

In another tough day for biotech employees, Bolt Biotherapeutics and Tenaya Therapeutics both outlined plans to significantly scale back their workforces.

In conversation with Verily's medical science chief Andrew Trister on the company's narrowed focus

Once known for tackling everything from smart contact lenses to surgical robots, Verily has pulled back from its many projects to focus on a more centralized goal.

Blackstone unearths Uniquity Bio with $300M to explore Merck drug's I&I potential

Immunology and inflammation-focused drug development has become scorching hot business. This time, Uniquity Bio unveiled with $300 million from Blackstone.

What's in a clinical trial name? Breaking it down with the Brand Institute, from the acronymic to the aspirational

Naming a new trial represents a significant marketing opportunity for drug and device makers well before their products ever hit shelves, especially because study monikers, unlike drug names, aren’t subject to regulatory oversight.

Novo Holdings, beefing up in manufacturing, buys majority stake in pharma tools company

Novo Holdings has made another investment in biopharma manufacturing, as its key portfolio company, Novo Nordisk, looks to bolster production for its sought-after diabetes and weight-loss drugs.

FDA approves self-collection screening tests for HPV, allowing women to avoid pelvic exams for cervical cancer

The separate self-collection offerings from BD and Roche still need to be used in a healthcare setting—they have not received agency green lights for solo, at-home use.

Merck takes a slim lead in oncologists’ perceptions amid a ‘fiercely competitive’ environment

Merck’s cancer drug giant Keytruda has helped the Big Pharma top how oncologists see cancer drugmakers, but no one company is dominating the field.

Vaxxinity leaders detail retreat from 'abusive relationship' after 3 years on public market

Vaxxinity, which filed to delist from the Nasdaq last month, is choosing radical transparency about the “abusive relationship” that has defined the immunotherapy medicine company’s three-year stint as a public company.

The sweet spot: Analysis finds pharma ad length with best metrics on connected TV

Thirty seconds. That’s the sweet spot for pharma ads on connected TV. Ad tech company Innovid made the discovery in an analysis of the almost 380 billion video advertising impressions served on its platform last year.

Merck KGaA's CDMO unit continues to slide but company sees an uptick coming

On Wednesday—amid largely positive news for Merck KGaA overall—the company reported a 17% decline in sales for its CDMO unit, blaming (PDF) “unfavorable project phasing” and a streamlining of the supply chain of one of its customers.

BMS taps Mindy Kaling to join Ted Danson in ‘really juicy, revealing’ Sotyktu promos

The next Mindy Kaling project? Advocating for people with plaque psoriasis.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

A series on advancements in cell & gene therapy manufacturing

This week’s episode of “The Top Line,” kicks off a series diving into the latest advancements in cell and gene therapy manufacturing. 

 

Resources

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Straight to Market in an Autoinjector

The use of prefilled syringes to administer biotherapeutics is beginning to gain traction because they offer a range of stability, efficacy, and patient safety benefits. Download this white paper to learn how Lonza has developed a novel workflow to ensure confidence regarding functionality in PFS and autoinjectors.
 

Industry Events

Drug Development Boot Camp® VIRTUAL | Spring 2024

April ‌10-11, ‌2024

On Helix

Date: ‌4 ‌July ‌2024 ‌- ‌Location: ‌Babraham ‌Research ‌Campus, ‌Cambridge ‌UK

 

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