Thermo Fisher unveils DNA test for rarest blood types

Today’s Big News

May 16, 2024

Roche's $2.7B Carmot bet pays off with phase 1 weight loss success for GLP-1/GIP agonist


Bristol Myers’ Breyanzi bags FDA nod to follow CAR-T rivals Gilead, Novartis into follicular lymphoma


Going beyond A, B & O: Thermo Fisher unveils DNA test for the rarest blood types


In Big Pharma's growth rankings, Lilly took top spot from Novo Nordisk in Q1


J&J hooks Proteologix for $850M cash, reeling in a roster of early bispecifics


Female sales reps advance unequal pay case against AstraZeneca


Biogen walks away from Ionis-partnered ALS, Angelman prospects after peek at clinical data

 

Featured

Roche's $2.7B Carmot bet pays off with phase 1 weight loss success for GLP-1/GIP agonist

Roche’s incursion into the obesity space seems to be paying off so far based on the first clinical readout since the drugmaker scooped up Carmot Therapeutics for $2.7 billion.
 

Top Stories

Bristol Myers’ Breyanzi bags FDA nod to follow CAR-T rivals Gilead, Novartis into follicular lymphoma

The FDA has broadened the use of Bristol Myers Squibb’s CAR-T therapy Breyanzi to another type of blood cancer, where the CD19 CAR-T will again compete with Gilead Sciences and Novartis drugs.

Going beyond A, B & O: Thermo Fisher unveils DNA test for the rarest blood types

Thermo Fisher Scientific has put forward a DNA-based test that it says can offer much more precise identification of blood and its compatibility.

In Big Pharma's growth rankings, Lilly took top spot from Novo Nordisk in Q1

The momentum the biopharma industry showed in the fourth quarter of 2023 has continued into this year. With 18 of the industry’s top 25 companies achieving year-over-year revenue gains, Q1 came close to matching the final quarter of last year, when 21 of the top 25 companies showed increases. Once again, the dominant players were the sellers of GLP-1 diabetes and obesity drugs.

J&J hooks Proteologix for $850M cash, reeling in a roster of early bispecifics

J&J is buying Proteologix for $850 million in cash with more milestone payments available. The deal gives J&J access to a suite of early bispecific antibodies targeting immunology and inflammation conditions.

Female sales reps advance unequal pay case against AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is yet to put allegations of unequal pay behind it. Almost three years after AstraZeneca settled claims it underpaid female sales reps, a court has cleared three women to continue trying to build a case against the company.

Biogen walks away from Ionis-partnered ALS, Angelman prospects after peek at clinical data

Biogen’s CEO may have been celebrating “turning a corner” last month, but it looks like the drugmaker’s early-stage pipeline hasn’t got the message yet.

GSK aims to sell remaining stake in consumer health spinoff Haleon through 385M share offer

GSK plans to sell its remaining holding in consumer healthcare spinoff Haleon, the British drugmaker said Thursday. After prior divestments, GSK currently owns about 385 million Haleon shares.

AstraZeneca prepares fresh COVID push to regulators after antibody's phase 3 success

While AstraZeneca’s globally used COVID-19 vaccine is leaving the scene, the British Big Pharma is hoping it will be taking a fresh therapeutic option to regulators soon.

Lundbeck blames FDA-imposed DTC blackout for slowdown in Rexulti growth

Lundbeck has learned an unwanted lesson in the value of DTC advertising. After pushback from the FDA forced Rexulti depression ads off the air, Lundbeck reported a flattening of prescriptions that appears to be rebounding now promotion has resumed.

PCOS infertility treatment developer May Health raises $25M

The former Fierce Medtech Fierce 15 winner, previously known as AblaCare, has been developing its “ovarian rebalancing” approach that aims to restore a person’s natural ovulation cycle.

With new partnership, Galapagos takes decentralized CAR-T manufacturing quest nationwide

Galapagos has teamed up with the largest blood supply network in the U.S. to help establish decentralized CAR-T production on a national scale.

Acadia adds awareness-raising adventure series to site dedicated to documenting life with Rett syndrome

With the FDA’s first approval for a treatment for Rett syndrome now under its belt, Daybue maker Acadia Pharmaceuticals has debuted its latest effort to raise awareness around the rare disease.

SpringWorks kicks off 'Coping isn't Care' campaign ahead of potential new drug approval

As the FDA mulls over SpringWorks’ experimental neurofibromatosis type 1 drug mirdametinib during its rolling submission, the biotech isn't wasting time in getting the awareness message about this rare disease out into the world.
 
Fierce podcasts

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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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Comprehensive Cell Solutions: Focus on Cellular Therapy Collections

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Learn how Specifica’s in vitro antibody discovery platform can deliver better antibodies than traditional immunization approaches.
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This paper defines “digital companions” in biopharma, explores their value from the patient & company perspectives, & outlines a process for successfully fielding a new digital companion.
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Vaccine Development Challenges in Facing Influenza and COVID-19

Explore the complex considerations of vaccine development for influenza and COVID-19, including the challenges posed by viral evolution and the importance of ongoing research in this paper by vaccine expert, Dr. Lisa Kierstead.
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Designing Patient-Centered Endpoint in Rare Disease Trials

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Antibody Profiling: Decoding the Humoral Immune System

Antibody biomarkers are redefining precision medicine, from diagnosing diseases earlier to stratifying patients – download your FREE white paper today!
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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