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Today's Big News

May 18, 2023

Former Immunomedics CFO pleads guilty to securities fraud over Trodelvy tip


AstraZeneca looks to Revvity's gene editing tech to bolster cell therapy work


New biotech Siren calls for gene therapy and cancer to 'get into the weeds together'


Mustang bucks some partnered cell and gene therapy work


PTC, chasing BioMarin, posts phase 3 rare disease win but fails to silence skeptics


Genetic deletion: Agilent loses 2 CRISPR patents after Synthego wins IP cases

 

Featured

Former Immunomedics CFO pleads guilty to securities fraud over Trodelvy tip

Former Immunomedics CFO Usama Malik has pleaded guilty to a charge of insider trading for tipping off his girlfriend that the biotech’s breast cancer drug had succeeded in a clinical trial, allowing her time to purchase shares before the information went public.
 

Top Stories

AstraZeneca looks to Revvity's gene editing tech to bolster cell therapy work

To rev up its cell therapy engine, AstraZeneca is looking to the aptly named Revvity.

New biotech Siren calls for gene therapy and cancer to 'get into the weeds together'

The song of Siren Biotechnology, a brand-new startup that’s merging immunotherapy and gene therapy to treat brain and eye cancers, called to the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy crowd.

Understanding Venture Debt Funding for Life Sciences Companies

Venture debt is a type of debt financing obtained by early and growth-stage companies and typically used as a complementary method to equity financing.

Mustang bucks some partnered cell and gene therapy work

Mustang Bio is shelving a handful of cell therapy programs and halting work on a gene therapy to treat "bubble boy disease" in order to funnel cash toward a lead asset. The company is also selling off its manufacturing facility that opened five years ago.

Navigating uncertainty in modern clinical development

Developing a new life-saving drug or medical device is fraught with challenges. But while challenges often vary from program to program, one in particular is guaranteed: uncertainty. In this article, Dr Kim, CMO at Cytel, discusses the nature and consequences of the uncertainty challenge, as well as the options available to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies navigate it.

PTC, chasing BioMarin, posts phase 3 rare disease win but fails to silence skeptics

PTC Therapeutics’ phase 3 clinical trial in the rare inherited disorder phenylketonuria has met its primary endpoint. And yet, the design of the study means analysts remain unsure about the strength of PTC’s hand and whether it can rival BioMarin’s Kuvan and live up to its $400 million peak sales forecast.

Genetic deletion: Agilent loses 2 CRISPR patents after Synthego wins IP cases

Synthego has prevailed in its intellectual property dispute with Agilent Technologies. The row led to the invalidation of two Agilent patents related to guide RNA, leading Synthego to hail the ruling as a victory “for the entire CRISPR-enabled research and therapeutics field.”

Regulatory tracker: AbbVie's Rinvoq, Bristol Myers' Sotyktu get nods from NICE

In this tracker, Fierce Pharma is recording the regulatory progress of in-market products, including expansions into key geographies and new indications. Some of these updates may not meet the bar for standalone stories, but we think they are still worth mentioning.

Waxing Moon: Surgical tech maker pulls $55M and robotics maven Fred Moll into its orbit

With a fresh injection of venture funding and a high-profile addition to its board, Moon Surgical is entering a new phase.

J&J beats back Viatris' generic challenge to schizophrenia med Invega Trinza

Viatris' proposed generic of J&J’s Invega Trinza would "induce infringement” of a patent dubbed '693, New Jersey federal Judge Evelyn Padin wrote in court documents this week. Viatris’ attempts to show the patent is invalid have fallen flat, Padin continued.

Unions ask DOJ to investigate UPMC for alleged anticompetitive worker suppression

In a new filing, a coalition of unions alleged that UPMC's rapid growth and market power has allowed it to limit wages, increase workloads and keep workers from changing employers.

Bayer 'sees red' in taboo-busting campaign for heavy menstrual bleeding

Bayer Pharmaceuticals is using a not so subtle approach in showing how women can take control of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) in its new campaign "Seeing Red" for IUD Mirena. In addition to the original indication of contraception, Mirena is the first IUD approved by the FDA to control HMB, also known as menorrhagia, which is not just an annoyance but a medical condition.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don't miss an episode

'The Top Line': A series on Narcan, plus this week's headlines

This week on "The Top Line," we're launching a mini-series on Narcan the nasal spray. It is the first naloxone product to be approved for use without a prescription.

 

Resources

Whitepaper

ChatGPT in Drug Discovery: Rise of Large Language Models

ChatGPT shows promise in drug discovery for information extraction, scientific text authoring, hypothesis prediction, and chemical entity prediction. This whitepaper explores its potential to streamline research, delving into its technology, applications, and limitations.
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Discovering High-Affinity, Functional Anti-GLP-1R Antibodies

Learn how a GPCR-focused library with a cell-based biopanning strategy led to the discovery of 13 high-affinity and selective anti-GLP-1R antibodies with highly developable therapeutic properties.
eBook

Decentralized Clinical Trials: The Complete Guide for 2023

Discover a game-changing approach to clinical research with Hybrid and Decentralized Clinical Trials (DCTs). Learn about the benefits, challenges, and key elements for success.
Research

How Lilly’s Legal and Library Services Empower Teams Across the Drug Development Pipeline

What role do the Library and Legal teams play in the drug development pipeline at Lilly? An import one – find out how.

Whitepaper

Medical Affairs Metamorphosis VI: The Changing Face of Stakeholder Engagement

This paper focuses on stakeholder engagement and how Medical Affairs teams’ responsibilities, goals, tools, and techniques are changing.
Research

Maximizing Clinical Trial Success

Strategies for Optimal Site Selection and Feasibility Research in Novel Therapies and Geographies
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
 

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