COVID testmaker Cue closes

Today’s Big News

May 22, 2024

Pfizer, busy with $4B savings drive, plots even more cuts out to 2027


Biogen says hello to HI-Bio, inking $1.15B buyout to expand in immunology


Home COVID testmaker Cue Health to shut down operations, lay off staff: report


Pharmas are upping spending on digital, but still face budgetary blocks: report


AstraZeneca joins obesity biotech SixPeaks at basecamp with $80M for buyout option


Merck KGaA unit avoids DOJ prosecution after exposing scheme to divert drugs to China


Novo Nordisk office building 'not able to be saved' after company's 2nd fire in a week

 

Featured

Pfizer, busy with $4B savings drive, plots even more cuts out to 2027

Pfizer has made frequent headlines in recent months as it moves forward with a campaign to save $4 billion in annual costs by the end of this year. Now, the company has unveiled another savings drive that will run longer.
 

Top Stories

Biogen says hello to HI-Bio, inking $1.15B buyout to expand in immunology

Biogen is placing a $1.15 billion bet on Chris Viehbacher’s diversification vision. The upfront payment has secured Biogen a deal to buy Human Immunology Biosciences (HI-Bio), a biotech that is preparing to advance an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody into phase 3 in multiple rare immune-mediated indications.

Home COVID testmaker Cue Health to shut down operations, lay off staff: report

According to a report from the San Diego Union-Tribune, the company will shutter operations at the end of this week, while laying off its remaining staff and leadership.

Pharmas are upping spending on digital, but still face budgetary blocks: report

Though many pharmas have grand plans for digital disruption across their businesses, those plans are being disrupted themselves by monetary constraints, according to a recent report from Graphite Digital.

AstraZeneca joins obesity biotech SixPeaks at basecamp with $80M for buyout option

The obesity business is cutthroat these days. AstraZeneca is taking no chances on missing out on the next big thing. The U.K. pharma is one of the first investors in a new biotech emerging today with $110 million to develop new therapies for healthy weight loss.

Merck KGaA unit avoids DOJ prosecution after exposing scheme to divert drugs to China

The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday announced that Florida residents Pen Yu, 51, and Gregory Muñoz, 45, each pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy for their roles in a scheme to “fraudulently procure deeply discounted products” from Merck KGaA's MilliporeSigma and export them to China using faked export documents.

Novo Nordisk ⁠office building 'not able to be saved' after company's 2nd fire in a week

After a fire broke out at a Novo Nordisk construction site last week, a separate fire emerged at the company's Denmark headquarters on Wednesday. The site was "not able to be saved," a spokesperson said.

Dexcom report finds that living with Type 2 diabetes leads to anxiety, depression at 'alarming' rates

A new survey from Dexcom suggests that living with Type 2 diabetes can have significant impacts not only on physical health but on mental health, too.

'We're trying to do the right thing.' GSK sets diversity targets, partners with DEI firm to educate trial staff

GSK is doubling down on its efforts to make clinical trials more diverse, starting with defined enrollment targets and training its clinical R&D workforce on issues around diversity, equity, inclusion and bias in healthcare.

New NIH findings on talc use and ovarian cancer pose challenge to J&J's high-stakes defense

The more than 53,000 women in the U.S. who have filed injury lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson have added ammunition for their claims as new research indicates there is an association between long-term use of talcum-based powders and an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Havas restructures health network, creating group named after veteran adman

Havas is rebranding its health network, launching new global agencies as part of a reshuffle that will put most of its groups into one of three offerings.

Evotec makes 'strategic exit' from gene therapy as part of wider shake-up

A month after Evotec first alluded to a “strategic reset” to rebalance the company, the German biotech has revealed the end of its gene therapy aspirations.

Click Therapeutics picks up Better's app assets in diabetes, obesity

The medical app developer Click Therapeutics will increase its digital reach by obtaining assets from the recently defunct Better Therapeutics, which began winding down its operations in March.

Microsoft collaboration launches whole-slide AI model for digital pathology

A digital pathology collaboration between Microsoft, the University of Washington and Providence health network aims to overcome a few of the obstacles to fully implementing artificial intelligence in the field of cancer diagnostics—and in some cases, through sheer scale.

Chinese CDMO Asymchem expands footprint with deal to take over former Pfizer UK site

Pfizer downsized much of its operations at the site, where it first discovered Viagra, last year. Now, Asymchem has inked a lease to take over the facility. Asymchem will begin operations there this summer and employ some former Pfizer staffers.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

From cell collection to commercial contracting: Advancements in cell & gene therapy manufacturing (Part II)

This week’s episode of “The Top Line” is the second part of a three-part series exploring the latest advancements in cell and gene therapy manufacturing.
 

Resources

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Comprehensive Cell Solutions: Focus on Cellular Therapy Collections

Precision collection of cell therapy source material doesn’t happen by chance. Our new whitepaper illuminates the science and strategies for successful apheresis.
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In Vitro Antibodies – Next-Gen Science Delivers Optimized Candidates

Learn how Specifica’s in vitro antibody discovery platform can deliver better antibodies than traditional immunization approaches.
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Branded Digital Companions in Biopharma

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.
eBook

Designing Patient-Centered Endpoint in Rare Disease Trials

To make every rare disease trial count, we design patient-centric, relevant strategies for sponsors and caregivers to produce impactful results every time.
 

Industry Events

On Helix

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