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| Welcome to FierceLifeSci Weekly Digest, your roundup of the biggest and most popular stories from each of our publications.
As the definition of a medical device has begun to stretch, so has the definition of a medical device company. Prescription software and at-home DNA tests have begun to fit the bill, as have previously consumer-focused companies making their first moves into healthcare. But in our special report on 2018’s top 11 medtech approvals, it’s clear that the devices most likely to change a patient’s life are the ones designed to change their routines the least. | |
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Featured Story | | | Monday, May 20, 2019 AbbVie has big plans to grow sales for Humira follow-ups Skyrizi and upadacitinib. Early into its Skyrizi launch for psoriasis, the company has offered discounts on its megablockbuster Humira to secure favorable formulary coverage for its new drug, an analyst writes. |
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Top Stories Of The Week Tuesday, May 21, 2019 Merck has struck a deal to buy Peloton Therapeutics for $1.1 billion upfront days before the biotech was due to list on Nasdaq. The deal will give Merck control of an experimental oral HIF-2α inhibitor that could challenge Keytruda for the metastatic renal cell carcinoma market. Tuesday, May 21, 2019 The once-straightforward definition of a medical device has begun to stretch. And for that matter, so has the definition of a medical devices company. But 2018’s top FDA green lights made one thing clear: The devices most likely to change a patient's life were designed to change their routines the least. Monday, May 20, 2019 Novartis is looking to launch spinal muscular atrophy gene therapy Zolgensma this year. But the possibility of it being a $5 million drug has already sparked controversy. To prepare for the pricey rollout, CEO Vas Narasimhan now calls for changes to the U.S. drug payment system. Friday, May 17, 2019 Alongside pancreatic cancer, the aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma is one of the toughest cancers out there. Now, AbbVie is yet another biopharma learning that lesson firsthand. Tuesday, May 21, 2019 Novartis, Otsuka, Pfizer and Sanofi have signed onto Verily’s Project Baseline, a program aimed at mapping out a baseline for human health. Tuesday, May 21, 2019 Right now, Roche’s Tecentriq is the only immuno-oncology drug approved in triple negative breast cancer. And thanks to a rare trial miss for Merck's superstar Keytruda, it looks like it’ll stay that way for awhile. Friday, May 17, 2019 The FBI has launched its own investigation into a handful of the world’s largest medtech companies, stemming from claims of illegal kickbacks being paid to Brazilian government officials over the past 20 years—in return for contracts through the country’s public health programs that administer over 210 million people, according to a report from Reuters. Monday, May 20, 2019 When Biogen recently announced its top dog for manufacturing and supply chain operations was leaving to become chief operating officer for another company, the question was, which one? The question has now been answered with the announcement that Paul McKenzie has taken that post at CSL Behring, the drug and plasma unit of Australia's CSL Ltd. Tuesday, May 21, 2019 Now well on its way to becoming a multiproduct oncology company, Seattle Genetics has decided the time is right to bring in its first chief commercial officer. Friday, May 17, 2019 AstraZeneca’s experimental cancer drug cediranib was originally developed to inhibit the growth of the blood vessels tumors need to survive, but it hasn’t proven to be all that effective. Now Yale University researchers have discovered that cediranib has a second function that could improve its prospects for treating cancer. Resources Sponsored by: Catalent Download the executive summary to learn key considerations for a successful technology transfer for manufacturing drug products, including a case study on overcoming challenges in a process transfer for a sterile diluent. Sponsored by: Patheon, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific Choosing the Best Sterile Dosage Form for Your Phase I Clinical Supply Needs. Sponsored by: Patheon, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific Designed with speed & flexibility,Quick to Clinic™ for Oral Solid Dose helps deliver products to Phase I Clinic in as little as 14 weeks. Sponsored by: AlphaSense What is agile competitive intelligence, and how can help healthcare researchers stay ahead of the curve? Sponsored by: Biotech Primer The Biopharma industry is moving at lightning speed and it can be a challenge to keep pace. Here at Biotech Primer we spend hours each week researching, writing, and editing original content for the Biotech Primer WEEKLY with one goal in mind: to help everyone better understand the latest science and technology driving today’s healthcare industry. |
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