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Today’s Big News

May 29, 2024

Merck & Co. sees clear vision to new ophthalmology assets with $3B EyeBio buy

Bristol Myers Squibb checks 'yes' on another Prothena neurodegenerative therapy

Biotech faces a reckoning: ‘We've lost our luster in cell therapies’

Ikena cuts Hippo med, half of staff in latest reprioritization

Repare backer Amplitude Ventures unveils $192M biotech fund

Chasing Merck, AstraZeneca's PCSK9 inhibitor lowers cholesterol in phase 1 test

Featured

Merck & Co. sees clear vision to new ophthalmology assets with $3B EyeBio buy

By Annalee Armstrong

Merck & Co. is focusing in on eye diseases with the $3 billion acquisition of ophthalmology-focused Eyebiotech. The deal features $1.3 billion in cash up front and $1.7 billion in potential milestones.

Bristol Myers Squibb checks 'yes' on another Prothena neurodegenerative therapy

By Annalee Armstrong

Bristol Myers Squibb is again dipping into the well of therapies being developed by Prothena, this time for a neurodegenerative candidate about to slide into human testing.

Biotech faces a reckoning: ‘We've lost our luster in cell therapies’

By Annalee Armstrong

A Special Report from the Fierce Biotech team on the state of cell therapy.

Ikena cuts Hippo med, half of staff in latest reprioritization

By Annalee Armstrong

Ikena Oncology is again shrinking its herd and signaling a tough fight ahead as one of two assets, a TEAD1-selective Hippo pathway inhibitor, is cut.

Repare backer Amplitude Ventures unveils $192M biotech fund

By Gabrielle Masson

Repare Therapeutics backer Amplitude Ventures has unveiled a second fund, securing $192 million that will be dedicated to the development of new precision medicines.

Chasing Merck, AstraZeneca's PCSK9 inhibitor lowers cholesterol in phase 1 test

By Annalee Armstrong

AstraZeneca’s small molecule lowered levels of “bad” cholesterol by more than half in patients who had never received treatment for their condition, according to results from an early-stage trial.

NS Pharma's Duchenne therapy Viltepso fails confirmatory trial

By Kevin Dunleavy

NS Pharma's Viltepso has flunked a confirmatory trial, placing its 2020 accelerated FDA approval in jeopardy. The company said it is investigating the results to determine which factors might have affected the outcome compared to previous studies.

Novo attempts to parry Sanders' GLP-1 pricing complaints by calling out pharma middlemen

By Fraiser Kansteiner

In a recent letter to the Senate HELP committee, Novo blamed so-called pharma middlemen for the steep costs of its diabetes and obesity blockbusters, Bloomberg reports. The company said it only keeps around 60% of the list price of Ozempic and Wegovy in the U.S. after paying out rebates and fees to middlemen.

Self-funded health plan saves employers 20% more than major plans: analysis

By Noah Tong

Imagine360, an alternative health plan in Pennsylvania, is pointing to an independent analysis showing its clients save 20% on health benefit costs when compared to traditional carriers.

Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

Podnosis: A look at telehealth's future and an omnichannel approach to care

This week on "Podnosis," Emma Beavins from Fierce Healthcare interviews CVS Health Chief Medical Officer Sree Chaguturu, M.D., to dive into the topic of telehealth and its role in a comprehensive approach to healthcare.

Automation, decentralization and the future of CAR-Ts: Advancements in cell & gene therapy manufacturing (Part III)

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

Resources

Whitepaper

Fresenius Medical Care gets 25x faster kidney disease insights

This detailed case study shows how Fresenius Medical Care achieved 25 times faster insights to help kidney disease patients, launching the world’s largest global database of dialysis care with fully anonymized patient data.

Sponsored by: Privacy Analytics, an IQVIA company

Whitepaper

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.

Sponsored by: Comprehensive Cell Solutions

Whitepaper

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.

Sponsored by: Specifica, a Q2 Solutions company

Whitepaper

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.

Presented by: Blue Matter, strategic consultants in the life sciences

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.