Zentalis plunges over sepsis deaths, partial hold

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Today’s Big News

Jun 18, 2024

Kansas AG accuses Pfizer of misrepresenting COVID vaccine, hiding safety risks in lawsuit


Boston Scientific snags Silk Road Medical in $1.26B deal


Zentalis' shares plunge 30% after FDA places WEE1 drug on partial hold over sepsis deaths


Third Rock’s Marea ropes in $190M to pioneer ‘the next frontier’ of cardiometabolic medicines


Despite a strong pharma shortlist, only Biogen, Organon place in Cannes Pharma Lions, as med techs take Gold, Grand Prix


Intra-Cellular's Caplyta scores again in major depressive disorder as blockbuster expansion comes within reach

 

Featured

Kansas AG accuses Pfizer of misrepresenting COVID vaccine, hiding safety risks in lawsuit

Following a similar move by Texas, Kansas Attorney General is accusing Pfizer of "misrepresenting" its vaccine's safety and efficacy in a 179-page civil suit seeking unspecified damages.
 

Top Stories

Boston Scientific snags Silk Road Medical in $1.26B deal

Silk Road is known as the developer of TCAR, for transcarotid artery revascularization, which reduces the risk of stroke in carotid artery procedures.

Zentalis' shares plunge 30% after FDA places WEE1 drug on partial hold over sepsis deaths

The FDA has placed three trials of Zentalis’ WEE1 candidate on partial hold in the wake of two deaths that are presumed to be from sepsis.

Third Rock’s Marea ropes in $190M to pioneer ‘the next frontier’ of cardiometabolic medicines

Marea Therapeutics has emerged with $190 million, a mid-stage clinical program and a plan to harness genetics and pioneer “the next frontier” of cardiometabolic medicines.

Despite a strong pharma shortlist, only Biogen, Organon place in Cannes Pharma Lions, as med techs take Gold, Grand Prix

Out of the 13 pharmas vying for the top prizes at this year’s Cannes Pharma Lions, there was disappointment Monday night when just two, Biogen and Organon, walked away with a medal, and just a Bronze medal apiece at that.

Intra-Cellular's Caplyta scores again in major depressive disorder as blockbuster expansion comes within reach

Intra-Cellular Therapies’ surging antipsychotic Caplyta has scored again with remarkable trial results, fueling its bid for its third and potentially most lucrative indication—major depressive disorder.

Merck's Keytruda snags 40th US indication, leaps ahead of GSK with broad endometrial cancer approval

The world’s best-selling medicine is still adding new uses, and its latest FDA approval marks a first in the cancer immunotherapy class.

Roche wades deeper into RNA waters, paying Ascidian $42M to develop exon editing drugs

Roche has added to its flotilla of RNA alliances, handing Ascidian Therapeutics $42 million upfront to use an alternative to gene editing to treat neurological diseases. The agreement includes up to $1.8 billion in milestones.

Taysha links gene therapy to motor gains in small Rett study

Taysha Gene Therapies has unfurled more data in the developmental disorder Rett syndrome, linking its gene therapy to improvements in the first adults and children to receive low doses of the candidate.

Lilly and Novo’s brand values soar as GLP-1 drugs raise their profiles

Barnstorming GLP-1 drugs have sent Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk rocketing up the list of the most valuable pharma brands. The leading weight-loss players were the two big winners in the latest report by Brand Finance, which found the value of the two brands jumped by more than 50% over the past year.

Docs’ zest for Skyrizi tees AbbVie up for fast ulcerative colitis launch

Physicians have delivered a boost to AbbVie’s hopes of turning Skyrizi into a $17-billion-a-year drug. The 101 gastroenterologists polled by Spherix Global Insights talked up Skyrizi’s promise in ulcerative colitis, suggesting the IL-23 inhibitor can make a mark on the new indication despite the presence of rival drugs.

Day One inks $1.2B biobucks pact for MabCare’s solid tumor ADC

Day One Biopharmaceuticals is offering MabCare Therapeutics up to $1.2 billion for exclusive licensing rights to an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) taking aim at solid tumors in both adults and kids.

Many overweight patients feel misunderstood by pharmas and not adequately represented in ads: survey

A significant proportion of overweight or obese patients don’t find pharmaceutical ads about weight-management products relatable, nor do they look to those ads for information about managing their weight, according to a recent survey, suggesting that pharmas have a ways to go in gaining the trust of those patients.

AstraZeneca's Truqap misses the mark in late-stage triple-negative breast cancer trial

In the late-stage CAPItello-290 study, Truqap plus the chemotherapy paclitaxel failed to help extend the lives of patients with locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) over paclitaxel and placebo alone, AstraZeneca said Tuesday.
 
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This paper outlines the challenges, pitfalls, & solutions associated with adding rare disease therapies to a biopharma company’s portfolio.
 

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