WELCOME TO FIERCE LIFE SCIENCES WEEKLY DIGEST While new research says human antibodies may only protect against the novel coronavirus for two to three months, CEO Pascal Soriot said AstraZeneca’s vaccine is expected to work for a full year. The drugmaker is also moving quickly: efficacy trial results could come at the end of the summer, he said, while manufacturing grows in parallel—including a plan with Catalent to produce 2 billion doses per year. Meanwhile, China’s Sinopharm said its vaccine triggered strong immune responses, amid reports that doses are already being offered to employees of other state-run companies. Those stories, plus our top reads of the week, follow below. | |
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Featured Story | Tuesday, June 16, 2020 AstraZeneca, advancing a COVID-19 vaccine from the University of Oxford, is among global frontrunners in the worldwide hunt for a viable vaccine. But the drugmaker’s CEO now says the vaccine will only provide protection for about a year. read more |
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Top Stories Of The Week Monday, June 15, 2020 CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex have presented updated data on the first patients treated with their CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing therapy. The partners now have evidence that one-time treatment with CTX001 improves outcomes in sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia patients for up to 15 months. read more Tuesday, June 16, 2020 China's state-run Sinopharm said one of its inactivated COVID-19 vaccines triggered a strong neutralizing antibody response in a phase 1/2 study. And even as the design of a phase 3 trial is still under wraps, the company is reportedly offering the experimental vaccine to employees at state-owned companies who intend to travel overseas. read more Monday, June 15, 2020 A little over two years into her stint leading immuno-oncology medical development at Eli Lilly, Leena Gandhi M.D., Ph.D., is hitting the exit. read more Monday, June 15, 2020 British drugmaker AstraZeneca is shooting for the moon with its plan to produce 2 billion doses per year of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. To reach that lofty goal, AstraZeneca has struck a deal with New Jersey-based Catalent to help with the final stages of the shot's manufacturing. read more Tuesday, June 16, 2020 Pharma is looking to reset its image with COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, but landmines loom—with pricing likely the biggest. It's true that the halo from pharma’s rapid response in R&D has propelled the industry’s reputation to an all-time high. But some tough decisions lurk just beyond the lab. read more Wednesday, June 17, 2020 On the heels of some big fundraising moves and in the hunt for a COVID-19 vaccine, Novavax is adding some heft to its executive team. Joining the vaccine specialist as chief medical officer is Filip Dubovsky, an AstraZeneca veteran. read more Monday, June 15, 2020 The FDA has cleared its first video game for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, allowing Akili Interactive’s EndeavorRx to be prescribed as a digital therapeutic. read more Tuesday, June 16, 2020 As GlaxoSmithKline looks to deepen its cancer R&D, it's penned an oncology development program with Ideaya Biosciences. read more Wednesday, June 17, 2020 Top-line results from a U.K. study of a low-cost steroid were enough to persuade the National Health Service to approve it for COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen or ventilation. That OK came just hours after the data reveal—and now, some doctors warn there's not enough evidence that it's really effective in treating the coronavirus. read more Monday, June 15, 2020 University of California, San Diego researchers edited a gene called CISH from the immune system's natural killer (NK) cells, freeing up the signaling of cytokines—molecules that direct immune cells to destroy invaders. The edited NK cells cleared leukemia in mouse models and could prove promising as an off-the-shelf cell therapy for some cancers, the researchers said. read more Enrollment Showcase | Sponsored by: University of Florida College of Pharmacy Position yourself as a precision medicine leader with the online graduate program in precision medicine. Learn the latest in genomic technologies and precision medicine therapies from experts in research and implementation. Join the future of health care with the flexibility and convenience of an online program. |
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Resources Sponsored by: Cenduit Download this case study to read how Cenduit helped one client successfully navigate mid-study changes to medication management. Sponsored by: Research Solutions Learn four ways to squeeze more value from your limited R&D resources. Sponsored by: BioAnalytix Download this eBook and Learn the Advanced Analytical Approaches for Improved Development of Cell and Gene Therapies Sponsored by: Catalent In a series of innovation sessions, Catalent RP Scherer softgel capsules were quickly identified as the ideal solution to drive incremental growth. Learn more. Sponsored by: Blue Matter, strategic consultants in the life sciences White paper describing 7 keys to success for any biopharma company that is entering (or thinking about entering) Europe. Sponsored by: Copyright Clearance Center Dive into the history of biomedical classification and how these systems have evolved to address new technology and use cases. Presented by: ICON Clinical Research Download this whitepaper to learn more about the success factors that are required to keep a pandemic respiratory vaccine trial running at optimal speed and efficiency. Sponsored by: Clinical Ink This white paper covers a Phase III case study; BYOD advantages and misconceptions; and regulatory, copyright, and equivalency considerations. Sponsored by: Clinical Ink Learn how GI specific data capture solutions can support virtual and hybrid trials during COVID-19. Sponsored by: Catalent Regardless of the assigned FDA expedited approval designation and approach, the key action items should be: the assurance of a detail-oriented plan and the adaption of a “forward-thinking” approach that will assist in any future challenges and opportunities for growth of each project. Sponsored by: Catalent Get expert insights on strategies to implement flexible manufacturing and different technologies that are easily scalable and reproducible. Sponsored by: Catalent This whitepaper discusses the benefits of end-to-end solutions and share case studies on how flexible manufacturing strategies can accommodate the changing landscape of pharmaceutical products and help bring a drug to market. Sponsored by: Catalent Learn about a real-world example of how clinical supply management expertise was applied to overcome inventory challenges for a complex, global study. Sponsored by: Catalent Whether a study is simple or highly complex, forecasting and simulation reports serve as data driven communication tools to help minimize risks and keep the study on track. Learn more about forecasting solutions for informed decision making and supporting contingency planning for clinical study. Sponsored by: Clarify Health Pharma launch teams spend significant resources on data and analytics with limited ROI. Read this case study to learn how a Life Sciences company identified two times more patients best suited for therapy, using Clarify’s deep and longitudinal patient and HCP insights. Sponsored by: Catalent Learn how to drive excellence within the forecasting process and utilize forecasting throughout the clinical study to better plan clinical supply budgets and project timelines. Explore how to identify potential supply-related issues before they can negatively impact your study. | 
