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Today's Rundown

Featured Story

Sanofi has a $50B biotech buyout budget, with Principia top of the list: report

Still augmenting its R&D and trying to drive innovation internally, French Big Pharma Sanofi is preparing to spend billions on biotechs to help further this cause.

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Top Stories

Ex-GSK Shingrix chief Pfefer lands at Flagship as its 2nd CEO-Partner

It’s back to biotech for Guillaume Pfefer, Ph.D., and not a moment too soon. Having spent four years at GlaxoSmithKline ushering its shingles vaccine through approval and onto the market, he’s now taking on the dual role of CEO-Partner at Flagship Pioneering, joining the biotech builder’s team while taking the helm at one of its startups, Kintai Therapeutics.

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Lilly's IL-23 drug beats Novartis' Cosentyx in plaque psoriasis

Eli Lilly’s anti-IL-23 antibody beat placebo at clearing psoriasis symptoms in a phase 3 study, teeing up regulatory filings across the globe. But that’s not all—the drug also outshone Novartis’ blockbuster Cosentyx in the same study.

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Sponsored: Kupffer Cells in Complex In Vitro Cultures: An Important Tool For Drug Discovery

The inclusion of Kupffer cells in in vitro hepatic cultures provides researchers with advanced tools for disease modeling and drug discovery.

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FDA puts Merck's heart failure drug on priority review track

The FDA has granted priority review status to Merck’s vericiguat, teeing the Big Pharma to receive an approval decision early next year. Vericiguat, which Merck partnered on with Bayer in a $1 billion deal, will enter the increasingly congested heart failure market if the FDA gives it the green light.

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Merck KGaA picks up another anticancer bispecific from F-star

Merck KGaA has exercised its option on a preclinical F-star Therapeutics immuno-oncology asset. The action, which F-star said came ahead of schedule, comes one year after Merck KGaA took up its option on another early-stage F-star molecule.

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Thermo Fisher throws in an extra billion to buy COVID-19 testing supplier Qiagen

Thermo Fisher Scientific has sweetened its deal for diagnostic manufacturer Qiagen by about 10% after the spreading COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the value of molecular testing supplies.

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Bolstered by immunology and oncology, J&J’s pharma business holds up under COVID-19 pressure

With Johnson & Johnson being the first drugmaker to report earnings each quarter, market watchers have eagerly looked to the drugmaker's performance amid the pandemic to see how other biopharma players might fare. And in the second quarter, J&J posted growth in pharma despite COVID-associated challenges.

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FiercePharmaAsia—BeiGene's $2.1B share sale; Harbour's meaty C round; Lupin plant COVID-19 closure

Amgen contributes $421 million to BeiGene's $2.1 billion share sale. Harbour BioMed, with COVID-19 antibody work, nabs $102.8 million in a series C round. Lupin shuts down an Indian plant after 18 employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus. And more.

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Chutes & Ladders—Vertex appoints BMS vet Atkinson to head manufacturing

Vertex names Atkinson to head manufacturing; Scholar Rock CEO Mahanthappa steps away from role; Vor taps Lilly veteran as CMO.

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Resources

Whitepaper: High-Loaded Dosage Forms: Novel Platform Expands Spray-Dried Dispersion Utility

A novel spray-dried dispersion platform has been developed to faciliate high drug load applications

Whitepaper: How to Harness the eISF to Accelerate Clinical Operations

Complimentary Download: How to connect to study sites remotely via the Electronic Investigator Site File (eISF) to streamline clinical operations. Insights from the largest eISF network in the world.

Whitepaper: Learn How to Navigate Pediatric Clinical Trials Under the New RACE Act

Collaboration across the industry will be key to meeting the demands of the RACE Act and ensuring pediatric patients receive the care and treatments they need.

On-Demand Webinar: Fuel gene therapy development and production with modern AAV workflows

On-demand video: fuel gene therapy development and production with modern AAV workflows.

With today’s rapidly evolving environment, we have created this five-part content series to highlight pressing issues and topics that are more pertinent today than ever before.

eBook: Cambrex eBook - Small molecules: 2020 vision

The industry trend of outsourcing to CDMOs continues. With more services, capabilities, facilities, and employees than ever before, our experts have contributed more articles to our biggest eBook yet.

White Paper: Patient Switching Behaviors Impact on Adherence and Engagement: A Predictive Analytics and Machine Learning Approach to Improving Hub Performance and Patient Outcomes

How predictive analytics and machine learning have the potential to transform healthcare by predicting “Patient Switching Behaviors.”

Whitepaper: You've Decided on a Multiparticulate Dosage Form. Now What?

Wurster processing is a versatile technique for developing and manufacturing multiparticulates for modified release dosage forms. Read this whitepaper to determine whether Wurster processing is the right option for your project.

Webinar: Blockchain Innovations that Connect & Protect Merck's Supply Chain

Get an inside look… Merck shares its next-generation approach to supply chain protection with new digital platforms, including Blockchain.

eBook: SUPERCHARGE INNOVATION: UNLEASH THE FULL FORCE OF LIFE SCIENCES

Built on advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), data mining, and information integration into various systems at 100% accuracy, the new era of intelligent automation is integral to life sciences for devising new treatments faster and at a lower expense.

Whitepaper: 4 Ways to Keep Pace with Big Pharma, Even On a Start-Up Budget

Learn four ways to squeeze more value from your limited R&D resources.

eBook: Advanced Analytical Approaches for Improved Development of Cell and Gene Therapies

Download this eBook and Learn the Advanced Analytical Approaches for Improved Development of Cell and Gene Therapies

Case Study: Establishing Parameters for Success

Learn about a real-world example of how clinical supply management expertise was applied to overcome inventory challenges for a complex, global study.

Fact Sheet: Forecasting to Optimize Clinical Trial Supply Management

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.

eBook: Expecting the Unexpected: Strategies for Efficient Clinical Supply Management and Forecasting

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.

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