Acadia culls 2 pipeline candidates
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Today's Rundown

Featured Story

Merck is back in Alzheimer's saddle with $1B+ Cerevance pact, years after dropping the BACE

Another Big Pharma is entering—or rather re-entering—the Alzheimer’s ring. Merck & Co. has signed a billion-dollar biobucks deal with Cerevance to identify new therapies for the devastating neurodegenerative disease.

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Top Stories

AstraZeneca ADC barrels forward as Keytruda combo data make case for lung cancer use

AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo have delivered more evidence that their TROP2-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) may have a future in non-small cell lung cancer, linking the candidate to a roughly 40% overall response rate when used as part of doublet and triplet combination therapies.

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Acadia culls painkiller rival to Vertex and cancer candidate over poor data

Acadia ditched two candidates from its pipeline, including a one-time competitor to Vertex’s non-opioid painkiller. The biotech revealed it scrapped ACP-044 following an evaluation of the final phase 2 data on patients undergoing bunion removal, while a phase 1 cancer prospect will not move forward.

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Johnson & Johnson's head of R&D Mathai Mammen heads for the exit in surprise move

Johnson & Johnson’s head of R&D is off. In a surprise post-market announcement yesterday, the company revealed that its executive vice president of pharma R&D Mathai Mammen, M.D., Ph.D, is leaving to “pursue other opportunities.”

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Verona’s shares jump as COPD drug hits goal in phase 3, teeing up FDA filing

Verona Pharma has hit the mark in its first of two phase 3 COPD clinical trials, keeping it on course to file for FDA approval of the inhaled PDE3 and PDE4 inhibitor in the first half of next year. Shares in Verona rose around 30% to the region of $9 in premarket trading.

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After a series of clinical stumbles, Atara lays off 20% of staff and slims R&D focus

Just under a month after Atara Biotherapeutics’ multiple sclerosis cell therapy turned up inconclusive results in a mid-phase trial, the biotech is taking decisive action to reduce cash burn by laying off 20% of its staff.

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GSK bets $1.3B on Mersana’s preclinical ADC and chance to expand portfolio beyond Blenrep

GSK has paid out $100 million cash to Mersana Therapeutics for the potential to add a second antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) to its pipeline. The new deal encompasses XMT-2056, Mersana’s preclinical ADC aimed at treating a range of HER-2 cancers.

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After addressing FDA’s concerns, Reata's wait for ataxia drug decision extended by 3 months

Reata Pharmaceuticals has done its homework in responding to the FDA’s concerns about an application for its nerve disorder drug. But now the biotech has to sit tight for an extra three months while the agency mulls things over.

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Eagle swoops down to nab chunk of BARDA-backed Enalare Therapeutics

Eagle Pharmaceuticals is not leaving M&A to the larger biopharma hawks, offering up to $55 million in equity to Enalare Therapeutics for its lead asset to treat respiratory depression. Eagle also has the opportunity to fully acquire the company later.

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MacroGenics joins biotech layoff wave, slashing 15% of workforce after deaths reported in phase 2 trial

MacroGenics has joined the pack of biotechs cutting staff, laying off 15% of its workforce after shuttering a phase 2 clinical trial for anti-cancer antibody enoblituzumab when seven patient deaths occurred.

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Cyteir pauses development of cancer med, funnels cash towards lead asset

Cyteir is pausing development of its a cancer med waiting in the wings. Instead, the company says it will focus resources on its lead asset and additional research work.

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Clovis, in need of cash or deals now to stem looming financial challenges, looks to pipeline for ideas

Clovis Oncology needs cash—and fast. And so the company is making an appeal for some sort of deal or additional capital to ensure it can continue beyond February 2023 “as a going concern.”

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How newly discovered vitamin K mechanism could have broad implications for treating diseases

Vitamin K has been widely used to reverse severe bleeding from overuse of the blood thinner warfarin. Now, an international team of scientists has identified the enzyme performing that task and, along the way, showed that vitamin K could suppress a type of cell death.

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The rise of SkyWalker: FDA clears surgical robot for orthopedic procedures

Not so long ago in our very own galaxy, the FDA saw fit to expand its list of authorized robotic surgery systems—no epic interplanetary battles needed.

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Article: Lipid-Based Drug Delivery System to Bring Poorly Soluble Drugs to Market

How can Lipid-Based Drug Delivery System help bring poorly soluble drugs to market?

eBook: Orally Inhaled & Nasal Drug Delivery: A Pipeline of Opportunities

Carla Vozone discusses the significant trends in the OINDP segment including large molecules and novel indications, changes within CDMOs and various challenges facing the industry.

On-Demand Webinar: The Faster Path From Pre-Filled Syringe to Auto-Injector

Ypsomed and Catalent Biologics experts discuss strategies for integrated PFS manufacturing and auto-injector assembly to accelerate timelines and more in this webinar.

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