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Today’s Big News

Aug 22, 2024

Novartis, Versant hope to repeat Chinook’s success by arming kidney biotech Borealis with $150M

Eli Lilly seeks new angle on high-value target, tapping Oblique for antibody discovery push

Ex-GSK CEO takes up board post at aging and obesity biotech BioAge

While FDA mulls Zevra's rare disease med, Rafael merges with Cyclo to push their rival candidate

Researchers receive $6.9M grant for tau-targeting drug with potential in Alzheimer's and beyond

Eisai, Biogen’s Leqembi nabs UK nod, but reimbursement remains elusive

Featured

Novartis, Versant hope to repeat Chinook’s success by arming kidney biotech Borealis with $150M

By James Waldron

Novartis’ $3.2 billion deal for Chinook Therapeutics gave the Swiss Big Pharma such a taste for kidney disease-focused biotechs that it has partnered with VC firm Versant Ventures to create another company in a similar mold.

Eli Lilly seeks new angle on high-value target, tapping Oblique for antibody discovery push

By Nick Paul Taylor

Eli Lilly has expanded its partnership with Oblique Therapeutics, adding a second strand to an alliance focused on using the AbiProt platform to discover antibodies against high-value targets.

Ex-GSK CEO takes up board post at aging and obesity biotech BioAge

By Nick Paul Taylor

BioAge Labs has appointed former GSK CEO Jean-Pierre Garnier as chair of its board of directors, bringing the pharma veteran back into the anti-aging space 16 years after he made a big bet on the sector.

What’s Next for Biotech? Join Fierce Biotech Editors in Boston at Fierce Biotech Summit

While FDA mulls Zevra's rare disease med, Rafael merges with Cyclo to push their rival candidate

By James Waldron

With just weeks to go before the FDA decides whether to approve the first treatment for a rare genentic condition, Rafael Holdings is merging with Cyclo Therapeutics to try to push their own candidate over the line.

Researchers receive $6.9M grant for tau-targeting drug with potential in Alzheimer's and beyond

By Darren Incorvaia

On the heels of a June paper showing a small molecule's ability to declutter pathological protein buildups in the brain, researchers from the University of California, San Diego and the University of Pennsylvania have received a $6.9 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to prepare the drug for clinical trials.

Eisai, Biogen's Leqembi nabs UK nod, but reimbursement remains elusive

By Angus Liu

For Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi, the health regulator in the U.K. has approved the drug for early-stage Alzheimer's disease although only in a patient subgroup, while England's drug cost watchdog figured the drug's “relatively small benefits” doesn't warrant coverage.

Federal judge blocks FTC's nationwide noncompete ban

By Dave Muoio

U.S. District Judge Ada Brown ruled that the FTC exceeded its statutory authority and failed to present sufficient evidence for its sweeping ban. Mixed rulings among other district courts and comments from a regulator spokesperson suggest an appeal is likely.

Despite looming BIOSECURE threat, pharma contracting giant WuXi Bio scoops up new projects

By Fraiser Kansteiner

Despite some Western drugmakers’ concerns around working with Chinese manufacturers in light of the looming BIOSECURE Act, WuXi Biologics continues to pick up a steady stream of new contracts, the company said.

Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

The TROP2 race for supremacy

In this week’s episode of “The Top Line,” Fierce executive editor Eric Sagonowsky chats with Angus Liu about his feature story on the three TROP2 front-runners.

How incentives engage and keep patients healthy

A closer look at Fierce Biotech's Fierce 15

Resources

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Launching a Product in Europe: Understanding Supply Chain Cost Drivers

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Efficient-Pro Medium and Feed 1 enable rapid and seamless upstream process development and scale-up for CHO-K1 cells

Download the white paper to learn how this innovative solution can help optimize your mAb production processes. The findings demonstrate the system's robust capability to sustain strong cell growth and high productivity, facilitating a smooth transition from laboratory to production scale.

2024 Life Sciences Industry Outlook

The definitive report on the state of our industry. Readers will gain an understanding of key indicators to monitor, future predictions, and guidance for investors and founders navigating the therapeutic enabling tools and services, healthtech and techbio sectors through 2024 and beyond.