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Today's Rundown

Featured Story

Lab named by Cassava to back up Alzheimer's data says they weren't involved, sending biotech's shares into freefall again

Cassava Sciences’ battle over the science backing up an Alzheimer’s disease treatment took another turn Friday, as one of the companies involved in laboratory work for the therapy denied involvement in preparing some of the data in question. Shares of Cassava crashed once again, opening down more than 20% to $54 as the markets opened Friday. This compares to a prior close of $80.  

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Top Stories

Humane Genomics is 3D-printing oncolytic viruses to treat rare cancers

Humane Genomics is building a platform that can design cancer-killing viruses from scratch and test them more quickly than other methods. It is working on viruses that not only target cancer cells while sparing healthy ones but that can also carry drugs to boost the virus’s effects or dial up the immune response against the tumor.

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Lynk Pharmaceuticals inks $50M series B for 3 early-stage trials

Lynk Pharmaceuticals picked up $50 million in series B financing Friday to conduct phase 1 and 2 clinical trials of its candidates in the U.S. and China, as well as fund preclinical work. The company started a phase 1 trial of its triple kinase inhibitor for primary myelofibrosis and secondary myelofibrosis earlier this month.

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Agenus, with FDA approval in sight, showcases anti-PD-1 data

Agenus is now in the closing stretch of its multidecade effort to bring a drug to market. With the FDA set to decide whether to approve PD-1 drug balstilimab in December, Agenus has published the phase 2 data it hopes will secure authorization in cervical cancer.

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BeyondSpring, flying high from phase 3 success, sells Chinese rights to cancer drug

BeyondSpring has cashed in on the validation of its lung cancer drug. Weeks after shocking analysts with phase 3 trial data that far exceeded expectations, a BeyondSpring subsidiary has secured $30 million upfront for rights to the drug in greater China, sending its share price on another surge.

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Merck inks partnership with McKesson's Ontada for real-world data for cancer care

Merck is teaming up with McKesson's oncology insights and tech unit Ontada for real-world data and research in its effort to improve cancer patient's outcome and quality of care.

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Drones outpace ambulances by airdropping defibrillators to heart attack patients in real-world study

In what they describe as the world’s first real-world feasibility study of drone-based defibrillator deliveries, first responders showed that going airborne helped shave off minutes where time matters most.

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Contaminant in Moderna COVID-19 vaccine vials found in Japan was metallic particles: report

The contaminant found in Moderna COVID-19 vaccine vials in Japan is metallic particles, said public broadcasting outlet NHK. Moderna is investigating the incident, which forced the company's manufacturing partner, Takeda, to suspend use of 1.63 million doses of the vaccine.

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Study names best and worst U.S. cities for mental health

Denver is the best city for mental health, while Dallas is the worst. These are findings calculated in a July 2021 study by CertaPet, a telehealth company, which analyzed the 50 most populous U.S. cities to find the best and worst places to live for mental health treatment.

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Fierce Pharma Asia—Samsung's $205B investment; Moderna COVID vaccine impurities; Brii's COVID antibody data

Samsung plans to invest $205 billion over the next three years to expand its semiconductor and biotech businesses. Japan has suspended 1.63 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine after reports of contaminations. Brii Biosciences found its COVID-19 antibody combo could cut the risk of hospitalization and death. And more.

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Chutes & Ladders—Pfizer taps McKinsey U.S. managing partner as new M&A leader

Pfizer taps its new dealmaking czar, Aamir Malik, who was U.S. managing partner and former global pharma leader at McKinsey. Former Novartis pituitary senior medical director and Chiasma senior vice president jumps to Recordati Rare Disease as chief medical officer. And Neurogastrx brings together former Ironwood Pharmaceuticals leadership team.

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Resources

eBook: Accelerate recruitment with a decentralized clinical trial strategy

Learn how a decentralized clinical trial strategy improves patient recruitment, reduces drop-out rates, and ultimately streamlines the path to the next trial phase.

Whitepaper: How to build a robust packaging strategy for rapid commercialization

Learn how to build a robust packaging strategy and the key technical considerations in packaging design and operational planning to enable rapid commercialization of pharmaceuticals.

Whitepaper: Understanding the CMC regulatory landscape for cell and gene therapy products

Learn how regulations are changing and key considerations for commercializing cell and gene therapies without sacrificing quality.

Whitepaper: Navigating the Digital Transformation Journey

Uncover the real impact of “digital transformation” with practical advice to help you plan your own transformative journey to a harmonized digital ecosystem.

eBook: Get solutions to market faster

Read Get to Know Cloud Content Management for Life Sciences and learn how to eliminate silos across all workflows, from R&D to commercialization.

eBrief: Drug Product Process Development: Ensuring a Consistent, High-quality Biologic

Learn about drug product process development challenges and risks, the difference between innovator and biosimilar drug product process development, and more during the drug product process development phase.

Whitepaper: Achieving a Successful Drug Product Technology Transfer

Get insights on key considerations for a successful tech transfer process for manufacturing a biologic drug product, including a case study on overcoming challenges in a process transfer for a sterile diluent.

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