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Today’s Big News

Sep 8, 2023

AstraZeneca converges with Verge's AI tech in $42M neurodegenerative disease R&D pact

ILiAD says homer hit in whooping cough vaccine challenge trial, but primary analysis excludes subjects

Otsuka's eye disease strategy takes Shape with $1.5B biobucks deal

New human embryo models offer window into earliest stages of development

Chutes & Ladders—Illumina names new CEO after a stormy summer

Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker '23: Grit gets $60M; Mariana makes waves with $175M series B

Featured

AstraZeneca converges with Verge's AI tech in $42M neurodegenerative disease R&D pact

By Annalee Armstrong

Verge Genomics is adding AstraZeneca to its Big Pharma AI collection with a $42 million upfront deal to find new targets for rare neurodegenerative diseases.

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ILiAD says homer hit in whooping cough vaccine challenge trial, but primary analysis excludes subjects

By Nick Paul Taylor

ILiAD Biotechnologies says it hit a homer in a whooping cough vaccine challenge trial. The biotech linked its nasal vaccine to protection against colonization by the pathogen, causing the phase 2b study to meet its primary endpoint in the per-protocol population.

Otsuka's eye disease strategy takes Shape with $1.5B biobucks deal

By James Waldron

The week after Otsuka Pharmaceutical made moves into the psychedelics space, the Japanese drugmaker has clinched a collaboration with Shape Therapeutics to develop intravitreally delivered adeno-associated viruses for ocular diseases.

New human embryo models offer window into earliest stages of development

By Helen Floersh

Researchers have used stem cells to develop new human embryolike structures that model the earliest stages of human fetal development, even secreting hormones that turned a lab pregnancy test positive.

Chutes & Ladders—Illumina names new CEO after a stormy summer

By Max Bayer,Gabrielle Masson

Diagnostic giant Illumina has found a new top boss following a tumultuous last few months marked by the departure of CEO Francis DeSouza, with Jacob Thaysen, Ph.D., now set to take over.

Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker '23: Grit gets $60M; Mariana makes waves with $175M series B

By Gabrielle Masson,Max Bayer,Annalee Armstrong

Alongside the new year, we've launched a new Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker to keep the pulse on the industry's financing.

Patent cliffs, divestitures and maturing biotechs all point to more pharma M&A: analysts

By Kevin Dunleavy

Biopharma M&A is on an uptick compared to the post-pandemic doldrums of the last two years. Analysts anticipate that the trend will continue in 2023 and into 2024 as companies attempt to beef up their portfolios.

Roche hits FDA delay with subcutaneous version of Tecentriq amid manufacturing process changes

By Angus Liu

Roche may not receive the FDA's decision on a subcutaneous version of its cancer immunotherapy Tecentriq on time thanks to the agency's requirement for changes to the drug's manufacturing process.

Seniors say these are the top barriers to healthcare: Alignment survey

By Frank Diamond

Inflation is likely making it harder for seniors to get the care they need, according to a survey from insurtech Alignment Health.

Fierce Pharma Asia—Astellas' brief IRA fight; Otsuka's psychedelic buy; Takeda's court loss

By Angus Liu

Astellas has abandoned its challenge against the Inflation Reduction Act. Otsuka bought a Canadian psychedelic biotech. And Takeda is ordered to pay AbbVie nearly $480 million because of a manufacturing hiccup. And more.

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