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Today’s Big News

Sep 9, 2024

The Fierce 50 of 2024

AstraZeneca execs 'not worried' after IL-33 drug fails to improve COPD breathing in phase 2

With $370M debut, Candid Therapeutics is upfront about goal to lead a coming T-cell engager wave

Merck, Daiichi repeat early success in small cell lung cancer with updated ADC data

Akeso, Summit's PD-1 bispecific crushes Merck's Keytruda in study, signaling potential new standard in lung cancer

GSK's long-acting asthma drug halved attacks in phase 3, backing up blockbuster hopes

Tern’s oral GLP-1 shows 5% weight loss at 1 month at highest dose

Featured

The Fierce 50 of 2024

By Ayla Ellison

In this year's Fierce 50 special report, we are highlighting the innovators and leaders who are shaping the future of healthcare, pharma and biotechnology. This year's honorees demonstrate unwavering dedication and creativity, propelling these industries forward.

AstraZeneca execs 'not worried' after IL-33 drug fails to improve COPD breathing in phase 2

By James Waldron

The study missed the primary endpoint of demonstrating an improvement in pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume (FEV), the amount of air that a person can exhale during a forced breath, compared with placebo.

With $370M debut, Candid Therapeutics is upfront about goal to lead a coming T-cell engager wave

By Darren Incorvaia

After overseeing the $4.1 billion sale of radiopharma player RayzeBio to Bristol Myers Squibb, biotech veteran Ken Song, M.D., didn’t take long to set up his next big venture. He is now chairman, president and CEO of Candid Therapeutics, which has debuted with a $370 million series A and a goal to dominate the T-cell engager market.

Merck, Daiichi repeat early success in small cell lung cancer with updated ADC data

By Nick Paul Taylor

Merck & Co.’s long-running effort to land a punch on small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has racked up a small victory. The drugmaker’s Daiichi Sankyo-partnered antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd) showed promise in the setting, offering encouragement as a late-stage trial progresses.

Akeso, Summit's PD-1 bispecific crushes Merck's Keytruda in study, signaling potential new standard in lung cancer

By Angus Liu

The Keytruda-beating data from Akeso and Summit’s ivonescimab that oncology industry watchers had been awaiting are here. The China-only data are impressive, signaling the PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody’s potential as a new standard of care in non-small cell lung cancer.

GSK's long-acting asthma drug halved attacks in phase 3, backing up blockbuster hopes

By James Waldron

GSK’s long-acting asthma treatment has been shown to halve the number of attacks in a pair of phase 3 trials, supporting the Big Pharma’s push toward approval despite falling short on a some secondary endpoints.

Tern’s oral GLP-1 shows 5% weight loss at 1 month at highest dose

By James Waldron

Terns Pharmaceuticals’ decision to drop its liver disease ambitions may yet pay off, after the biotech posted phase 1 data showing one of its other candidates induced 5% weight loss in a month.

Relay races toward pivotal trial as breast cancer data tee up clash with AstraZeneca's Truqap

By Nick Paul Taylor

Relay Therapeutics has beaten its survival goal in a first-in-human breast cancer study, positioning the biotech to move into a pivotal trial that could establish its candidate as a challenger to AstraZeneca’s Truqap.

Lilly-backed Superluminal raises $120M series A to bring membrane receptor drugs into the clinic

By Darren Incorvaia

Just over a year after securing $33 million in seed funding, Boston-based Superluminal Medicines is supercharging its small-molecule drug development with a $120 million series A round featuring the likes of Eli Lilly.

MBX aims for $136M IPO to take potential rival to Ascendis' Yorvipath into phase 3

By James Waldron

MBX has fleshed out plans to take in over $136 million from its IPO as the biotech looks to take a potential challenger to Ascendis Pharma’s rare endocrine disease drug Yorvipath into phase 3.

J&J bolsters Rybrevant-Lazcluze's case against AZ's Tagrisso with survival analysis

By Angus Liu

Johnson & Johnson’s newly FDA-approved lung cancer combination of Rybrevant and Lazcluze is inching ever closer to a statistically significant survival showing, which could help it better challenge AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso.

Think Surgical collects clearances for its handheld knee replacement robot

By Conor Hale

Think Surgical collected its third FDA clearance in as many months, with the latest being a specialized version of its knee replacement system paired with Zimmer Biomet.

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Resources

Whitepaper

Overcoming drug development hurdles with phase-appropriate technology transfers

Facing roadblocks in drug development? Uncover how phase-appropriate technology transfers can help you navigate challenges and speed up your journey to market.

Building a “Best Practice” Commercial Organization in Biopharma

We interviewed dozens of biopharma leaders on the critical success factors for building a Best Practice commercial organization. This report shares what we learned.

Epilepsy Clinical Trials

Finding an effective epilepsy treatment can be arduous. Download this brochure to delve into how IQVIA's expertise and innovative strategic approach can streamline the clinical trial process, helping to get new therapies to patients who need them sooner.