AZ’s ‘2.0’ cancer pipeline goes big on bispecifics

Today’s Big News

Oct 24, 2023

Amgen plans to lay off 350 former Horizon employees after $28B buyout


Johnson & Johnson MedTech head Ashley McEvoy to leave company after nearly 30 years


ESMO: AstraZeneca aims for ‘2.0’ cancer pipeline, shares bispecific data


Sanofi, AZ's Beyfortus already in short supply as RSV season prompts surge in demand


Icahn sues Illumina and its board over Grail deal fallout


The ESMO ADC Files: Lilly, trying to avoid 'shiny new objects,' backs at least a small truck up anyway


AstraZeneca's self-administered nasal flu vaccine gets one step closer to FDA approval

 

Featured

Amgen plans to lay off 350 former Horizon employees after $28B buyout

In the biopharma industry, post-merger layoffs are often a question of when and how many. In the case of Amgen’s $27.8 billion buyout of Horizon, they came quickly. Around 350 former Horizon employees are being told this week that their positions will be eliminated.
 

Top Stories

Johnson & Johnson MedTech head Ashley McEvoy to leave company after nearly 30 years

After spending the better part of the last three decades at Johnson & Johnson, Ashley McEvoy, worldwide chair of its medtech franchises, is charting a new course.

ESMO: AstraZeneca aims for ‘2.0’ cancer pipeline, shares bispecific data

AstraZeneca, home of cancer blockbusters like Tagrisso and Daiichi Sankyo-partnered Enhertu, is elevating its portfolio to create a “2.0” cancer pipeline, sharing a peek at data from three bispecific antibody candidates at this year's ESMO.

Sanofi, AZ's Beyfortus already in short supply as RSV season prompts surge in demand

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends prioritizing available 100mg doses for babies at the highest risk of severe infection. Meanwhile, Sanofi and AstraZeneca are working to boosting supply.

Carl Icahn sues Illumina and its board over Grail deal fallout

Carl Icahn’s proxy battle against Illumina led to the replacement of its chairman and the resignation of its CEO. Now, the activist investor is going after the rest of the board.

The ESMO ADC Files: Lilly, trying to avoid 'shiny new objects,' backs at least a small truck up anyway

Eli Lilly’s Jacob Van Naarden thinks his peers’ rush to snap up every antibody-drug conjugate out there may be a little overblown. It bought in anyway.

AstraZeneca's self-administered nasal flu vaccine gets one step closer to FDA approval

On the market for two decades, AstraZeneca’s nasal spray flu vaccine, FluMist, may become available for self-administration as soon as next year. The FDA has accepted AZ’s supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) for self-administered FluMist Qudrivalent. The company expects a decision in the first quarter of next year and is making plans to launch the treatment in the 2024-2025 flu season.

Philips records another quarter of positive profits despite still-slipping orders, ongoing FDA recall talks

The second quarter of this year marked the first time in over a year that Philips reported a positive net income, and—for now, at least—it’s staying there.

Aiolos Bio launches with ex-Gyroscope CEO at the helm, nearly $250M to advance severe asthma med

Aiolos Bio is sprinting out of stealth with nearly $250 million to help advance a phase 2-ready severe asthma med. The drug was acquired from Chinese biotech Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals for an undisclosed amount.

After $5.8B deal, Bristol Myers' years-long courtship of Mirati revealed in securities filing

Mirati Therapeutics was long rumored to be the target of a Big Pharma buyout before Bristol Myers Squibb put up $5.8 billion for the California-based cancer drug developer in early October. Now, Mirati has revealed the tortuous bargaining process that led up to the deal.

TCT: GE HealthCare links with Boston Scientific in cardiac imaging

GE HealthCare announced its recently greenlit image-guided therapy system would be compatible with Boston Scientific's guidance system for coronary procedures.

OrbiMed nets $4.3B across 3 funds, ready to shower budding biopharmas with fresh capital

OrbiMed, one of the biggest global financers of private and public biopharmas, has brought in $4.3 billion to shower on new startups in the coming years. 

With $350M payment to LianBio, Bristol Myers scoops up Asian rights to Camzyos

LianBio originally held the med's Asia commercialization rights under a 2020 collaboration with MyoKardia, which was later bought by Bristol Myers. Now, BMS is ponying up for those rights.

BrainStorm lays off 30% of staff, slimming down for yet another bid to get ALS cell therapy to market

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics has responded to its failure to win approval in the time-honored fashion. Yet, while the decision to lay off 30% of its staff is classical, the biotech’s reasoning is unusual. Rather than hunker down, BrainStorm is framing the action as a way to accelerate its journey back to the FDA.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

'The Top Line': Leqembi's full approval and the future of Alzheimer's treatment

In this episode of "The Top Line," Fierce's Fraiser Kansteiner engages in a conversation with Alexander Scott, senior vice president of integrity at Eisai, to discuss the full approval of Leqembi and what it means for Eisai and, most importantly, for Alzheimer's patients.
 

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