Merck spices up pipeline with Caraway deal

Today’s Big News

Nov 21, 2023

BeiGene stakes out space in hot cancer niche, offering up $1.3B in biobucks for preclinical prospect


MorphoSys, after saying AbbVie 'failed,' defends own mixed blood cancer data, plots approval filings


Merck seals $610M biobucks deal to acquire preclinical neurodegenerative biotech Caraway


Enanta halts work on joint hMPV-RSV drug to extend runway into 2027


Flagship launches first UK biotech Quotient with genome sequencing platform


Simcere links up with Connect, pays $21M cash for rights to eczema asset in China

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Featured

BeiGene stakes out space in hot cancer niche, offering up $1.3B in biobucks for preclinical prospect

BeiGene is buying its way into a cancer niche targeted by Bayer, Blueprint Medicines, Incyte and Pfizer, striking a backloaded, $1.33 billion deal for a global license to Ensem Therapeutics’ CDK2 inhibitor.
 

Top Stories

MorphoSys, after saying AbbVie 'failed,' defends own mixed blood cancer data, plots approval filings

Jean-Paul Kress’ words are coming back to haunt him. The MorphoSys CEO has said AbbVie “failed” its phase 3 myelofibrosis trial because the Big Pharma missed one of two endpoints and stated regulators want to see hits on both measures. Now, Kress is defending MorphoSys’ similarly mixed data on its $1.7 billion rival.

Merck seals $610M biobucks deal to acquire preclinical neurodegenerative biotech Caraway

Merck & Co. has made no secret of its ongoing hunt for acquisitions, and, now, the Big Pharma is rounding off the year by swelling its preclinical pipeline with a selection of programs aimed Parkinson’s disease and beyond.

Drug discovery 2.0 fuels the next-generation of life-saving medicines

Dr. Sharon Benzeno, Chief Commercial Officer of Immune Medicine at Adaptive Biotechnologies, shines a spotlight on the key immune-driven medicine advancements that show immense promise in transforming diagnoses, treatments, and patient outcomes.

Enanta halts work on joint hMPV-RSV drug to extend runway into 2027

While a COVID-19 patent battle with Pfizer rumbles on, Enanta Pharmaceuticals has hit pause on development of a dual inhibitor for human metapneumovirus and respiratory syncytial virus in an effort to pave a cash runway into 2027.

The next phase of decentralization in clinical trials

There were 250 decentralised clinical trials (DCTs) worldwide in 2012. By 2021, there were 1,291. Dan Tanner, chief commercial officer at Cerba Research, explains how the firm is helping to create a new paradigm in clinical trials.

Flagship launches first UK biotech Quotient with genome sequencing platform

New Flagship Pioneering biotech Quotient Therapeutics has lots to be thankful for this year, namely $50 million in cash, a new UK outpost to work from and a formal unveiling as the holiday season approaches. 

Simcere links up with Connect, pays $21M cash for rights to eczema asset in China

Simcere Pharmaceutical is paying Connect Biopharma $21 million upfront and offering up to $120 million in biobucks for the right to develop and commercialize Connect’s monoclonal antibody to treat certain inflammatory diseases in Greater China.

Fortrea, Medidata ink deal focused on driving diversity in clinical trials

Global CRO Fortrea and life sciences software provider Medidata are teaming up to increase access for diverse patients to participate in clinical trials.

Labcorp to lay off 239 New Jersey workers while ‘consolidating testing operations’

Labcorp is planning to lay off dozens of workers from a New Jersey facility by next spring, according to a recent filing with the state’s labor department in accordance with the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.

Senate Democrats press Sanofi and AZ for answers as 'unprecedented' demand spurs shortage of RSV antibody Beyfortus

In a letter sent to Sanofi and AstraZeneca, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, lamented that the drugmakers “seem to have vastly underestimated” the amount of Beyfortus—also known nirsevimab—needed to protect young kids during this year's RSV disease season.

Moody's: 2023 outlook remains stable for payers despite higher MA utilization, Medicaid redeterminations

The financial outlook for major health plans is stable in the face of notable potential headwinds heading into the end of the year.
 
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This episode of "The Top Line" is dedicated to Alzheimer’s disease, spotlighting the latest treatments and what lies ahead. Fierce Pharma's Fraiser Kansteiner discusses Leqembi's full approval with Eisai's Alexander Scott. Annalee Armstrong from Fierce Biotech interviews Alzheimer's expert Howard Fillit, M.D., exploring groundbreaking research. Fierce Pharma’s Eric Sagonowsky speaks with Reisa Sperling, M.D., about Leqembi's potential in preventing Alzheimer’s progression before symptoms emerge.
 

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Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare & Medical Affairs

This paper explores AI’s potential impact on healthcare and on Medical Affairs (MA) more specifically. It also outlines what MA teams can do now to proactively leverage AI to improve service to their stakeholders.
 

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