Biopharma armed with $1.7T dealmaking power in 2022
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Today's Rundown

 

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Moderna loses bid to invalidate vaccine delivery patents, teeing up potential infringement lawsuit

Moderna has suffered a blow in its patent feud with Arbutus Biopharma, exposing the mRNA specialist to a potential infringement suit on its megablockbuster COVID-19 vaccine. 

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Vertex once again talks up a tiny trial with positive read-throughs, this time for a genetically driven approach to kidney disease

Vertex in October gained plaudits and criticism in equal measure when it released data showing a single patient in a trial of its diabetes cell therapy stopped needing insulin; this time around, it’s plugging another major breakthrough in a tiny test in kidney disease.

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Get ready for M&A: Large biopharma companies will have $1.7T in dealmaking firepower next year, analyst says

Merger and acquisition activity has been rather slow in the biopharma industry so far this year. But, by one team of analysts’ calculations, large drugmakers will have big piles of cash to deploy in 2022.

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Who's fierce in medtech? Submit your nominations now for 2021's Fierce 15

As we begin to enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic (yes, the third), there’s still work to be done and evermore opportunities for medtech companies to make substantial differences in every field of healthcare. So which companies will deliver?

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COVID-19 tracker: First omicron case detected in US

The U.S. reports its first omicron variant case. The White House was blocked from enforcing two mandates requiring U.S. employees to get vaccinated. Plus more.

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Survey: Many employers rolling out vaccine mandates despite ongoing legal challenges

While the Biden administration's vaccine mandate remains in legal limbo, a new survey suggests many employers are rolling out such requirements anyway.

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Coffee, tea or vaccine? Smart mug maker Ember plots shift to pharma cold-chain tech

Temperature-control technology maker Ember’s business runs hot and cold—literally.

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Aclaris' experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug bolsters chemo in pancreatic cancer models

Scientists at Washington University discovered that by inhibiting a molecule called MK2, Aclaris Therapeutics’ experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug boosted the ability of chemo to kill pancreatic cancer cells. In mouse models of the disease, the combo shrank tumors and improved survival, they reported.

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Federal judge orders nationwide pause on CMS' COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers

Trump-appointed judges from Louisiana and Illinois who issued preliminary injunctions against the vaccination mandates this week agreed that the requirements will harm plaintiff states and are unlikely to hold up in court.

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Supreme Court justices grill HHS in lawsuit surrounding nearly 30% cut to 340B payments

Supreme Court justices grilled key parts of HHS' arguments over its bid to keep a nearly 30% cut to Medicare drug reimbursements for 340B hospitals.

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Freenome, Siemens join forces to develop blood test for breast cancer

The humble mammogram may soon be getting a complementary new partner to boost breast cancer screening.

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'What it takes': Genentech's Rachelle Doody recalls 'great sadness' of Alzheimer's failures but sees a future of options for patients

Fierce Biotech profiles three women breaking barriers in Alzheimer's disease R&D at leading pharmaceutical companies. Today, Genentech's global head of neurodegeneration, Rachelle Doody.

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Sanofi aims to double vaccine sales by 2030, citing RSV and flu market expansion as key drivers

While Sanofi hasn’t been at the forefront of global COVID-19 vaccination efforts, the company still has big growth expectations in the vaccines field. Already the world’s top flu shot player, Sanofi sees mRNA, pneumococcal vaccines and respiratory syncytial virus as three areas of opportunity going forward. 

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Virtual Incision garners $46M after mini-robot makes surgical debut

With a device weighing only two pounds, the company’s MIRA platform aims to shrink down the surgeon and place them inside the abdomen.

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