J&J pawns off Acclarent to Integra for $280M

Today’s Big News

Dec 13, 2023

After swell of biopharma outrage, Supreme Court takes up high-profile mifepristone case 


After long-running patent battle, Vertex pays $100M to license Editas’ gene-editing tech


J&J to sell Acclarent ENT surgery division to Integra in $280M deal


Pfizer warns of further decline for COVID products, plots $500M in additional cost cuts


First-ever drug application for MDMA finally reaches FDA after near 40-year journey


SomaLogic shareholders tee up proxy fight over ‘conflict-plagued’ proposed merger


Novo Holdings' Xellia to lay off 80 workers at former Boehringer Ingelheim plant in Ohio

 

Featured

After swell of biopharma outrage, Supreme Court takes up high-profile mifepristone case

The Supreme Court's final decision could have consequences beyond abortion access. That's because the original verdict questioned the FDA's decision-making authority, prompting amicus brief submissions from high-profile industry players.
 

Top Stories

After long-running patent battle, Vertex pays $100M to license Editas’ gene-editing tech

After receiving the FDA greenlight for its sickle cell disease (SCD) gene therapy, Vertex Pharmaceuticals is paying $100 million for rights to Editas Medicines’ Cas9 gene-editing tech, a deal that encompasses freshly approved Casgevy amid a long-running patent battle.

J&J to sell Acclarent ENT surgery division to Integra in $280M deal

Integra LifeSciences hopes to provide hardware for a range of procedures aimed at the neck and up, pairing ENT with neurosurgery.

Pfizer warns of further sales decline for COVID products, plots $500M in additional cost cuts

Using Tuesday to announce good news—that its $43 billion acquisition of Seagen would be finalized on Thursday—Pfizer sandwiched its bad news, which came on Wednesday with its 2024 guidance. The company expects revenue to reach between $58.5 billion and $61.5 billion next year, coming up short of the analyst consensus of $63.2 billion, largely because of the plummeting demand for its COVID-19 products.

First-ever drug application for MDMA finally reaches FDA after near 40-year journey

MAPS PBC has filed the first new drug application for a psychedelic-assisted therapy, asking regulators to greenlight MDMA use in patients with PTSD.

SomaLogic shareholders tee up proxy fight over ‘conflict-plagued’ merger proposal

SomaLogic’s plan to combine with Standard BioTools in a merger valued at more than $1 billion has hit a speed bump.

Novo Holdings' Xellia to lay off 80 workers at former Boehringer Ingelheim plant in Ohio

After wrapping up a $200 million renovation at a former Boehringer Ingelheim plant near Cleveland, Ohio, several years back, Danish specialty drugmaker Xellia Pharmaceuticals is paring back its workforce in The Forest City.

Vertex passes neuropathic pain test, teeing up pivotal trials in pursuit of blockbuster opportunity

Vertex’s decision to double down on a pain program has delivered a phase 2 win. The biotech linked its NaV1.8 inhibitor VX-548 to statistically significant improvements in pain intensity in people with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), encouraging it to start planning a pivotal program.

Tandem begins full U.S. rollout of diabetes management platform

Users of Tandem Diabetes Care’s insulin pumps now have a new way to monitor the pumps’ data and manage their equipment.

Sandoz breaks ground at $400M biosimilar site in Slovenia, where it'll hire 330

The state-of-the art manufacturing center will be split into three buildings at the current location of Sandoz' Lek subsidiary in Lendava and should be operational by 2026.

Sofinnova opens biotech creation ‘toolbox’ as part of Europe-wide strategy

Venture capital firm Sofinnova Partners has launched a new investment strategy specifically aimed at setting up and accelerating biotech startups across Europe.

Laza Medical collects $36M to build robot-guided ultrasound for heart procedures

Launched from the medtech incubator Shifamed, Laza is starting off with a $36 million series A backed by The Capital Partnership, GE HealthCare, PA MedTech VC Fund, Unorthodox Ventures and Dara Holdings.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

'The Top Line': Turning down the toxicity of nature’s most powerful antifungal

Amphotericin B, an effective antifungal with rare resistance, is associated with significant kidney damage, prompting the search for a potential alternative. This week on "The Top Line," Fierce Biotech Research’s Helen Floersh spoke with Martin Burke, M.D., Ph.D., founder of antifungal startup Sfunga Therapeutics, to discuss the design and path to clinic of a promising new drug that could shape the future of antimicrobials.
 

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