Pharma
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FDA Rejects ARS Pharma’s Nasal Spray Alternative to Injectable Epinephrine
ARS Pharmaceuticals frames its intranasal epinephrine spray as a needle-free alternative to products such as EpiPen. Though this spray won the backing of an FDA advisory committee, the agency is now requiring that ARS Pharma run another study to support a regulatory submission.
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BeiGene, Novartis Drug Alliance Ends; It’s Their Second Terminated Deal This Year
BeiGene welcomes the return of the immunotherapy’s rights as an opportunity to make it the backbone of its solid tumors strategy. But Novartis cedes an opportunity to gain a competitor to established cancer immunotherapies from Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb.
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Creating an Omnichannel Customer Journey in Healthcare
Improving Customer Experience and Conversion in Healthcare & Life Sciences
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Startup Magnet Biomedicine Attracts $50M to Expand Scope of Molecular Glue Drugs
Magnet Biomedicine builds on decades of molecular glue research from its scientific co-founder, Harvard University Professor Stuart Schreiber. The startup is developing drugs that take these glues beyond the biotech industry’s current focus on targeted protein degradation.
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BioNTech and CEPI Team Up to Develop Mpox Vaccine That Meets 100-Day Goal
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, or CEPI, has pledged up to $90 million to BioNTech’s messenger RNA vaccine candidates for mpox. This research could help advance the scientific understanding of the application of mRNA technology to Orthopoxviruses, which includes mpox, formerly known as monkeypox.
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FDA Approves GSK Myelofibrosis Med That Has Edge Over Others in Drug Class
FDA approval of GSK’s Ojjaara in myelofibrosis introduces a new competitor to blockbuster Incyte drug Jakafi. Ojjaara was part of GSK’s $1.9 billion acquisition of Sierra Oncology last year.
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RayzeBio, Neumora Perk Up the IPO Market, Raising $561M for Clinical Trials
RayzeBio’s IPO will support pivotal testing of a targeted radiopharmaceutical for cancer patients who progress after treatment with Novartis’s Lutathera. Neumora will apply its IPO cash toward Phase 3 testing of a depression drug with a novel mechanism of action.
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While Auto vs. Allo Cell Therapy Debate Continues, VCs Look for ‘Next Shiny Thing’
Allogeneic cell therapy hasn’t caught up to autologous cell therapy yet, and the disappointing data so far has soured the entire allogeneic field for at least one venture capitalist. The cell therapy debate was one of the topics covered during a panel discussion at the Biopharm America conference.
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What CVS Stands to Gain by Setting Up Biosimilar Subsidiary Cordavis
Pharmaceutical industry observers say CVS Health’s creation of Cordavis, a new biosimilar drugs company, is part of a strategy to make its move into this market as profitable as possible.
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Neuro Startup Arialys Raises $58M for Privilege of Tackling Brain Inflammation
Avalon BioVentures unveiled new portfolio company Arialys Therapeutics. The startup’s lead program, an antibody from Astellas Pharma, is a potential treatment for anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis (ANRE), a rare autoimmune inflammatory disorder.
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FDA Approves Updated Covid-19 Vaccines to Address Now Circulating Variants
The FDA said the updated messenger RNA vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna will protect against the omicron subvariants now prevalent in circulation. Left out of the FDA decision is Novavax, whose protein-based vaccine is still under regulatory review.
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Moderna Puts Up $120M to Start Cancer Drug R&D Alliance With Immatics
Moderna and Immatics aim to see if the combination of their respective technologies can lead to better cancer treatments spanning multiple therapeutic modalities. Milestone payments to immunotherapy developer Immatics could top $1.7 billion.
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Seagen and Nurix Join Forces to Develop a New Class of Cancer Medicines
Seagen and Nurix are bringing their respective technologies together to develop a new class of cancer drugs called degrader antibody conjugates. Nurix CEO Arthur Sands says the multi-year, multi-target collaboration expands the reach of each company’s technology.
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Artificial Intelligence, BioPharma
Recursion Vets Unveil Startup Noetik, Using AI to Unlock Tumor Biology
By revealing how tumors interact with immune cells, Noetik aims to identify new targets for new cancer drugs. The startup and its artificial intelligence-driven platform are supported by $14 million in seed financing.
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A One-Time Treatment for NASH? Kriya Strikes Deal for Liver Disease Gene Therapy
Gene therapy biotech Kriya Therapeutics has acquired Tramontane Therapeutics, a startup focused on metabolic diseases. Tramontane brings a gene therapy that’s a potential one-time treatment for the fatty liver disease NASH.
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Nestlé Sells Peanut Allergy Drug, Ending the Food Giant’s Foray Into Biotech
Peanut allergy therapy Palforzia, which Nestlé acquired in a multi-billion dollar deal, has been sold to allergy product company Stallergenes Greer. Palforzia was the first FDA-approved drug for peanut allergy, but its sales were hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic.