California
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California lawsuit targets insulin costs as Biden also takes aim in SOTU
High prices have drawn other critics, as well, including President Joe Biden. He renewed his call for a broad price cap during his annual State of the Union address. Pharma companies insist they have been part of the solution.
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Gilead Sciences Drug Wins FDA Approval in Most Common Type of Breast Cancer
Gilead Sciences drug Trodelvy is now approved for treating patients whose breast cancer is classified as HR positive and HER2 negative, expanding use of the drug to a much wider group of patients. In other regulatory approval news, use of a Takeda Pharmaceutical rare disease drug has expanded to younger children.
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Payer’s Place: Dr. Anil Singh
Dr. Anil Singh shares his insights into the strategies employed by the organization to identify the most effective digital solutions for their members.
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Artificial Intelligence, BioPharma
Nvidia’s AI Tech Designs Proteins Never Seen in Nature, Pointing Way to New Therapies
A collaboration between Nvidia and startup Evozyne was able to produce novel versions of a human protein never before seen in nature but with enhanced function and the same safety as native protein. The research lays the groundwork for potential new therapies for a rare inherited disorder.
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Scripps Spinout Belharra Unveils $130M to Catch Next Big Wave of Drug Discovery
Versant Ventures-backed Belharra Therapeutics has launched with $130 million in funding and a partnership with Roche subsidiary Genentech. The startup’s technology analyzes proteins in the context of the entire cell, enabling it to discover molecules that bind to targets previously deemed undruggable.
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Claiming Insulin Price Conspiracy, CA Sues Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi & PBMs
California’s Office of the Attorney General contends that drugmakers and pharmacy benefit managers work together to “aggressively raise the list price of insulin in lockstep with each other to artificial levels.” Insulin manufacturers deny the allegations, pointing to availability of lower-cost versions of their products.
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Eli Lilly Turns to Startup Capsida to Bring Gene Therapy Into the Brain
Eli Lilly is paying $55 million up front to begin an alliance with Capsida Biotherapeutics pursuing gene therapies for central nervous system disorders. Capsida’s technology enables the delivery of a gene therapy to a single organ or multiple organs, a capability that could bring such treatments to a wider range of diseases.
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Gilead Sciences Kicks Off 2023 With New Autoimmune Disease Alliance
Gilead Sciences is building up its autoimmune disease drug pipeline by turning to EVOQ Therapeutics, a startup with technology that takes a novel approach to restoring immune tolerance. For EVOQ, the Gilead deal is its second with a big pharma company.
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Atara Approval Marks Cell Therapy First; Entrada on Hold, Bluebird Freed & More
The first regulatory approval of an allogeneic cell therapy goes to Atara Biotherapeutics. Other regulatory news highlights from the past week include proposed reforms of the FDA’s accelerated approval process, approval of the first gene therapy for bladder cancer, and a clinical hold for a biotech developing a new class of medicines.
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Amgen to Buy Horizon Therapeutics for $28B, Edging Out Sanofi in Bidding War
Sanofi submitted the first unsolicited offer to acquire Horizon Therapeutics, but Amgen ultimately won what became a competitive bidding process. Amgen says Horizon’s drug lineup complements its own portfolio of autoimmune and inflammatory disorder products.
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Discover the Next-Gen Platform for Integrated Collaborative Care
Beyond EHRs and digital front doors, reducing the gaps in patient care journeys.
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Gilead Sciences Gets a Shot at Next-Gen Cell Therapy With $325M Arcellx Alliance
In partnering with clinical-stage Arcellx, Gilead Sciences gains the opportunity to develop a cell therapy for multiple myeloma that could offer advantages over currently available therapies for the blood cancer. The deal announced Friday came as Arcellx reported additional data during the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology that showed continued durability of the cell therapy.
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Amgen Weighs In to Chase Rival Obesity Drugs From Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly
An Amgen drug led to weight loss that was sustained, clinical data that support advancing the molecule to a Phase 2 test expected to start in early 2023. While AMG 133 trails rival products from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, Amgen hopes to offer patients a dosing edge.
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With Secreted Proteins Map, Juvena Finds Path to $41M for New Regenerative Meds
Juvena Therapeutics is developing secreted protein drugs built on new knowledge gleaned from proprietary technology that maps these proteins and the tissues in the body where they offer a regenerative effect. The startup’s lead program is in development for the muscle disorder myotonic dystrophy type 1.
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Mental health workers at Kaiser approve contract after 10-week strike
Psychologists, therapists, social workers and chemical dependency counselors at Kaiser who are part of the National Union of Healthcare Workers voted 1,561 to 36 to approve the agreement reached between the company and the union.
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Kaiser reaches a deal with labor union after 10-week strike
As of publication, nearly 2,000 Kaiser Permanente mental health workers still had to ratify the vote, and would participate in a two-day process to do so.
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Gilead pays $60M to strike up another cancer drug alliance with MacroGenics
Gilead Sciences is betting that a MacroGenics antibody drug for blood cancers can offer a safety edge over others that address the same target. It’s the second partnership between the two companies; an alliance that began in 2013 expired without Gilead licensing any molecules from the deal.