Redx stung by ph. 2 porcupine flop

Today's Big News

Mar 8, 2023

Chasing Moderna, Merck pays $50M to join race to develop cancer-preventing vaccine


Fresh Tracks may disappear as biotech mulls sale to continue autoimmune pipeline


Redx stung by porcupine inhibitor flop in biliary tract cancer, setting biotech back before Jounce merger


All systems go for Mesoblast’s 2nd attempt to secure allogeneic cell therapy FDA win 


Inhibikase checks off another clinical hold, readying phase 2 trial for patients with rare brain disease  


Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker '23: J&J spinout Rapport reels in $100M; Noema nets $112M

 

Featured

Chasing Moderna, Merck pays $50M to join race to develop cancer-preventing vaccine

Merck & Co. has joined the emerging race to develop an Epstein-Barr virus vaccine, paying ModeX Therapeutics $50 million upfront and dangling $872.5 million in biobucks for global rights to a preclinical challenger to shots in clinical development at Moderna and the NIH.
 

Top Stories

Fresh Tracks may disappear as biotech mulls sale to continue autoimmune pipeline

Fresh Track’s atopic dermatitis treatment has strolled through a phase 1 study, but the company is considering anything from a licensing deal all the way through to a total sale in order to take the drug forward.

Redx stung by porcupine inhibitor flop in biliary tract cancer, setting biotech back before Jounce merger

Redx has hit a thorny patch. In the first data from a phase 2 program, Redx’s porcupine inhibitor RXC004 failed to improve progression-free survival in biliary tract cancer (BTC), prompting the British biotech to stop monotherapy development and focus on combinations in the indication.

Broadening the Commercialization Partnership

This story centers on the benefits of implementing a full service commercial model to improve launch success for customers who lack the necessary infrastructure. Watch how Syneos Health expertise in Medical Affairs acted as a bridge to forge this full service commercial partnership, which helped meet critical deadlines for patients.

All systems go for Mesoblast’s 2nd attempt to secure allogeneic cell therapy FDA win

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That certainly seems to be Mesoblast’s motto—and it may pay off yet.

Inhibikase checks off another clinical hold, readying phase 2 trial for patients with rare brain disease

The FDA has cleared plans for Inhibikase's neurodegeneration asset to be trialed in patients with a rare brain disease. The news comes six weeks after U.S. regulators lifted a hold on the company's Parkinson's disease trial.

Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker '23: J&J spinout Rapport reels in $100M; Noema nets $112M

Alongside the new year, we've launched a new Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker to keep the pulse on the industry's financing.

Amid major restructuring, Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan's 2022 pay fell by more than a quarter

After handing Narasimhan $9 million in performance-based pay in 2021, Novartis' compensation committee slashed the CEO’s award in that category by a whopping 61% last year. The pay cut, spurred by turbulent performance between 2020 and 2022, contrasts sharply with Novartis’ execution during the first three-year stretch under Narasimhan’s lead. 

Abbott's lab-based blood test for concussion scores FDA nod

Two years after Abbott landed FDA clearance for a hand-held blood test that could detect signs of mild traumatic brain injuries in the span of about 15 minutes, the concussion-spotting test is heading to the big leagues.

Practice-changing Polivy? FDA questions Roche data amid high-stakes lymphoma expansion bid

When Roche touted data for Polivy in previously untreated large B-cell lymphoma, the company billed the drug as the first potential new treatment standard in nearly two decades. But the FDA sees things differently.

ReWalk paves a new path as FDA greenlights exoskeleton tech for stairs and curbs

The ReWalk personal exoskeleton is the first to be cleared in the U.S. to help partially paralyzed users surmount stairs and curbs.

Will the FDA investigate GSK over Zantac? DeLauro wants to know

Following a report last month that GSK kept quiet for more than four decades about the presence of a potential carcinogen in heartburn drug Zantac, Rep. Rosa DeLauro wants to know whether the FDA plans to investigate.

Biden proposes increasing taxes on wealthy, expanding drug negotiations to shore up Medicare

President Joe Biden proposed to raise taxes on wealthy Americans and expand the drugs eligible for Medicare price negotiation to shore up the Medicare trust fund.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don't miss an episode

'The Top Line': The surprising multibillion-dollar medtech megadeals

This week on "The Top Line," we discuss 2022's M&A trends in the medtech sector and the surprising multibillion-dollar megadeals. We also cover the top headlines from this week.
 

Resources

Executive Summary

Optimizing drug discovery in a fast-moving market

Read about the latest survey results from over 200 biopharma executives and the changing approaches to building biologic drug development pipelines.
Whitepaper

Answering your specific questions about mRNA/saRNA manufacturing

Have you had your questions about mRNA/saRNA manufacturing unanswered during a webinar; have no fear, we have you covered here.
Research

Strategizing for Clinical Trial Diversity

Like many top 10 and global pharma companies, an H1 client needed to diversify both its patient outreach and site investigator profiles for upcoming trials.
Whitepaper

The Power of Small & Safety: Nanoplasmid™️ Vector Platform

Discover the Power of Small with NanoplasmidTM – the next-generation plasmid for manufacturing today’s cell and gene therapies.

Whitepaper

Leveraging Archetypes for Effective Launch Strategy

Learn more about critical success factors for your next launch based on the experience of 100+ pharma product launches.
On-Demand Webinar

Writing the Future of Antibody Discovery Solutions

See how high-throughput DNA synthesis combined with antibody engineering expertise provides end-to-end antibody discovery solutions.

Whitepaper

Intranasal Drug Product Development: Formulation to Manufacturing

What are key considerations for intranasal delivery in the treatment of acute and chronic conditions?
Research

Step-wise strategy to address process characterization and late phase development

Learn more on Catalent’s step-wise approach for the definition and execution of Process Characterization for the production of a monoclonal antibody for late phase process characterization and development.

Whitepaper

Running Decentralized Trials at Scale

Explore how clinical supply can be scaled up as decentralized programs progress, and how technological solutions can accelerate trial deployment.
Whitepaper

Key Clinical Supply Issues Sponsors Should Consider with their CRO

As sponsors increasingly look to CROs to support their clinical studies, making and addressing certain clinical supply considerations at the outset of the relationship can reduce the risk of potentially unforeseen impact to budget and time later. Discover key issues sponsors should consider to help their CRO or partner of choice better understand their clinical supply needs.

Whitepaper

Specialized Expertise for Management of Clinical Supply Budgets

For sponsors, cost is a key concern when it comes to managing the supply of their clinical trials. A financial project analyst (FPA) is a specialized expert who can help control clinical supply costs and keep the project within budget. Explore the critical role that a Financial Project Analyst plays in clinical trial supply and budget management.
Whitepaper

Clinical Supply Solutions for the Asia-Pacific Region

Learn how Catalent’s extensive network across APAC can meet a wide range of clinical supply needs for sponsors conducting trials within the region.
Whitepaper

Designing an Optimal APAC Clinical Supply Chain

Discover key considerations that every trial sponsor should know when navigating the complex clinical supply distribution landscape across Asia-Pacific.
Whitepaper

Roles and Responsibilities of Specialized Clinical Supply Experts

How can specialized expertise help you optimize your clinical supply chain? Learn about the roles and responsibilities of unique experts such as clinical supply management, project management, and financial project analysis.
Research

A Strategy to Standardize Process Characterization & Late Phase Development

Learn more on an approach for process characterization for the production of a monoclonal antibody, which will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the process by targeting the right design and number of experiments.

Whitepaper

Supply Services to Support Clinical Trials in Japan & Beyond

Explore Catalent’s newest clinical supply facility in Japan, including the comprehensive services & solutions it offers to help support trials both in-country & around the world.
Whitepaper

Questions You Need to Ask Your CRO About Clinical Supply

Planning on using a CRO to support your next clinical study? This infographic outlines critical areas to address at the start of the relationship in order to ensure that budget and timelines keep on track for the duration of the trial.
Case Study

A Strategy to Standardize Process Characterization & Late Phase Development

Learn more on an approach for process characterization for the production of a monoclonal antibody, which will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the process by targeting the right design and number of experiments.

 

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