To view this email as a web page, click here

Subscribe

Advertise

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 15, 2019

Welcome to FierceLifeSci Weekly Digest, your roundup of the biggest and most popular stories from each of our publications.

 

As executive pay scrutiny escalates, including on Capitol Hill, numbers detailing 2018 compensation showed that AbbVie CEO Richard Gonzalez pocketed $21.27 million, with nearly 20% from incentives linked to Humira sales. However, Sanofi CEO Olivier Brandicourt saw his pay shrink by 25% at the same time, down to €7.28 million ($8.2 million). His stock options and shares took a beating after the company’s diabetes pillars Lantus and Toujeo saw net-price declines and overhauls in their Medicare coverage.

Featured Story

AbbVie hands CEO $21M—and a hefty bonus—even as executive pay scrutiny mounts

AbbVie CEO Richard Gonzalez faced pointed questions about his bonus at a much-watched congressional hearing on drug prices two weeks ago. Thanks to a new proxy filing, it's clear: The helmsman's 2018 pay was still partly tied to Humira sales. And he still scored more than $20 million.

Top Stories Of The Week

No raise for Sanofi CEO: Brandicourt’s 2018 pay slashed by 25% as sales fall short

Some Big Pharma CEOs got eye-popping pay raises last year, even if their companies blundered. Sanofi chief Olivier Brandicourt wasn't one of them. He took a pay cut, in fact, as U.S. sales of the company's flagship diabetes products continued to suffer.

Snipr raises $50M to use CRISPR to modulate the microbiome

Snipr Biome has raised $50 million to take CRISPR-based microbiome drugs into clinical trials. The Danish biotech is using CRISPR/Cas to selectively target and kill bacteria with specific DNA sequences. 

Gilead shares early clinical data on HIV capsid inhibitor 

Gilead has posted early data on a first-in-class inhibitor of HIV-1 capsid function it thinks could play a role in long-acting combination therapies. The data supported the progress of the asset, GS-6207, into a phase 1b trial in HIV-1 infected adults. 

Could a patent dispute over Celgene MS hopeful ozanimod tank the BMS deal?

As if BMS didn’t have enough to worry about, what with major investors trying to scuttle its $74 billion Celgene buy, now a new concern has emerged—and it involves one of the six candidates BMS executives have cited as justification for the massive merger.

Microsoft partners with biotech on ‘biological computing’ and cell DNA programming

Microsoft aims to bring its coding skills to bear on biotech, with the goal of building an end-to-end platform for programming the biology of living cells to better produce new medicines and potentially materials that could be applicable to a range of industries.

Biocon biosimilar plant criticized again by the FDA

The plant in India where Biocon makes the biosimilars it shares with Mylan was given a clean bill of health by the FDA last year—but not for long. The FDA posted a new Form 483 for the facility Tuesday following an inspection last month.

IBM uses machine learning to detect early Alzheimer’s in blood samples

A buildup of the protein amyloid-beta in spinal fluid can predict Alzheimer's long before symptoms appear, but it's difficult to detect. IBM researchers have identified four proteins that can be found in blood and can predict amyloid-beta buildup with up to 77% accuracy.

Startup unveils telemedicine kiosk with automated pharmacy

OnMed's self-contained medical unit contains private video booths that allow physicians to remotely take vital signs and diagnose conditions, and includes a robotic minipharmacy that can dispense medications.

Roche's I-O drug Tecentriq picks up key first-in-class breast cancer nod

In a first for the immuno-oncology field—and a win for patients with a tough-to-treat cancer—Roche’s Tecentriq has a big new approval in triple-negative breast cancer. And once again, it has nabbed a piece of the immuno-oncology market all for itself.

Resources

[Whitepaper] The Right Partner Can Improve Flexibility and Mitigate Risks from Forecast Inaccuracy in Biomanufacturing

The Right Partner Can Improve Flexibility and Mitigate Risks from Forecast Inaccuracy in Biomanufacturing.

[Whitepaper] How changes in drug substance processes can affect formulation

Download this whitepaper to learn more.

[Research] Maximize Pharma Marketing ROI with Digital HCP Engagement

Which HCP Touchpoints and channels are yielding the best results in today’s digital world?

[Whitepaper] Cell-Based Cancer Immunotherapies: Commercial Risk, Curative Reward

White paper outlining the key types of cell-based immunotherapies in oncology, as well as the development and commercial outlook for each.

[Whitepaper] Better Market Intelligence With Smart Search

It’s never been more challenging to stay on top of trends and innovation shaping the future of healthcare. Discover how AI can help competitive intelligence teams achieve more proactive strategies.

[eBook] 2018 Weekly Compendium

The Biopharma industry is moving at lightning speed and it can be a challenge to keep pace. Here at Biotech Primer we spend hours each week researching, writing, and editing original content for the Biotech Primer WEEKLY with one goal in mind: to help everyone better understand the latest science and technology driving today’s healthcare industry.