The vagaries of the COVID-19 market and the uncertainties of pandemic fatigue are hitting some biopharma companies in the pocketbook, at least for now. Due to lower-than-expected revenues from its COVID-19 Comirnaty vaccine and antiviral Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir), Pfizer Inc. reduced its 2023 revenue guidance by $9 billion after hours Oct. 13, saying it now anticipates full-year 2023 revenues to range from $58 billion to $61 billion – down from its previous guidance range of $67 billion to $70 billion.
In a study published in Nature on Oct. 11, coinciding with the beginning of IDWeek 2023 in Boston, researchers from Harvard Medical School described EVEscape, a method for anticipating the movements of SARS‑CoV‑2 by predicting potential mutations likely to escape current vaccines and treatments.
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Almirall, Berlin Cures, Biomap, Canariabio, Centrient, Couragen, GPCR, Hikma, Kamada, Ocugen, Pharmenable, Salipro, Sosei, Stem, Theramex, Venatorx, Verge, XNK.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Acrotech, Bioxcel, Inhibikase, Novavax, Noxopharm, Takeda, Theratechnologies, Transcenta, Vedanta.
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Akero, Ardelyx, Biomx, Blue Earth, Clearside, Freeline, Gain, Moderna, Ocular, Oncoinvent, Regenxbio, Rejuvenate, Starton, Swanbio, Vedanta, Vertex, Veru.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Amicus, Biontech, Capricor, Erydel, Geron, Hutchmed, Outlook, Pfizer, Quince, Regeneron, Takeda.
Researchers who follow their instincts and achieve slow results while trying to break barriers have little support. They replace it with persistence. This is the story of Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman. What was once a dream in their minds was later a success. Their work together for decades was essential to achieving mRNA vaccines, and their perseverance was rewarded today with the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine.