Growing sales of its multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies and lower R&D expenses led Biogen Inc. to beat both top- and bottom-line expectations during the second quarter, despite lower-than-expected sales of its spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) drug, Spinraza (nusinersen). Read More
Amid all the bills aimed at shining light into the black box of U.S. drug pricing and ending anticompetitive games, the House is planning on rolling out legislation in September that would directly impact the price of what could be hundreds of drugs by requiring Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate some prices. Read More
Although the placebo response proved better than expected in Chiasma Inc.'s phase III trial of Mycapssa (octreotide) capsules for acromegaly, "we believe that the response of the patients on Mycapssa is the clinically relevant indicator," said William Ludlam, the Waltham, Mass.-based firm's senior vice president of clinical development and medical affairs. Read More
David Southwell, a seasoned pharma exec and CEO of newly funded Tscan Therapeutics Inc., called from a small, unadorned conference room on the Harvard campus to talk about his new company. He's used to being on the clinical development side, where the accommodations are a bit more posh, but nonetheless he's pleased to be investigating T-cell therapy for cancer patients. Read More
MEXICO CITY – Ten years after the RV144 "Thai trial" was the first to show that an effective HIV vaccine was possible, three efficacy trials for HIV vaccines are once again underway. Read More
LONDON - Oncolytic virus startup Theolytics Ltd. is looking to raise a series A round as it prepares to take its first product into phase I in the treatment of multiple myeloma. Read More
X-vax Technology Inc., of Jupiter, Fla., raised $56 million in an upsized series A financing with participation from strategic and institutional investors, including JJDC Inc., Adjuvant Capital, Serum Institute of India, Alexandria Venture Investments and FF DSF VI, a scout investment vehicle out of Founders Fund. Read More
Exscientia Ltd., of Oxford, U.K., an artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery company, said it entered a collaboration with Rallybio Inc., of Farmington, Conn., to accelerate the discovery of small-molecule drug therapeutics for undisclosed rare disease indications. Read More
