Another volatile day of trading in health care stocks unfolded March 13, after a trebling of broader market carnage the day before and the declaration of a national emergency by U.S. President Donald Trump Friday afternoon. Substantial declines hit shares of Moderna Inc., Vaxart Inc. and Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc., all of which had recently rallied on optimism over coronavirus-fighting efforts. Biopharma shares saw some recovery, with both the S&P 500 Health Care Sector and Nasdaq biotechnology indices each rising a bit more than 2% each before Friday's close. Read More
The number of biopharmas and nonprofits pitching in to find a treatment for COVID-19 continues to grow. In the past few weeks, that number has more than doubled and it shows no signing of slowing. Read More
Mallinckrodt plc is engaging with the U.S. FDA, NIH and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to address the potential use of its INOmax (nitric oxide) inhaled gas to treat COVID-19-associated lung complications. INOmax is marketed in the U.S. by the Staines-upon-Thames, U.K.-based company to treat full- and near-term neonates with hypoxic respiratory failure associated with pulmonary hypertension. Read More
BEIJING – Eye disease specialist Arctic Vision (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co. Ltd. has in-licensed from Clearside Biomedical Inc., an U.S. ophthalmology biotech, the commercialization and development rights of Xipere (triamcinolone acetonide suprachoroidal injectable suspension) for greater China and South Korea. Under the license agreement, Clearside will receive $4 million up front plus additional milestone payments from Arctic Vision for achieving specified events before Xipere wins approval in the U.S. Read More
Lessons learned from development of hepatitis C therapies could be applied to the underserved hepatitis B population, potentially leading to a functional cure through a combination of optimized drugs that attack the virus from different angles. That is the mission of 2-year-old Aligos Therapeutics Inc., a South San Francisco-based startup focused on liver-related diseases. Read More
BioWorld looks at translational medicine, including: See in 3D; Tolerizing DCs are made, not born; GOF, LOF mutations take different paths to same result; NEFA’s nefarious role in pancreatitis; Comprehensive look identifies insulin autoantigens. Read More
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Artugen, EMD Serono, Five Prime, Pfizer, Sensorion. Read More
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Abcellera, Can-Fite, I-Mab, La Jolla, Lattice, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Lilly, Neuexcell Therapeutics, Pharmamar, Qiagen, Redx Pharma, Roche, Sengenics, Verastem. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Algernon, GW. Read More
