As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, biopharma companies are being forced to respond to multiple challenges that could derail their existing business plans. Already companies are reporting that, in therapeutic indications not involving COVID-19, their ongoing and planned clinical trials are being interrupted or delayed by the pressures now being imposed on global health care systems. Read More
The newest angle in the partnership between Johnson & Johnson and the U.S. federal government, part of the company’s $1 billion commitment to COVID-19 R&D, is designed to drive its lead candidate into the clinic by year-end and to increase its vaccine manufacturing worldwide. Read More
DUBLIN – Three different vaccine technologies are being deployed in the desperate global effort to combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but Rino Rappuoli, chief scientist at the GSK Vaccines arm of Glaxosmithkline plc, said he sees traditional protein-based adjuvanted subunit vaccines, the trusted workhorse of infectious disease prevention, as offering the best bet for delivering a safe and effective vaccine at scale, within the tight timescales necessitated by the present crisis. Read More
Cambridge, Mass.-based Elevatebio LLC has triple-pronged plans for its $170 million series B round, which the company said will be directed toward manufacturing cell and gene therapies, enabling new technology platforms, and pursuing therapeutics. Read More
A comparison of the last three years puts 2019 on top for having brought the most money into the biopharma industry across 15 key therapeutic markets – a total of $299.78 billion vs. $284.7 billion in 2018 and $201.56 billion in 2017. The analyses includes financings tracked by BioWorld and deals and grants that are within the Cortellis database, all covering therapeutic areas included within the corresponding BioWorld Financings Reports for 2019. Read More
HONG KONG – Chengdu, China-based Clover Biopharmaceuticals Inc. has teamed up with Emeryville, Calif.-based Dynavax Technologies Corp. on a research collaboration to develop a vaccine candidate to prevent COVID-19. Read More
To mitigate COVID-19-related drug shortages, the FDA issued new guidance reminding drug and biologic manufacturers of their legal obligations to notify the agency, in advance, of interruptions or the permanent discontinuance in the manufacturing of certain drugs. It also makes some new recommendations in light of the current emergency. Read More
As organisms adapt to their environment, adaptations that serve them in their current environment can become liabilities if that environment changes. The control of traits that are an asset in one situation and a liability by the same gene is called antagonistic pleiotropy. In the March 16, 2020, online issue of Nature Genetics, researchers reported a method to systematically identify mutations that conferred antagonistic pleiotropy – in the form of resistance to one drug, but heightened sensitivity to another – in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Read More
New and updated preclinical and clinical data presented by biopharma firms at the American College of Cardiology’s 69th Annual Scientific Session Together with World Congress of Cardiology (ACC.20/WCC Virtual), including: Astrazeneca, Cytokinetics, Esperion, Janssen, Kiniksa, Merck, Mesoblast, Novartis, Regeneron. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Algernon, Arvelle, Astrazeneca, Beyondspring, Biocryst, Daiichi, Humanigen, I-Mab, Junshi, Lilly, Orion, Rhythm, Ryvu. Read More
