‘Deep virology’ shapes up to fight viruses
By combining high-resolution techniques with virology and stem cell science, the Kyoto University Institute for Life and Medical Sciences is paving the way to a new frontier in virus research.
Biotech Hub
Ipsen fronts $136M to bag Genfit’s once-failed NASH drug, betting on its potential in rare liver condition
Somebody believes in elafibranor after all. The drug, which had been considered a bright prospect in the failure-prone but highly lucrative race to treat non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, imploded after…
Sara Kenkare-Mitra leaves Genentech for a chance to lead neuro R&D; GlaxoSmithKline alum jumps to Vifor Pharma with the lid lifted on sale to CSL
Sara Kenkare-Mitra spent more than 23 years at biotech behemoth Genentech, climbing the corporate ladder from small molecule scientist all the way up to SVP of developmental sciences. At the same…
Amylyx takes its ALS program to Nasdaq, raising the stakes for the biotech’s only drug
The biotech that has gone all-in on ALS on its way to earning one of the highest neuroscience financing rounds in the last five years is now ready to take the Nasdaq leap. Amylyx Pharmaceuticals filed…
Biotech startup lines up more cash to steer its NASH drug through stormy seas
In January 2020, Dutch NASH-focused biotech NorthSea Therapeutics raised $40 million in a Series B to progress its lead candidate icosabutate, a structurally-engineered fatty compound for NASH. Just…
Covid-19 roundup: CDC recommends mRNA vaccines over J&J’s due to rare blood clots; EU considers deal for variant-specific doses of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
The CDC has officially recommended that Americans receive one of the mRNA vaccines over J&J’s single-dose vaccine due to renewed concerns about rare but sometimes fatal blood clots. The decision…
Stressed caregivers could use a boost from pharma. Think mental health and financial help, survey says
Remember the sandwich generation? That’s the group of middle-aged people who are caring for both children and aging parents. It’s a group that pharma companies often market to directly as parents who…
FDA permanently lifts in-person requirements for dispensing abortion pills
Since the pandemic began, the FDA has allowed women to access the abortion drug mifepristone via the mail, making it easier for them and ensuring that they don’t have to go to a clinic to receive the…
Roche’s Spark invests $575M for new gene therapy center in central Philadelphia as part of Drexel partnership
Roche’s Spark Therapeutics is taking a big new step in gene therapy development, a field where it’s known as an early pioneer. Spark will invest $575 million to build a new ‘gene therapy innovation…
Former Immunomedics CFO Usama Malik responds to insider trading charges after ‘my career and … reputation evaporated’
A couple weeks after facing insider trading allegations, former Immunomedics CFO Usama Malik responded to the charges in a vaguely worded LinkedIn post reflecting on the moment when his ‘world was…