Massachusetts
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Apellis Lays Off 25% of Staff and Turns Focus to Commercializing New Eye Drug
The Apellis Pharmaceuticals restructuring will save up to $300 million. It comes as the biotech continues its inquiry into the cause of a rare inflammatory complication reported in a small number of patients who received its geographic atrophy drug, Syfovre.
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Alltrna Unveils $109M to Make tRNA a Universal Therapy for Genetic Diseases
Flagship Pioneering-founded Alltrna is developing tRNA therapies to address genetic diseases driven by truncated versions of proteins. By addressing an aberrant genetic instruction underpinning many diseases, the startup is developing what it describes as a potential “universal solution.”
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Payer’s Place: Dawn Maroney
Dawn Maroney, President, Markets of Alignment Health and CEO of Alignment Health Plan, to discuss how they are using technology to provide better service and care to consumers.
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Sage, Biogen Drug Is Now the First Approved Oral Med for Postpartum Depression
Sage Therapeutics’ Zurzuvae is the biotech’s second FDA approved product for postpartum depression, following the 2019 nod for IV-infused Zulresso. But in a blow to the multi-billion dollar partnership between Sage and Biogen, Zurzuvae did not win an additional approval in major depressive disorder.
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Devices & Diagnostics, Artificial Intelligence, BioPharma
Newly Public Allurion Aims to Show How Med Tech Can Complement Obesity Drugs
Allurion Technologies has commercialized a gastric balloon in the form of a pill that patients swallow. But the weight loss platform from the now NYSE-listed company also includes AI-driven software that provides insights about a patient’s progress, technology with the potential for use alongside obesity drugs.
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Biogen Bulks Up in Rare Disease With $7.3B Reata Pharmaceuticals Acquisition
Biogen’s Reata Pharmaceuticals acquisition brings Skyclarys, the first and only FDA-approved therapy for the rare neuromuscular disease Friedreich’s ataxia. Biogen says Skyclarys complements the other neuromuscular drugs in its portfolio.
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Roche Expands Into RNAi Through Alnylam Alliance on Hypertension Drug
Alnylam pioneered RNA interference drugs for rare disease. The biotech aims to bring RNAI to prevalent disorders and its alliance with Roche on the drug zilebesiran for hypertension better positions the company to achieve this goal.
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Pfizer, Flagship Team Up in $100M R&D Pact: 10 New Drugs for Unmet Needs
Pfizer and Flagship Pioneering are partnering in a drug research alliance leveraging the capabilities of the more than 40 biotech startups in the venture capital firm’s portfolio. The new partners aim to develop drugs for unmet needs, including those in broad patient populations.
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FDA Lifts Partial Hold on Curis Drug, Clearing Way for Phase 2 Leukemia Study
A partial clinical trial hold has been lifted from cancer drug emavusertib and Curis has selected a dose to use in Phase 2 testing. The small molecule is being developed as a potential treatment for blood cancers.
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Thermo Fisher Adds Real-World Evidence to Remit Via $912M CorEvitas Acquisition
CorEvitas brings Thermo Fisher Scientific registries that gather data about how approved therapies are working in the real world. The acquisition will complement PPD, the contract research organization that Thermo Fisher purchased in 2021.
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Applying Remote Patient Monitoring to Surgery Prep and Recovery, Oncology and Women’s Health
Join us to learn about the latest trends in remote monitoring and how to extend its benefits beyond chronic conditions to more patients – all while using fewer staff resources.
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Eli Lilly to Buy Sigilon, Betting the Biotech Can Overcome a Cell Therapy Limitation
Eli Lilly is expanding its diabetes prospects by acquiring cell therapy developer Sigilon Therapeutics. The two companies are already partners in the development of a type 1 diabetes cell therapy currently in preclinical development.
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Immunology & Inflammation Biotech Apogee Plans IPO to Demo Dosing Edge in Eczema
Apogee Therapeutics is planning an IPO to fund clinical development of biologic drugs that could offer dosing advantages over currently available immunology and inflammation drugs. Its lead program is being prepared for Phase 1 testing in atopic dermatitis, or eczema.
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FDA Approves First Gene Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Sarepta Therapeutics’ Elevidys is now the first FDA-approved gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Elevidys is an engineered version of a gene intended to restore function lost to the mutation at the root of the inherited muscle disease.
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Pharma, Artificial Intelligence, BioPharma
Flagship Startup Emerges to Find Drugs in Promising Hunting Ground—Our Bodies
Scientists at Empress Therapeutics say molecules that co-evolved with humans over millennia are a promising source of new drugs. With its AI-driven technology platform, the Flagship Pioneering-founded startup finds them.
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MIT Clears Bioengineering Professor of Research Misconduct Allegations
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Bioengineering Professor Ram Sasisekharan and his lab have been cleared of research misconduct allegations following a lengthy university investigation.
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Bleeding Problems Prompt FDA Partial Hold on Tests of Mersana Cancer Drug
For the second time in three months, Mersana Therapeutics is dealing with an FDA clinical hold. The partial hold on tests of its experimental ovarian cancer drug follows a full hold placed on an early-stage test of a different Mersana therapy in various types of solid tumors.