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AstraZeneca closes mega $39B Alexion buyout despite antitrust fears, making a splash in rare diseases

AstraZeneca’s mega $39 billion takeover of Alexion Pharmaceuticals has come to a close, delivering the British pharma a lucrative portfolio of immunology medicines and a towering presence in rare diseases. AZ on Wednesday announced the completion of its Alexion acquisition, a week after securing a pivotal nod from the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Industry watchers were concerned…

2021 07 23 Biotech (General)
Corporate News
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Amazon kicks off new role as diagnostics provider by making COVID test available online

Amazon has already changed the way we shop and filled our homes with “smart” gadgets, and now, the tech giant is looking to change the way we manage our health, both in the face of a pandemic and beyond. Amid the launch of its own wellness-tracking smartwatch and the expansion of the Amazon Care telehealth service,…

2021 06 17 Biotech (General)
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Provention Bio brought back down to earth as FDA panel narrowly backs diabetes prevention drug

Provention was flying high on Tuesday when an FDA advisory panel seemed to back the efficacy of its diabetes prevention drug, even after the agency flagged some issues with the data package supporting the therapy’s application a month earlier. But the company is not out of the woods yet, with the final vote only narrowly…

2021 05 28 Biotech (General)
Clinical Trials
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NGM’s closely-watched NASH prospect flops, cutting shares in half and spurring R&D rethink

A phase 2b trial of NGM Biopharmaceuticals’ aldafermin in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has missed its primary endpoint, sending shares in the biotech tumbling. NGM has pulled plans to enter phase 3 in light of the midstage failure of the FGF19 analog. California-based NGM ramped up expectations for aldafermin last year when it delivered midphase data linking…

2021 05 24 Biotech (General)
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DoorDash to stock COVID-19 test kits for home delivery

The people who bring you lunch can now also deliver a COVID-19 diagnostic test, as screening for the pandemic disease continues to become a more ubiquitous part of everyday life. DoorDash has partnered up with the home-testing companies Everlywell and Vault Health to make sample collection kits available on-demand through its app, alongside sandwiches, pizza…

2021 03 24 COVID-19 Comments Off on DoorDash to stock COVID-19 test kits for home delivery Permalink Print This Post Email This Post

Lilly’s phase 2 Alzheimer’s win marred by missed secondaries, questions about clinical significance

Eli Lilly has shared full data from a phase 2 clinical trial it hailed as showing a “significant slowing of decline” in Alzheimer’s disease patients. The donanemab data are a mixed bag, with a slight win on one disease scale undermined by a failure on a more widely used measure of Alzheimer’s. In January, Lilly…

2021 03 15 Alzheimer's
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Donanemab in Early Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract BACKGROUND A hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease is the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide. Donanemab, an antibody that targets a modified form of deposited Aβ, is being investigated for the treatment of early Alzheimer’s disease…. … RESULTS A total of 257 patients were enrolled; 131 were assigned to receive donanemab and 126 to receive placebo….

2021 03 14 Alzheimer's
Biotech (General)
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Russia’s Sputnik V nabs first Twitter-verified vaccine handle, but is it PR or propaganda?

A blue check for Sputnik V—and a cautionary marketing tale for the pharma industry? The Russian-developed coronavirus vaccine nabbed verified status from Twitter last week, doubling down on its broadcasting wave of tweets, retweets and plenty of American-style attitude. But is the now-authenticated social media account a pharma influencer case study or a cautionary tale of disinformation? While…

2021 03 10 Biotech (General)
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Woman of the Week: A 2020 Anthology

A full-year of amazing women leaders — 53 unique career journeys and 53 lessons in courage, perseverance, and strength. This e-publication features healthcare and life-science industry executives and their stories of leadership, lessons learned, and wow moments. Each profile includes a link to the original WoW podcast and full manuscript. In honor of International Women’s…

2021 03 09 Biotech (General)
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Cara Therapeutics and Vifor Pharma announce U.S. FDA acceptance and Priority Review of NDA for KORSUVA™* injection in hemodialysis patients with moderate-to-severe pruritus

STAMFORD, Conn, and ST. GALLEN, Switzerland, March 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cara Therapeutics (Nasdaq:CARA) and Vifor Pharma today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted and granted Priority Review for the New Drug Application (NDA) for KORSUVA™ (difelikefalin) solution for injection for the treatment of moderate-to-severe pruritus in hemodialysis patients. The…

2021 03 08 Biotech (General)
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