As COVID-19 ravages across the globe, Regeneron has responded with its own two-pronged approach against the disease. After early results in China showed inhibiting IL-6 could manage a potentially deadly immune overreaction in serious COVID-19 patients, Regeneron and partner Sanofi started a phase 2/3 trial of their rheumatoid arthritis therapy Kevzara, following a similar move […]
The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing societal countermeasures are upending operations in many sectors—and biopharma isn’t immune. The current lockdown is not only hurting clinical trial enrollment but also delaying regulatory timelines for drugs nearing a decision. And with tried-and-true, in-person marketing techniques no longer allowed, new launches may also feel the pain—or hold off altogether. Consider Bristol […]
After The Wall Street Journal first broke the news this week, Amgen and new partner Adaptive Biotechnologies have confirmed they are the latest pharma-biotech duo joining forces against the pandemic. The pair, which said it will “start work immediately,” will develop fully human neutralizing antibodies targeting the COVID-19-causing virus, SARS-CoV-2, to potentially prevent or treat […]
Sanofi and Regeneron have hustled up a second pivotal trial for their IL-6 drug Kevzara as a potential therapy for severe cases of Covid-19. The partners swiftly assembled a study drawing patients from Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Canada and Russia, planning to sign up 300 patients in a Phase II to test a low and […]
Novartis and a consortium of life sciences companies have collaborated with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to advance the development, manufacture and delivery of vaccines, diagnostics and treatments for COVID-19, the disease resulted due to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Gilead, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Pfizer, […]
Pfizer has paused enrollment in many new and ongoing clinical trials in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Reuters reports. The action sees Pfizer join Bristol Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly on the list of Big Pharma companies to revise their R&D plans in light of the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Each company has responded slightly differently to […]
The FDA issued a wide-ranging emergency policy allowing alternative devices to be used as potentially lifesaving ventilators as shortages begin to impact hospitals’ responses to the coronavirus pandemic. This includes modified anesthesia gas hardware and positive-pressure breathing devices as well as home continuous positive airway pressure machines used to treat sleep apnea, portable oxygen generators […]
Since the early days of the current coronavirus outbreak, Gilead Sciences’ experimental antiviral drug remdesivir has been hailed as a leading hope. That halo has apparently overwhelmed the Big Biotech. Gilead has temporarily stopped granting patients emergency access to remdesivir under compassionate use due to an “exponential increase” in requests over the last few days, […]
A Biogen employee who has contracted Covid-19 in Massachusetts fled to Beijing alongside her family. And now she faces criminal charges for lying about her condition on the way back. The company confirmed to Endpoints News that the woman, identified by Chinese officials as Ms. Li, works for the company but said she didn’t attend the strategy […]
Currently, there are 5.1 million people with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States and 13 million worldwide. In 30 years, AD is expected to affect 13 million in the US, and more than 100 million worldwide. The cost of care for AD in the US is currently estimated at $267 billion and this will balloon […]