Merck’s Keytruda aces another cancer trial as results dazzle researchers
The News: Hot on the heels of the final presentation at ASCO’s 4-day conference in Chicago, a small, new study is causing jaws to drop after it found that a… Read more »
Category Archives: Pharmaceuticals
CAR-T Therapy: Personalized medicine with the promise of a cure; payers will decide who gets it
The News: Swiss drug giant Novartis AG has drawn widespread praise and a rising dose of controversy pertaining to its breakthrough CAR-T therapy CTL019. The medicine is under review to… Read more »
ASCO, aka The Oncology Super Bowl for Biotechs, sends stocks in every direction
Steve’s Take: As another jam-packed annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago wrapped up on Tuesday (June 6, 2017), with some 38,000 oncologists gathering together at… Read more »
What’s wrong with Novartis? Actually nothing.
The News: Novartis AG (Basel CHE) has been the subject of widespread and lingering chatter to the effect that its stature among the Big Pharma league players has diminished, and… Read more »
Trump offloading drug price battle to new FDA chief; Dr. Gottlieb’s ideas make a lot of sense
The News: New FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb comes into office immediately confronted by a host of tough challenges: from budget concerns, drug prices, staffing issues and a nationwide opioid… Read more »
Puma doubles on FDA panel’s nod for breast-cancer drug; but Swiss giant’s challenger lurks
The News: Puma Biotechnology Inc.’s (Los Angeles) experimental breast cancer drug reduces the risk of disease recurrence and should be approved, an advisory committee to the US Food and Drug… Read more »
Amgen’s osteoporosis med almost a home run in latest trial; fate now murky on heart safety
The News: Amgen Inc. (Thousand Oaks CA) and UCB SA (Brussels) no longer expect their experimental osteoporosis drug to win US approval this year after a higher rate of serious… Read more »
Abbvie’s biosimilar fight over Humira patent highlights differences between EU and US regulatory mindsets
The News: Coherus BioSciences Inc. (Redwood City CA) last week announced that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the US Patent and Trademark Office ruled in the company’s… Read more »
GlycoMimetics gets Breakthrough title; stock explodes but what’s next?
The News: GlycoMimetics Inc. (Rockville MD) soared Thursday (May 18, 2017), up 99% to $10.67. The unforeseen blastoff followed Tuesday (May 16, 2017) night’s announcement that the company’s clinical-stage acute… Read more »
Akebia surges on anemia drug deal; is a much bigger breakout looming?
The News: Akebia Therapeutics Inc. (Cambridge MA) leaped 18% Tuesday (May 16, 2017) sparked by news the fledgling dialysis treatment developer and Swiss backer Vifor Pharma Group Ltd. (Glattburg) agreed… Read more »