Pharma and Biotech Daily: Stay Informed on Industry Updates and Trends

Pharma and BioTech Daily

Good morning from Pharma and Biotech daily: the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in Pharma and Biotech world.CVS is laying off 2,900 employees as part of a cost-cutting plan and potential business breakup. Humana's Medicare Advantage star ratings have dropped significantly, impacting profits. Healthcare workers face burnout, while the payer-provider relationship is evolving. Mission Hospital in North Carolina is struggling after Hurricane Helene, and Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre is being sued by senators. Healthcare companies are urged to prioritize patient-centric experiences. The text also highlights upcoming healthcare conferences, telehealth trends, and insights into the relationship between providers and payers.The FDA has officially declared the end of the shortage of Zepbound and Mounjaro, putting pressure on companies selling compounded alternatives. Biopharma conferences in 2025 are important for showcasing clinical trial results. The FDA is set to make several key decisions in the fourth quarter, including approving a rival to a popular Pfizer heart drug. Roche plans to address an $8 billion sales gap due to biosimilar competition. Lilly is investing $4.5 billion in a "foundry" for advanced drug manufacturing. Additionally, there are resources available on topics such as AI in clinical research, genetic screening, gene therapy, and biosimilars. Other industry news includes potential sales of pharma units by Chinese company Wuxi, and the US's commitment to African manufacturing in HIV programs.Sanofi has sold the global rights to a rare autoimmune drug for cold agglutinin disease to Recordati in a potential $1 billion deal. Recordati will make an upfront payment of $825 million to Sanofi, with milestone payments of up to $250 million. Meanwhile, Novo's lowest dose of Wegovy remains on the FDA's drug shortage list. AbbVie has trimmed its full-year earnings guidance due to R&D milestone costs, following the success of its Parkinson's disease candidate Tavapadon. Relay Therapeutics is laying off 10% of its workforce to streamline its research organization. The pharma industry is prioritizing scaling GLP-1 manufacturing capacity to meet the demand for weight loss drugs. Lilly has ended its obesity drug shortage, while Novo continues to face shortages. WBL's proprietary library prep for cfDNA whole genome sequencing aims to enhance specificity, sensitivity, and data quality at low concentrations. In other news, BMS has received FDA approval for an Opdivo regimen in NSCLC and Bavarian Nordic's MPox shot shows antibody responses wane after 6 to 12 months.Dr. Matthew Schrag, a vascular neurologist at Vanderbilt University, is not prescribing the new Alzheimer's disease treatments, Kisunla and Leqembi, due to concerns over risks and costs. Schrag has a history of challenging prevailing science in Alzheimer's and has exposed instances of potential misconduct by researchers. In 2021, he raised allegations of data manipulation against Cassava Sciences, leading to ongoing scrutiny and calls for their phase 3 trials to be stopped. Despite distancing himself from the controversy, Schrag's findings have had a significant impact on the company. The article also discusses Roivant's unique approach to drug development, the latest advances in oncology research, and the challenges in navigating the path from preclinical studies to regulatory approval for gene therapies. The text highlights the importance of efficient therapeutic development processes and increasing diversity in clinical trials. Additionally, it provides links to resources on selecting clinical trial sites, unlocking partnerships for small biotech firms, and optimizing AAV manufacturing processes. The newsletter also includes updates on Medicare drug price talks, a groundbreaking trial for lung cancer treatment, and a map of a fruit fly's brain that has impressed neuroscientists.