WELCOME TO FIERCE LIFE SCIENCES WEEKLY DIGEST The field of drug development has always seen fewer successes than failures, with 90% of programs missing the cut being a commonly quoted stat. Last year had its share of clinical trial letdowns, but some had much larger impacts than others—especially in the continued fight against COVID-19. Others included a prospective HIV vaccine and drugs for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, both notoriously tough nuts to crack. Fierce’s list of 2021’s top 10 clinical trial flops follows below, plus our other top reads of the week. | |
| Featured Story By Annalee Armstrong The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has ruled in favor of the Broad Institute in a dispute over the patents around CRISPR gene editing technology, sending Editas' shares up. read more |
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| | Webinar: The Most Innovative Virtual Engagement Programs of 2021 Wednesday, March 16, 2022 | 11am ET / 8am PT This webinar will share use cases from teams that have embraced technology to enable better engagement during 2021. Learn how the industry has reaped the benefits of adopting a hybrid engagement approach, enabling more precise dialogue, bringing diversity to discussion, and allowing teams to make better, faster decisions. Register now. | Top Stories Of The Week By Angus Liu An FDA approval for Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech’s CAR-T therapy may be three months late, but it still came. Having watched first-in-class Bristol Myers Squibb stumble with supply during the roll-out, the two companies have devised a game plan to ensure a smoother launch. read more By Phil Taylor Thousands of studies are registered each year in the U.S. alone, so there is always a vast array of disappointing results to choose from as we compile our top 10 clinical trial flops. read more By Annalee Armstrong Intellia proved last year that gene editing can work in humans. But a lingering question was, for how long? Now, the biotech has the data to begin to answer that question. read more By Fraiser Kansteiner Novartis has reached a deal to sell its Ringaskiddy campus near Cork, Ireland, to contract manufacturer Sterling Pharma Solutions. Separately, CDMO compatriot Delpharm has completed its acquisition of a Quebecois manufacturing plant from Novartis’ generics unit, Sandoz. read more By Kevin Dunleavy An interesting and varied group of drugs—ranging from two first-in-class cancer therapies to a treatment that removes frown lines—face target dates for approval this month. Many of the decisions bear watching as their status could have far-reaching implications in the industry and for patients. read more By Nick Paul Taylor The casualties in the Clostridium difficile vaccine race are starting to pile up. Having been vaulted to the front of the queue by Sanofi’s failure, Pfizer has now missed the primary endpoint in its phase 3 trial. read more By Conor Hale Johnson & Johnson’s Acuvue Theravision lenses are laden with ketotifen, the same drug used in a variety of eye drops for taming reactions to pollen, grass, pet dander or dust. read more By Ben Adams The patient voice is a powerful one when it comes to healthcare advocacy, and Alnylam has put together a new documentary that maps the often-difficult journey for those suffering with acute hepatic porphyria. read more By Kyle LaHucik Researchers at University of Leeds said they found two new compounds, known as molecule modulators, that might lead to new drug development options for Type 2 diabetes. The modulators help slow down and speed up the process that creates amyloid fibrils, which are associated with the disease's development. read more By Joseph Keenan CureVac, a German biotech, formed a new subsidiary centered on the company’s RNA Printer technology that integrates and automates the manufacturing process for mRNA vaccines and therapeutics. read more Resources Sponsored by: Oracle Health Sciences Learn about ways to break down regulatory roadblocks and get closer to 100% clarity on regulatory positions to advance decentralized clinical trials in research. Sponsored by: Oracle Health Sciences How to overcome top challenges faced in decentralized trials. Sponsored by: United Cargo The United Cargo team has made a commitment to pharmaceutical and medical partners that we are equipped to support their vaccine transportation needs safely and effectively across our expansive global and domestic network. The safety and security of these commodities is our priority, and we are proud to be a trusted partner in these efforts. Download infographic now. Sponsored by: Catalent Learn more about how the versatility of Softgel Technology helped a customer with a volatile compound. Sponsored by: Catalent What is the most suitable dosage form technology for the Oral Delivery of Lipid-Based Formulations? Sponsored by: Catalent How can Lipid-Based Drug Delivery System help bring poorly soluble drugs to market? Sponsored by: Blue Matter What’s in store for the CNS therapeutics market in 2022? This paper looks ahead in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, DMD, psychiatric disorders, pain, and more. Sponsored by: Catalent Biologics Ypsomed and Catalent Biologics experts discuss strategies for integrated PFS manufacturing and auto-injector assembly to accelerate timelines and more in this webinar. Sponsored by: Catalent Biologics Learn how formulation development for a PFS affects manufacturing to drive the industry toward optimizing delivery of injectable products and, ultimately, improving patient care. Drug Development Boot Camp® HYBRID and VIRTUAL in real time November 16-17, 2022 Fierce Drug Safety Summit March 8-9, 2022 | Virtual Webinar: Case Study in Clinical Toxicology March 9, 2022 1:00 PM ET Webinar: Data Visualization and Storytelling March 10, 2022 | 12:00 PM ET | University of Florida College of Pharmacy Fierce BD&L Summit for Life Sciences March 15-16, 2022 | San Francisco, CA Fierce Medical Affairs Strategic Summit (MASS East) April 12-14, 2022 | New Brunswick, NJ Fierce Promotional Review Committee Compliance and Best Practices Summit April 12-14, 2022 | New Brunswick, NJ Fierce Trial Master File Summit May 2-4, 2022 | New Orleans, LA & Streaming Live Fierce Health IT Summit May 24, 2022 | Virtual Event Fierce Pharma PR & Communications Summit West June 14-15, 2022 | Huntington Beach, CA Fierce Digital Pharma Engage June 14-15, 2022 | Huntington Beach, CA Fierce Digital Pharma Innovation Week June 21-23, 2022 | Virtual Event Fierce Pharma PR & Communications Summit July 19-20, 2022 | Jersey City, NJ Fierce MedTech Summit August 8-9, 2022 | Minneapolis, MN Promotional Review Committee Compliance and Best Practices Summit West (PRC West) September 2022 | San Diego, CA Medical Affairs Strategic Summit (MASS West) September 2022 | San Diego, CA Fierce Health Payer Summit October 12, 2022 | Complimentary Virtual Event Fierce Digital Pharma East October 18-20, 2022 | Philadelphia, PA & October 25-28, 2022 | Virtual Event Fierce Biotech Cell & Gene Therapy Forum October 19, 2022 | Virtual Event Fierce Pharma Marketing Awards October 19, 2022 | Philadelphia, PA Drug Development Boot Camp® HYBRID/VIRTUAL November 16-17, 2022 Fierce Launch Readiness for Medical Affairs & Communications Teams Summit November 30-December 1, 2022 | Virtual Event Fierce New Product Planning Summit November 30 - December 1, 2022 | Boston, MA Fierce JPM Week 2023 January 2023 | San Francisco, CA & Virtual |