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Today’s Big News

Nov 5, 2024

Beam hits hemoglobin goal in first base editing clinical data, reports death tied to conditioning drug

Sana strips back cancer, CNS programs as cell therapy biotech warns of further layoffs

Election spotlight: As Harris and Trump face off, what's at stake for pharma?

FDA delays decision on Merus' first-in-class cancer drug by 3 months

Cellectis drops one of its 3 clinical-stage CAR-Ts

Swiss biotech inks reverse merger with GI-focused Renexxion

Spanish gene editing biotech licenses DNA-cutting enzymes from Caszyme for up to $43M

Featured

Beam hits hemoglobin goal in first base editing clinical data, reports death tied to conditioning drug

By Nick Paul Taylor

Beam Therapeutics has presented the first clinical data on its base editing technology. All four sickle cell disease patients in the efficacy cohort had fetal hemoglobin levels above Beam’s target—and the result achieved by Vertex’s rival therapy—but one patient died, likely as a result of the conditioning regimen.

Sana strips back cancer, CNS programs as cell therapy biotech warns of further layoffs

By James Waldron

Sana Biotechnology has become the latest cell therapy biotech to shift resources from cancer to autoimmune diseases, as part of a strategic refocus that sounds likely to include a side order of layoffs.

Election spotlight: As Harris and Trump face off, what's at stake for pharma?

By Zoey Becker

Americans are already casting votes for the next president, but questions around drug pricing and the pharma industry will likely loom after the winner is decided.

Overcoming Barriers to Generative AI in Life Sciences R&D

FDA delays decision on Merus' first-in-class cancer drug by 3 months

By Nick Paul Taylor

The FDA has scuttled Merus’ plans to win a speedy approval for its solid tumor drug zenocutuzumab. On the cusp of the priority review deadline, the agency has pushed back the decision date by three months to give its staff more time to assess recently submitted information.

Cellectis drops one of its 3 clinical-stage CAR-Ts

By James Waldron

Cellectis has deprioritized one of its leukemia-focused candidates in order to focus on its other two clinical-stage CAR-T therapies.

Swiss biotech inks reverse merger with GI-focused Renexxion

By Gabrielle Masson

Swiss biotech Relief Therapeutics is slated to enter a reverse merger with private U.S. biotech Renexxion and forge ahead with the latter’s gastrointestinal pipeline.

Spanish gene editing biotech licenses DNA-cutting enzymes from Caszyme for up to $43M

By Darren Incorvaia

Spanish biotech Integra Therapeutics has upped its arsenal of gene editing tools by licensing Caszyme’s Cas12I nucleases, the company announced Nov. 4.

KFF: Gross Medicaid spending on GLP-1s up 500% since 2019

By Paige Minemyer

Spending on GLP-1s in Medicaid has followed broader industry trends, growing significantly over the past several years, according to a new study from KFF.

Madrigal’s Rezdiffra has launched a new MASH market, but ‘tremendous change’ is on the horizon

By Ben Adams

With the FDA approval of the first specific drug for Metabolic Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) in March this year, Madrigal’s Rezdiffra is a pioneer in a market set for rapid change.

Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

Drug pricing and the 2024 presidential election

This week on "The Top Line," we explore how each presidential candidate’s approach to drug pricing could shape future policy.

Closing the menopause care gap

The pulse of the medtech industry

Resources

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