NOVARTIS

Morehouse School of Medicine received $175 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies and $14 million from Novartis to address diversity in clinical trials, following concerns over COVID-19's impact on people of color. Sanofi's funding aims to tackle obesity, asthma, and cancer issues disproportionately affecting the Black community, emphasizing the importance of diverse clinical trial participation for health equity.

Sage Therapeutics cuts staff, Eisai/Biogen's Leqembi rejected in Australia, Sanofi invests in Orano Med, Novartis licenses Chinese cancer treatment, telehealth's GLP-1 boom driven by select doctor groups, former Trump official calls for IRA revisit, BMS CEO discusses company pivot, Lilly CSO warns against weakening patents, GLP-1s linked to lower opioid overdose risk, Novavax faces vaccine setback.

The FDA placed a hold on Novavax’s COVID-19 and influenza combination vaccine candidate due to a serious adverse event reported in a phase 2 trial participant. Novavax is working with the FDA to resolve the issue, emphasizing safety as a priority. The hold affects the combination vaccine and a standalone influenza vaccine, but not the standalone COVID-19 vaccine.

The global oncology precision medicine market was valued at USD 53.2 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a 10.4% CAGR from 2024 to 2032, driven by rising cancer incidence and increasing demand for personalized therapies. Key segments include breast cancer, oral administration, small molecules, and kinase inhibitors. North America leads in market share, with the U.S. accounting for USD 19.7 billion in 2023. Prominent companies include AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer, with recent strategic acquisitions enhancing their oncology portfolios.

GSK sues Moderna for patent infringement on mRNA vaccine technology, claiming Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines rely on GSK's foundational patents from a team led by Christian Mandl at Novartis. GSK seeks damages and licensing fees.

Bayer submitted an MAA to EMA for elinzanetant, seeking approval for treating moderate to severe VMS associated with menopause or adjuvant endocrine therapy. The submission is based on OASIS phase III studies showing elinzanetant's efficacy and safety. The FDA also accepted Bayer's NDA for elinzanetant, and Bayer continues global submissions. Bayer aims to strengthen its pharmaceutical portfolio through new drug approvals.

The WSG-TP-II trial (NCT03272477) explored de-escalation of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy plus trastuzumab and pertuzumab in HR-positive, HER2-positive early breast cancer. Conducted in Germany, it compared 12 weeks of endocrine therapy or paclitaxel with trastuzumab and pertuzumab, followed by 1 year of adjuvant therapy. The trial found this regimen safe for chemotherapy de-escalation.

AI revolutionizes pharmaceutical industry with advancements in clinical trials, drug discovery, and communication, addressing challenges like data privacy and bias while offering significant cost and time savings.

The 'Antibiotic Resistance Markets - Therapeutics by Pathogen and Therapy Type' report outlines market players addressing antimicrobial resistance, including drug manufacturers, biotech companies, and regulatory bodies. It highlights the role of diagnostics in combating AMR and identifies 6 key market opportunities. The report provides five-year market forecasts and profiles over 100 biotech companies.