NOVARTIS

Novartis announces $150M RLT manufacturing facility in Indianapolis, creating 50+ jobs, and a third site in Carlsbad, CA, to support cancer treatment expansion with RLTs.

The WHO's mpox declaration led to significant stock market increases for pharmaceutical, medical tech, and biopharmaceutical companies, while airline stocks declined, reflecting investor concerns about mpox's global spread.

News media often repeat drug makers' medical claims as news, giving pharma companies free advertising and potentially misleading consumers. Examples include a shingles vaccine's alleged dementia risk reduction, GLP-1 agonists' mental health benefits, and Xolair's new urticaria treatment, all linked to conflicts of interest. Medical journals complicate conflict of interest identification, and news media rarely investigate the sources of these claims.

The Global Biological Buffers Market is projected to grow from USD 741.69 million in 2023 to USD 1,524.14 million by 2033, at a CAGR of 7.47%. Biological buffers control pH levels, maintain stability, and aid cellular functions, crucial in medicine, research, and diagnostics. Key drivers include rising research activity, increased demand for blood and plasma, and technological advancements. The phosphate type segment is expected to dominate, and the research institution segment will hold the largest market share. Europe is forecasted to lead the market, while Asia Pacific will exhibit the highest CAGR.

Innovent Biologics' earnings report shows revenue up 46% to 3.95 billion yuan, but net loss surges 182% to 393 million yuan. The delay in sales approval for anti-obesity drug mazdutide and the sudden retirement of R&D chief Liu Yongjun dampen investor enthusiasm. Innovent's focus shifts to cardiovascular and metabolic drugs, with mazdutide and teprotumumab in the pipeline.

OrsoBio raises $67M to advance weight loss drugs; Vor Bio's CRISPR-edited stem cells show success in AML therapy; Boehringer Ingelheim to test eye drug for geographic atrophy; Novartis licenses capsid from Voyager for gene therapy; Vaxcyte raises $1.3B on positive pneumococcal vaccine data.

Autolus Therapeutics' obe-cel, an autologous CAR-T cell therapy for relapsed/refractory adult B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, awaits FDA approval on November 16, 2024. The therapy targets CD-19 and has shown a 78% ORR in the FELIX study, with potential peak revenues of ~$300m. Despite a 25% share price drop, Autolus holds $700m in cash and has partnerships with BioNTech, Moderna, and Bristol Myers Squibb, positioning it for future growth.

Numerous hot targets like WRN helicase and KRAS G12V had patent applications in January 2024. A searchable table of over 200 patents from January 2024 includes key info for drug hunters, highlighting degraders and molecules targeting Nrf2, KRAS G12V, MAGL, WRN, etc.

FDA grants full approval to Travere Therapeutics' Filspari (sparsentan) for primary IgA nephropathy, expanding its use to slow kidney function decline without specific urinary protein level requirement. Filspari is the only oral, once-daily, non-immunosuppressive treatment for IgAN, targeting glomerular injury. The approval aligns with KDIGO's new guidelines, positioning Filspari as foundational care for IgAN.

Travere Therapeutics' drug Filspari, for IgAN, received full FDA approval based on long-term data showing significant kidney function decline slowing. This expands the eligible patient population beyond initial proteinuria thresholds, potentially increasing market opportunity. Filspari competes with Novartis' Fabhalta and Calliditas' Tarpeyo, both also approved for IgAN. Filspari carries a black box warning for liver toxicity and is under a REMS program. Travere reported $46.9 million in Filspari revenue for H1 2024, with growth expected as approvals expand globally.