Drug Delivery Business

Brian Buntz

About Brian Buntz

The pharma and biotech editor of WTWH Media, Brian is a veteran journalist with more than 15 years of experience covering an array of life science topics, including clinical trials, drug discovery and development and medical devices. Before coming to WTWH, he served as content director focused on connected devices at Informa. In addition, Brian covered the medical device sector for 10 years at UBM. At Qmed, he overhauled the brand’s news coverage and helped to grow the site’s traffic volume dramatically. He had previously held managing editor roles on two of the company’s medical device technology publications. Connect with him on LinkedIn or email at bbuntz@wtwhmedia.com.

ProMed Pharma begins preclinical testing of resorbable contraceptive implant

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After receiving funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ProMed Pharma has begun preclinical evaluation of a novel fully resorbable contraceptive implant. The Plymouth, Minnesota–based company imagines that the contraceptive implants could ultimately find use in low- and middle-income (LMIC) settings. The novel implant potentially could offer women 18 months of contraception through the […]

California aims to produce inexpensive insulin

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California Governor Gavin Newsom has signaled that the state would pursue manufacturing insulin to offer the hormone at a reduced cost to people with diabetes. “Insulin should not drain your bank account,” Newsom shared over Twitter. Newsom has also made contract manufactured insulin part of the proposed budget planning for the fiscal year 2022. Get […]

Lilly pays $50 million upfront to use Entos Pharmaceuticals’ Fusogenix nucleic acid delivery technology

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Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) has acquired exclusive rights to Entos Pharmaceuticals’ Fusogenix proteolipid vehicle (PLV) drug-delivery technology. Indianapolis-based Lilly plans on using the platform to discover and develop nucleic acid products intended for the nervous system. Lilly is optimistic that Fusogenix could help it address hurdles tied to nucleic acid therapeutic modalities. Get the full story […]

European regulators approve Janssen’s twice-yearly schizophrenia treatment

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Two months after receiving a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), Janssen has won approval from the European Commission for Byannli, a six-month formulation of paliperidone palmitate. Indicated as a maintenance treatment for adults with schizophrenia, Byannli won approval based on results from the Route 6 study, which found […]

Baxter bolsters fill-finish capabilities with $100M investment in Germany

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Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) plans to invest roughly $100 million to expand a sterile fill-finish manufacturing plant in Halle/Westfalen, Germany. BioPharma Solutions (BPS), a subsidiary of Deerfield, Illinois–based Baxter, will manage the new facility. BPS supports pharmaceutical companies through a range of offerings, including scientific support, sterile contract manufacturing and parenteral delivery systems. Get the full […]

AbbVie, University of Chicago lengthen oncology research partnership until 2025

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AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) has extended an agreement with the University of Chicago related to collaborative preclinical oncology research. The North Chicago, Illinois–based company and the university are working together on research involving biomarkers and therapeutic applications related to existing AbbVie programs. In the past, the organizations have also explored new drug delivery methods to improve […]

Merck and Vesselon preclinical study reports dramatic tumor pharmacokinetics findings

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Merck & Co. (NSDQ:MRNA) scientists have explored fighting cancer by way of the STING (stimulator of interferon genes)-controlled innate immune pathway. Now, the company has published research in Advanced Therapeutics detailing a preclinical study with its partner Vesselon Inc. that reported impressive pharmacokinetics results related to MSA-1, a STING agonist. The researchers found that low […]

Rani Therapeutics’ stock jumps 69% after IPO

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Rani Therapeutics Holdings (NSDQ:RANI) recently announced the closing of its initial public offering (IPO) of 7,666,667 shares of its Class A common stock. The stock began trading at $11, trailing the company’s expected range of $14 to $16. Today, the stock closed at $18.61, representing a 69.18% increase. RANI shares were trading even higher on […]

Philip Morris and Carlyle continue bidding war over Vectura

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The drama surrounding the inhalable drug delivery specialist Vectura (LON:VEC) continues. On Monday, Philip Morris boosted its offer to acquire Vectura to 165 pence ($2.30) per share, beating Carlyle’s latest offer of 155 pence ($2.16). In July, Philip Morris (NYSE:PM) agreed to acquire inhaled drug delivery technology developer Vectura for $1.2 billion, drawing criticism from the American […]

Rani Therapeutics prices $73M IPO for robotic drug-delivery pill tech

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Rani Therapeutics Holdings ​​(NSDQ:RANI), developer of a robotic drug-delivery pill system, generated $73.3 million in its underwritten initial public offering (IPO) of Class A common stock. The San Jose, Calif.–based company’s IPO of 6.7 million shares priced at $11 a share, generating gross proceeds of $73.3 million. The company initially targeted an IPO worth approximately […]