Novartis (NYSE:NVS), Harvard University and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute are teaming up to develop the next generation of implantable and injectable biomaterials designed to delivery immunotherapies, the group reported today. Researchers from Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have worked for years to create systems that provide targeted, sustained delivery of immuno-oncology products. Now, Novartis […]
Pharmaceuticals
GlycoMimetics prices $119m public offering
GlycoMimetics (NSDQ:GLYC) priced an underwritten public offering of 7,000,000 shares of common stock at $17.00 apiece today, reporting that it expects to bring in $119 million from the offering. The Rockville, Md.-based company plans to offer underwriters a 30-day option to buy an additional 1,050,000 shares of common stock at the same price. GlycoMimetics will use […]
Mass. Eye & Ear makes history with first gene therapy procedure for inherited blindness
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary made history this week, becoming the first institution to use an FDA-approved gene therapy to treat a patient with an inherited disease. Spark Therapeutics‘ (NSDQ:ONCE) Luxturna gene therapy, which was approved by the FDA in December, is designed to improve vision in patients with inherited retinal disease caused by a […]
Equashield gears up for first orders of compounding robot designed for hazardous drugs
Equashield received the first purchase orders for its Equashield Pro closed-system compounding robot, the company said earlier this month, and plans to start installing the systems in the second quarter of this year. The company’s robotic system is designed to compound patient-specific chemotherapy doses and prepare other hazardous drugs quickly, using an optimized process to […]
Ocugen touts Ph2 data for dry eye disease combo therapy
Ocugen touted positive data today from a Phase II proof-of-concept trial for its dry eye disease combination therapy, OCU310, which combines brimondine tartrate and loteprednol etabonate. The company’s randomized trial met its primary tolerability endpoint and showed meaningful improvements across endpoints related to the symptoms of dry eye disease, according to Ocugen. The Malvern, Pa.-based […]
Regeneron unveils topline Ph3 diabetic retinopathy data for blockbuster eye drug
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals‘ (NSDQ:REGN) eye drug Eylea brought in nearly $6 billion in sales last year. In an attempt to keep the injectable drug in a league of its own, the biotech plans to apply for a new indication with the FDA this year. The company today announced results from a Phase III trial evaluating Eylea in […]
FDA to review pSivida’s ocular drug-delivery system
pSivida (NSDQ:PSDV) said yesterday that the FDA plans to review the company’s application for its drug-releasing ocular insert, Durasert. The product is designed to provide three years of treatment for patients with posterior segment uveitis. The U.S. regulatory agency is slated to decide whether or not to approve pSivida’s new drug application by Nov. 5. “The […]
Trump touts Adapt Pharma’s plan to distribute free opioid-overdose devices to schools
In a wide-ranging speech yesterday detailing his administration’s plan to tackle the opioid crisis in the U.S., President Trump touted Adapt Pharma‘s move to distribute free doses of its overdose-reversal nasal spray, Narcan, to schools and universities. As part of an initiative launched in collaboration with The Clinton Foundation last year, Adapt previously offered 20,000 […]
Tribe looks to stop patent board’s review of Restasis IP
Allergan (NYSE:AGN) and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe asked the Federal Circuit last week to stop the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board from reviewing the IP for Allergan’s blockbuster eye drug, Restasis. The move comes in response to the board’s February decision that sovereign immunity does not shield tribes from patent challenges. The board’s ruling […]
Mass. Supremes: Pharma Cos. liable for generic labeling issues
Merck (NYSE:MRK) and other large brand-name pharmaceutical manufacturers could be legally liable for injuries resulting not from the use of their brand name products, but from generic versions of those drugs made by other companies, according to a new ruling from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The court ruling could set the precedent that such brand-name […]