The most common types of drugs in drug development are small molecules and biologics. Small molecules have a long history in the pharmaceutical industry and remain a pillar of modern medicine.  Conversely, biologics are more complex molecules derived from living organisms.  In this article, we provide a brief overview of common drug types, including biologics, small…

In case of nuclear war, or even a limited nuclear strike, the greatest threat to human health, besides blast and burn injuries, is from acute radiation syndrome or ARS. This ominous and little-known acronym refers to the acute illness that ensues from significant partial- or whole-body irradiation. High turnover tissues such as the skin, bone…

The FDA has accepted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Jardiance (empagliflozin) tablets as a potential therapy to reduce the risk of kidney disease progression and cardiovascular death in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Some 37 million people in the U.S. have CKD. Lilly (NYSE:LLY) is developing the drug with Boehringer Ingelheim. The…

Osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint disease affecting the knee and other joints, affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Genascence (Palo Alto, California) is developing a gene therapy known as GNSC-001 for OA of the knee. A potent inhibitor of interleukin-1 (IL-1) signaling, GNSC-001 is a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector with a coding sequence for…

The psychedelic therapeutics market could be worth billions of dollars in the coming years. The FDA has awarded breakthrough therapy designation to psilocybin and MDMA, potentially accelerating its approval of the currently Schedule I substances.  Despite the promise, several psychedelic therapeutics companies have seen substantial drops in stock price. For instance, MindMed has seen its…

The Top Employers Institute has named Takeda (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) and privately-held Boehringer Ingelheim to its list of 15 companies to win global Top Employer certification for 2023. The Top Employers Institute rankings are based on data from its HR Best Practices Survey, which spans 20 topics, including people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, diversity and inclusion, well-being…

Late last year, the Galien Foundation highlighted several drug discovery innovations in its annual Prix Galien USA Award Winners, which specifically highlighted drugs from Regeneron and Amgen as well as a platform from Exscientia and the incubators BioLabs and LabCentral. The foundation recently hosted a webinar featuring several executives from the respective winning companies discussing their view…

mRNA vaccine company Moderna (Nasdaq:MRNA) plans on submitting for regulatory approval for its investigational RSV mRNA-1345 vaccine after it met primary efficacy endpoints in the Phase 3 ConquerRSV study (NCT05127434). The RSV data are “a clear positive for MRNA” and represent a good omen for upcoming mRNA Phase 3 influenza data, noted UBS in a…

In 1986, the ulcer drug Tagamet from Smith, Kline and French (now GSK) emerged as the first blockbusters, generating more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Fast-forward to 2021, and the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech generated close to $60 billion in cumulative revenue. That same year, AbbVie’s Humira (adalimumab) eclipsed $20 billion in sales…

At the dawn of 2023, 3T Biosciences and Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) revealed a strategic collaboration and licensing agreement focused on the discovery and development of next-generation cancer therapies focused on high unmet patient needs. The alliance unites 3T Biosciences’ 3T-TRACE (T-Cell Receptor Antigen and Cross-Reactivity Engine) discovery platform and Boehringer Ingelheim‘s focus on cancer cell-directed…

AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) announced it had reached an agreement to acquire CinCor Pharma (Nasdaq:CINC). After announcing the proposed deal, CinCor’s share price jumped 144% to $28.74. AstraZeneca has agreed to a tender offer to acquire outstanding shares of CinCor for $26 per share, or $1.3 billion. CinCor specializes in developing therapies for hypertension and chronic kidney…

Clinicians are ready and eager for the future of diagnostic and prognostic models — ones that are built on proteomics. I have been feeling and hearing one key theme in 2022 – physicians are ready, even dare I say eager, to get their hands on proteomic tests and tools that better empower and equip them…

In 2021, two scientists founded Parallel Bio to harness the human body’s ability to fight disease using the immune system. The Cambridge, Massachusetts–based company is developing a platform for drug discovery and development that replicates human immune systems at population scale. The company has grand ambitions. “Nearly 95% of drugs that make it to human trials fail…

After the majority of pharmaceutical companies released their earnings reports for 2022, we released our annual Pharma 50 feature detailing how the pharma landscape has evolved. Four of the five most popular pieces of content on Drug Discovery & Development were part of the Pharma 50 feature. In the past year, Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) cemented its…

The U.S. House has approved the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, which would end the animal testing requirement for new drugs and biosimilars. The bill doesn’t completely ban testing on animals but enables drug developers to use alternatives when feasible. In September, the U.S. Senate passed the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, S.5002. The new policy, known as the…

As COVID wreaked havoc on our markets, biotech appeared to be an outlier, not just weathering the storm but emerging stronger than ever with record investments and valuations. Then reality struck. Assets lingered in the early stages. Commercialized products underperformed. Valuations tumbled. Now, a new normal has arrived, presenting a biotech investment paradox to small…

The neurotology biopharma Otonomy (Nasdaq:OTIC) is planning to liquidate and dissolve its business. It plans to distributing any remaining cash to shareholders after its operations have been suspended and its pipeline assets have been sold.  The company also announced that it had terminated all of its employees effective December 15.  In 2017, Otonomy announced that …

The primary goal of the life sciences industry is to improve access to treatment and increase positive healthcare outcomes for patients. In a constantly evolving landscape, the industry works to achieve this goal through research, development, and the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and biotechnological products — all of which emphasize patient safety, product quality…

2022 was a shaky year for M&A deals in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector, as PwC recently surmised. That’s not surprising, given the recession fears and inflation themes common throughout the year. That said, Amgen (Nasdaq:AMGN) and Pfizer bucked the trend by spending 11-figure sums on M&A deals. Bristol Myers Squibb, Biocon Biologics and GSK…

Last year, the Biden administration drafted an executive order that promoted competition in the U.S. economy across several industries, including pharma and biotech. The focus on the pharma industry was not surprising, given Biden’s campaign pledge to curb drug pricing. To that end, the Biden administration has explored a variety of approaches, according to Robin Adelstein, the…

Pharma and biotech companies are scratching the surface when deploying artificial intelligence to streamline drug discovery and development. But the AI-enabled drug discovery sector is maturing, according to Chris Gibson, co-founder and CEO of Recursion Pharmaceuticals. More AI validation is coming in 2023 Competition is helping drive the field of AI-enabled drug discovery forward. “Over the last…

Technology enabling the discovery and development of new drugs is rapidly evolving. We asked representatives from KBI Biopharma, Phylloceuticals and Provectus Algae for their predictions on the platforms and technologies that will have the biggest impact on drug discovery efforts in 2023. 1. 2023 could be ‘massive showcase’ for ML in pharma Drug developers are…

ARS Pharmaceuticals announced today that the FDA accepted its new drug application (NDA) for neffy, its intranasal epinephrine. The offering covers the emergency treatment of severe type I allergic reactions in children and adults weighing 30 kg (66 pounds) or more. The company set an anticipated target action date of mid-2023 for its PDUFA (Prescription…

The biosimilars firm Alvotech (Nasdaq:ALVO) has announced that its CEO, Mark Levick, will retire. As of January 1, the company will install Robert Wessman, executive chairman and founder, as its top exec. Reykjavik, Iceland–based Alvotech also announced that it had retained Hafrun Fridriksdottir as its chief operating officer. Fridriksdottir was formerly the executive vice president…

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) announced today that it successfully completed its acquisition of Akouos (Nasdaq:AKUS). Indianpolis-based Eli Lilly’s acquisition expands its efforts in genetic medicines. Akouos offers a portfolio of potential first-in-class adeno-associated viral gene therapies. The gene therapies treat inner ear conditions, including sensorineural hearing loss. The company initially announced the acquisition in…