At the heart of Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE:JNJ) $6.5 billion acquisition of Momenta Pharmaceuticals in 2020 is a portfolio of drug candidates for immune-mediated diseases. One of the promising compounds in the acquisition is nipocalimab, which Janssen sees as a potential “pipeline in a pathway.” Nipocalimab holds promise for an array of diseases, ranging from…

The contract research organization (CRO) Syneos Health has promoted Michelle Keefe to be its CEO and a member of its board. Keefe was previously the president, medical affairs and commercial solutions at Morrisville, North Carolina-based Syneos. The company’s departing CEO, Alistair Macdonald, is retiring after working at the company for two decades. Macdonald will serve…

The psychoactive compound 5-methoxy-2-aminoindane (MEAI) is unique among psychedelics with therapeutic potential.  First, the drug could be self-administered. Second, it is patented, unlike psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine. And while psychedelic drug developers tend to focus on indications such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, MEAI could potentially treat alcoholism.  MEAI…

The self-proclaimed “spatial biology company” Akoya Biosciences (NSDQ:AKYA) has appointed Marilee Moy as its chief people officer. Moy has more than three decades of experience in human resources and has worked for several life science companies, including Questcor, Counsyl, Tails Biomedical, Genentech and Johnson & Johnson. Akoya, which went public last year, had raised more…

Direct-to-patient clinical trial company Medable (Palo Alto, California) has recently hired MaryAnne Rizk as its chief strategy officer. Rizk was IQVIA’s former senior vice president, digital R&D strategy.  Rizk was also recently named a PharmaVoice 100 leader. Rizk is also a graduate advisor and an adjunct professor for the school of engineering at the Stevens Institute of…