Olivia Vizier

The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t likely to end soon. Instead, the crisis stage may continue for weeks or even months before business regains some semblance of normality. The good news is that while biotech companies have slowed their hiring initiatives, layoffs remain unlikely at this point. Instead, biotech companies are enhancing flexibility on nearly every front.

We also connected with North Carolina-based Aerami Therapuetics (formerly Dance Pharmaceuticals), which is working on a next-generation inhalable insulin product. Theirs is a fine mist aerosol formulation instead of a powder, delivered by their new inhaler device called AFINA. It will have built-in Bluetooth capability to track data and integrate with apps and platforms. The company has

Scynexis Inc., of Jersey City, N.J., is directing patients in a trial for its experimental fungal treatment to have blood drawn at home or alternative sites, and to receive the drug at home, after some patients missed appointments in Italy and other European countries, said Chief Executive Marco Taglietti.

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc., which is based in Pasadena, Calif., last week suspended enrollment in a liver-disease trial for at least four weeks because the study needs patients who are at risk for coronavirus infections and who must get a liver biopsy, which requires visiting a clinic, said Chief Executive Christopher Anzalone.

Everyone agrees that a vaccine will be essential to stop the global spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. But Ofer Levy, a physician-scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital, worries that vaccines being designed today are not going to be effective enough for the people who need them most: older adults.

A North Carolina biopharmaceutical company is developing a test for the novel coronavirus that can deliver results in just 30 minutes. Heat Biologics, based in Durham, has partnered with the University of Miami to design a test that can diagnose patients in just a fraction of the time compared to most other tests.

There are a few things from my interview with Chris Anzalone, Ph.D., CEO of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, that weren’t included in April’s printed article. But as I found them instructive and funny, I thought it a good idea to share via Life Science Leader’s online exclusive — Beyond The Printed Page.

Long before the coronavirus began to spread beyond China, infectious disease experts around the world knew there was ample reason to fear it. Not only was the pathogen highly contagious and lethal, it was also new—scientists had written no medical papers on it, doctors had no vaccines or pills to give their patients. The most

Irvine, CA-based Oncocyte inherited the DetermaIO test when it acquired Insight Genetics earlier this year. The company said it has completed Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments (CLIA) validation for the test. Oncocyte said it has completed Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments (CLIA) validation for its DetermaIO. The Irvine, CA-based company said the diagnostic, which was previously known

Cancer diagnostic developer Oncocyte is pioneering early-stage detection with novel RNA-based tests for lung cancer. Limitations of Current Biomarkers Most blood-based early cancer detection diagnostics in development are based on the analysis of cell-free and tumor-circulating DNA. In order for tumor DNA to be present in the blood of a cancer patient, however, the tumor

Effectively harnessing the immune system requires activation of natural killer, dendritic, and T cells. NantKwest is developing off-the-shelf therapies that have shown great promise in initial clinical studies. Emilie Branch, editor at Pharma’s Almanac, sat down with NantKwest’s Chairman and CEO, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, to discuss this exciting treatment option and find out why it

Two marine cargo terminals in Seattle closed Friday (and will close each Friday in the foreseeable future), along with one in Baltimore that will be closed until Tuesday. Cargo volume from Asia that entered the U.S.at the Port of Los Angeles plummeted nearly 23% in the past 30 days. Next door, the Port of Long Beach reported

Lessons learned from development of hepatitis C therapies could be applied to the underserved hepatitis B population, potentially leading to a functional cure through a combination of optimized drugs that attack the virus from different angles. That is the mission of 2-year-old Aligos Therapeutics Inc., a South San Francisco-based startup focused on liver-related diseases.

On the same day that Cambridge, MA-based Kymera Therapeutics unveiled a $102 million round to enter into development phase, Nurix said it has raised $120 million to do the same out of San Francisco’s Mission Bay.

When it comes to fighting rare diseases, the biggest barrier to overcome is often the lack of knowledge around the condition. A free genetic test is hoping to combat this and speed up drug development in inherited retinal diseases.

Motus GI is moving its corporate headquarters from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to the greater Boston area in the second quarter of this year to support commercial efforts for its Pure-Vu colon cleansing system. The new headquarters will be in Norwood, Mass., closer to major medical device hubs, giving the company access to a bigger talent

Last month, OSE Immunotherapeutics SA reported a new collaboration agreement with MAbSilico, which is based in Tours, France. The companies plan to use artificial intelligence (AI)-based solutions for therapeutic antibody drug development.

In a “groundbreaking” preclinical study using the healing power of the body’s own immune system to treat human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), biopharmaceutical Cue Biopharma Inc. says it has demonstrated the ability of its lead biologic candidate, CUE-101, to activate tumor antigen specific antitumor immunity right on target.

Recently, Diasome Pharmaceuticals announced positive results from its Phase 2 OPTI-1 study on the efficacy of its hepatocyte directed vesicle (HDV) technology for preventing low blood sugar in patients with type 1 diabetes. The study results showed that this liver-targeted insulin may allow patients to reduce the amount of time they spend in hypoglycemia by using HDV technology and optimizing their relative basal and

Long-lasting treatments for invasive fungal disease are becoming ever more necessary but there are many challenges to overcome in drug development. Natalie Healey talks to Cidara Therapeutics about finding safe and effective medicines in this space.

In the world of Longevity start-ups, it’s amazing how often we speak to founders who have a genuine interest in making a difference – often due to very personal experiences. Brad Margus, CEO of brain disease biopharma firm Cerevance, is a perfect example.

Synaptive Medical Inc., of Toronto, has secured Health Canada’s approval for Evry, the company’s superconducting head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. The Evry system aims to provide imaging directly at the point of care in areas outside diagnostic imaging departments.

Drug Target Review’s Hannah Balfour spoke with Dr Nicolas Poirier, the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of OSE Immunotherapeutics, to understand their novel approach to targeting and treating autoimmune diseases; using immunology to rebalance the immune system.

Park Slope resident Zach Becker loves “Star Wars” and superheroes just like any other nine-year old. However, for much of his young life, Zach has been living with a rare and incurable disease that has kept him in and out of hospitals.

Drug Target Review spoke with CUE Biopharma’s President and CSO to find out how and why they created the ImmunoSTAT platform and the ways it may benefit drug design in the future.