Big Pharma

Ding Throws Support Behind Cuba Covid-19 Vaccination Drive    Ding, the largest international mobile top-up platform, is very pleased to announce that the company is donating $50,000 to help Cuba in its fight against Covid-19.  Cuba's long-standing commitment to health has led to a successful Covid-19 pandemic response so far and Ding’s substantial donation will go directly to the Ministry of Public Health in Cuba to help finance the vaccination campaign by supporting the purchase of key equipment such as medical syringes to help protect more of Cuba’s citizens in the coming months.  Commenting on the support, Mark Roden, Ding’s...

Breast International Group’s new Executive Board  The Breast International Group (BIG), the largest international not-for-profit organisation for academic breast cancer research groups from around the world, is pleased to announce its new Executive Board who commenced work on 11 June 2021. BIG’s Executive Board consists of 14 individuals chosen from amongst its member groups, and embodies a broad range of cancer expertise such as medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, biostatistics and clinical trials methodology, and translational research. From a geographic point of view, BIG constitutes a network of over 50 like-minded research groups from around the world and reaches...

Biogen's Alzheimer's drug aducanumab, if approved, may face extra hurdles, slow sales ramp: analysts Even if it were approved by the FDA, Biogen's controversial Alzheimer's drug aducanumab could suffer a slow sales ramp thanks to physician concerns, payer pushback and limitation of healthcare infrastructure, analysts said. (Biogen) Just a handful of days are left until patients, families, investors and Biogen executives will know the next chapter for the company’s controversial Alzheimer’s disease drug candidate aducanumab. But even if the drug scores its coveted FDA nod, a quick rollout is no sure thing, analysts say. Confusion among physicians, resistance from payers and even the need for...

Novartis calls off 3 Beovu trials testing more frequent dosing on concerns of vision-threatening side effect Novartis has terminated three clinical trials testing eye drug Beovu at an increased dosing frequency thanks to safety concerns. (Novartis) The vision-threatening safety risk from Novartis’ new VEGF inhibitor Beovu just got even clearer. Friday, Novartis said it had decided to nix three Beovu trials early after an interim analysis of the phase 3 Merlin study found increased rates of inflammation of the eyes in patients who got Beovu compared with those who received Regeneron and Bayer’s rival Eylea. The Merlin trial, as well as the...

On a roll, Moderna taps Thermo Fisher to help with COVID-19 vaccine fill-finish, packaging and labeling Moderna has tasked Thermo Fisher Scientific with fill-finish, labeling and packaging duties for its mRNA COVID-19 shot. (Moderna) The globe has come to depend on Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, sending the biotech racing to expand its mRNA manufacturing capacity. In the next step of its effort to meet lofty supply expectations, Moderna is tapping another CDMO powerhouse to help.  Moderna has tasked Thermo Fisher Scientific with fill-finish, labeling and packaging duties for its mRNA vaccine at Thermo Fisher’s commercial manufacturing site in Greenville, North Carolina, the company said in...