The innate immune system is the body’s first line of immunological response and the master regulator of subsequent immune activity. In cancer, the innate immune system mediates presentation of tumor antigens, priming and activation of tumor-specific immune cells that enable optimal development of adaptive anti-tumor immunity. Existing immunotherapies are mostly focused on harnessing the adaptive […]

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) has agreed to pay $300 million to acquire Cambridge-based IFM Therapeutics, a venture-backed startup founded in 2015 focused on innate immunity and the role it plays in regulating the immune system. IFM’s team has discovered and developed small molecules that modulate novel targets in the innate immune system as next-generation therapies for […]

Avecia, a pharmaceutical manufacturer in Milford, says it is building what will become the largest manufacturing site in the world for a specialized drug ingredient called oligonucleotide. The expansion, which will add 20,000 square feet of space, will more than double the Milford site’s total capacity, the company said in a recent announcement. Oligonucleotide, a […]

The MassBioEd Foundation released its 2017 Annual Job Trends Forecast at Life Sciences Workforce 2017, its second annual conference on life sciences workforce trends.  The event was held at Northeastern University and featured twenty-seven industry and higher education speakers, as well as Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, who provided keynote remarks. The Forecast included the following […]

Novartis has announced that the FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) unanimously (10-0) recommended approval of CTL019 (tisagenlecleucel), an investigational chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, for the treatment of children and young adults with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that has relapsed or resisted treatment (r/r). A Biologics License Application (BLA) for this […]

Alnylam and Sanofi Genzyme have announced new positive results from the ongoing Phase 2 study with fitusiran in patients with hemophilia A and B, with or without inhibitors. Fitusiran is an investigational RNAi therapeutic targeting antithrombin (AT) for the treatment of patients with hemophilia A and B, that is designed to lower levels of AT […]

Novartis has announced topline results from the global Phase 3 CANTOS study investigating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of ACZ885 (canakinumab) in combination with standard of care in people with a prior heart attack and inflammatory atherosclerosis. With more than 10,000 patients enrolled in the study over the last six years, CANTOS is one of […]

The FDA is taking two new, important steps to increase competition in the market for prescription drugs and facilitate entry of lower-cost alternatives. The agency published a list of off-patent, off-exclusivity branded drugs without approved generics, and also implemented, for the first time, a new policy to expedite the review of generic drug applications where […]