AstraZeneca has announced plans to acquire Seattle-based Icosavax, a clinical-stage biopharm focused on developing vaccines using a protein virus-like particle (VLP) platform. The proposed acquisition, valued at up to $1.1 billion, will build on AstraZeneca’s expertise in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), strengthening AstraZeneca’s late-stage pipeline with Icosavax’s lead investigational vaccine candidate, IVX-A12, a potential first-in-class, […]

Moderna and Merck have announced follow-up data from the Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating Moderna’s investigational INT (individualized neoantigen therapy) mRNA-4157 (V940) in combination with Merck’s Keytruda in patients with high-risk melanoma (Stage III/IV) following surgery. Treatment with the combination therapy reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 49% and the risk of developing […]

bluebird bio has announced FDA approval for the gene therapy Lyfgenia for the treatment of sickle cell disease. The therapy has been approved for patients ages 12 and older who suffer from debilitating pain crises due to the condition. The FDA action is the second such approval in as many days, the first belonging to […]

Cambridge-based Caraway Therapeutics has agreed to be acquired by pharma giant Merck for a total potential consideration of up to $610 million. Caraway describes itself as a leader in the cutting-edge science of activating cellular recycling processes to clear toxic materials and defective cellular components by modulating lysosomal function and is utilizing its unique product […]

Less than a week after announcing its purchase of Waltham-based Immunogen for $10 billion plus – in one of the largest acquisitions of a Massachusetts company in 2023 – Abbvie has made another move, this time acquiring Cerevel Therapeutics of Cambridge for $8.7 billion. The Immunogen deal includes the company’s flagship cancer therapy Elahere, a […]

Sanofi recently provided a comprehensive update regarding its “Play to Win” strategy. This strategy continues to focus on the critical goals of executing transformative medicine and vaccines launches, driving agile and efficient resource deployment and enhancing R&D productivity. To that end, Sanofi announced plans to increase its R&D investments to fully realize its pipeline potential, […]

Biogen has reported new Phase 1b clinical data from the study of BIIB080, an investigational antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy targeting tau, in mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Antisense therapies are designed to seek out, bind to and destroy a mRNA in a highly specific manner, so that the amount of disease-causing protein is dramatically decreased. The data […]

Verve Therapeutics has announced the lifting of the clinical hold and clearance of its Investigational New Drug (IND) application by the FDA to conduct a clinical trial evaluating Verve-101 for the treatment of heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). Verve-101 is an investigational, in vivo base editing medicine designed to be a single-course treatment that inactivates the […]

Beam Therapeutics has announced portfolio priorities and plans to streamline its business operations including a reduction in headcount of approximately 100 employees, about 20% of its current workforce, which is anticipated to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2023. In related news, Beam also reported it expects to receive $250 million from Eli Lilly […]