Pharma and Biotech Daily: Challenges, Opportunities, and Innovations in the Industry

Pharma and BioTech Daily

Good morning from Pharma and Biotech daily: the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in Pharma and Biotech world.GSK is relying on its flagship program to help find new drugs and vaccines, following disappointments with Ventyx's tyk2 drug suffering setbacks. New Amsterdam's heart drug hits trial goals but disappoints investors, and Boehringer adds to its cancer drug pipeline with a deal for startup Nerio. The industry is exploring the use of eClinical technology to improve clinical trials, while stakeholders are looking for more efficient ways to innovate with real-world evidence. Overall, the biopharma industry is facing challenges and setbacks, but also opportunities for growth and development in various areas of research and development.Boehringer Ingelheim has acquired Nerio Therapeutics for $1.3 billion in order to strengthen its immuno-oncology pipeline with novel immune checkpoint inhibitors. Additionally, Adaptimmune is preparing for potential approval of their first-in-class engineered T cell therapy. In other news, Wuxi Apptec's U.S. revenue dropped slightly as the Biosecure Act looms, while the FDA has flagged safety risks of compounded versions of Novo Nordisk's semaglutide. AbbVie's Skyrizi has received EU approval for ulcerative colitis, and Merck's Keytruda in combination with Padcev has been granted a positive opinion by CHMP for urothelial carcinoma. Other updates include FDA approvals for new oral Alzheimer's therapy and expanded labels for Grifols' SCIG therapy. The biopharma industry is also experiencing layoffs at companies such as Cue, Anokion, and Glycomimetics. Biogen is facing challenges with its neuro drugs, including a recent EU regulatory rejection for Leqembi due to concerns about brain swelling. The company also had a setback with an essential tremor treatment developed with Sage Therapeutics. Despite these failures, Biogen and Sage will continue to work together as part of a two-drug development deal. The industry is exploring preclinical modeling as a potential solution to improve the success rate of neuro drug development. Overall, Biogen's development pipeline is under pressure, especially following the withdrawal of the Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm earlier in the year. The company is facing obstacles in gaining traction with its treatments in both the US and European markets.Optum is planning to lay off over 500 workers in California, affecting various healthcare facilities and remote workers. CHS posted a $13 million loss in the second quarter, despite increases in surgical and outpatient volumes. Lawmakers are urged to support nursing home staffing regulations to protect the elderly, rather than overturning them. The resumption of the VA Oracle EHR rollout is being questioned at a subcommittee hearing. Healthcare leaders are encouraged to use digital tools to address the shortage of mental health providers and meet the growing need for mental health services. Overall, the healthcare industry is facing challenges related to patient communication, staffing regulations, and financial losses.