Big Pharma

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...

Photo: Lita Krone, LETA Latvian pharmaceutics companies want to build vaccine factory Three Latvian pharmaceutical companies – AS “Olainfarm”, AS “Grindeks” and SIA “Pharmidea” – want to build a factory for production of vaccines against Covid-19, said co-owner of “Pharmidea” Vitālijs Skrīvelis at the meeting of the Saeima's Sustainable Development Committee March 10. According to him, due to restrictions on Covid-19, the Latvian economy has been stalled, although it has been done in order not to overload hospitals. But looking ahead, the pandemic can reoccur, and “it would be certainly wise and important to prepare for such times”. "In terms of...

DIGITAL HEALTH: Quality care in real-time With remote patient monitoring, doctors can track patients’ health and deliver quality care Also, fewer patients require in-person checkups and follow-ups, thereby giving time for the doctors to focus on fresh and more critical cases. By Mudit Dandwate Over the last few years, Indian healthcare has been through a renaissance like no other, thanks to various technologies in healthcare, of which remote patient monitoring (RPM) is one. A technology which enables patient monitoring outside of conventional clinical settings and allows increased accessibility to healthcare undoubtedly comes as a blessing for the doctors. How? By becoming...