Pennsylvania
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Harmony Bio’s Zynerba Buyout Brings Cannabinoid That Doesn’t Spark Euphoria
Zynerba Pharmaceuticals’ lead drug candidate is designed to bring the therapeutic effect of cannabinoids without also causing euphoric effects. The synthetic cannabinoid in a topical gel formulation includes none of the psychoactive compounds from the cannabis plant.
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Unions File Antitrust Complaint Against UPMC & Allege ‘Draconian’ Labor Practices
A group of labor unions have filed an antitrust complaint against UPMC. They alleged that the health system has prevented its workers from being able to advocate for themselves and their patients through “a draconian system of mobility restrictions and widespread labor law violations that lock in sub-competitive pay and working conditions.”
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Trayt Health Seeks to Increase Access to Diagnoses and Treatments
CEO Malekeh Amini explains how Trayt Health can bridge the gap for patients seeking neurological care.
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Mineralys IPO Lands $192M for Blood Pressure Trials and Chance to Challenge AstraZeneca
Mineralys Therapeutics upsized its IPO, raising capital to finance clinical trial plans for a molecule that could become an alternative to currently available hypertension medicines. The Mineralys molecule takes a similar approach to a drug candidate that AstraZeneca is acquiring in a $1.3 billion deal.
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Debate Rages Between NPs and Docs on Whether Nurses Should Operate Independently
A contentious debate regarding whether or not nurse practitioners should have more freedom and be less tethered to doctors continues as lawmakers in Pennsylvania spark discussion.
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CSL’s Gene Therapy Approval Marks First for Hemophilia B and New High in Pricing
CSL Behring’s hemophilia B gene therapy, Hemgenix, carries a $3.5 million list price. But the company contends that by reducing economic burdens associated with bleeding and prophylactic infusions, the one-time treatment will save money over time.
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Viatris Sees Vision Drugs as Key to Growth and Commits $750M to Two M&A Deals
Two years after the close of the merger that formed Viatris, the company is acquiring Oyster Point Pharma and Famy Life Sciences to expand its scope in ophthalmology, one of three therapeutic areas it is now focusing on for revenue growth.
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Pennsylvania pharmacy owner must pay $4M for “no questions asked” oxycodone sales
A neighborhood pharmacy owner was the largest purchaser of oxycodone among retail pharmacies in the entire state of Pennsylvania by 2016 and pled guilty to charges of conspiracy and fraud.
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Code Bio corrals $75M to skip viruses, use synthetic DNA for genetic meds delivery
Code Biotherapeutics uses synthetic DNA as the foundation for its genetic medicines, which the startup claims offer several key advantages compared to genetic medicines delivered via engineered viruses. The startup plans to use its new capital to develop lead programs in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and type 1 diabetes.
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Improving Communication Between Patients and Providers
Sarah Shillington, Chief Customer Officer notes how Artera’s omnichannel platform works.
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Heart trouble report & clinical hold spell end of Antios, Assembly Bio HBV alliance
A clinical hold on an Antios Therapeutics drug has led to the end of a collaboration with Assembly Biosciences less than a year after their alliance began. The partners had hoped pairing their drugs with an approved Gilead Sciences antiviral would produce a combination hepatitis B treatment with the potential for a cure.
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FDA approves Marinus Pharma drug for rare, genetic form of epilepsy
Marinus Pharmaceuticals drug Ztalmy is now FDA approved for treating the seizures in patients who have CDKL5 deficiency, an inherited form of epilepsy. The drug is the first approved treatment for the rare disorder and it’s also Marinus’s first approved product.
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Biocon expands portfolio & market reach with $3.3B buyout of Viatris biosimilars
Biocon Biologics is acquiring the biosimilars business of its longtime partner, Viatris. The deal gives Biocon a biosimilars presence in both emerging and developed markets, while Viatris sheds non-core assets as part of a broader strategic review.
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Transforming rural healthcare will require a funding overhaul. Here’s one way to do it.
The answer to rural healthcare’s financial issues could lie in a payment model that pools funds from public and private insurers alike to pay for agreed-upon core services, allowing rural hospitals to provide the care most needed by the communities they serve.
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Startups, Devices & Diagnostics
INVEST Precision Medicine winner spotlight: Nia Therapeutics
The FDA has yet to approve a therapy for memory loss. Nia Therapeutics is developing a medical device that stimulates the brain to bring it back to a “good memory state,” and it was judged the winner in the life sciences track of the INVEST Precision Medicine Pitch Perfect Competition.
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After a $3B exit, a biopharma veteran unveils a new company and a global focus
Led by former Viela Bio CEO Bing Yao, ArriVent Biopharma secures rights to drugs from emerging biotech hubs, then develops them for Western markets. The biotech’s first asset is a cancer drug licensed from Shanghai-based Allist Pharmaceuticals.