Healthcare Hires of Note
Read about executive hires across healthcare and life sciences.
Roche Withdraws Immunotherapy in U.S. for Bladder Cancer After Failed Study
Tecentriq failed to beat chemotherapy in improving overall survival, the main goal of its confirmatory Phase 3 test in bladder cancer. The drug had been granted accelerated approval based on results from a single-arm Phase 2 clinical trial.
Reducing Clinical and Staff Burnout with AI Automation
As technology advances, AI-powered tools will increasingly reduce the administrative burdens on healthcare providers.
Roche shells out $250M to acquire Good Therapeutics and its preclinical oncology program
Roche announced it will acquire Good Therapeutics, a Seattle-based preclinical biotech, for $250 million. The deal makes Roche responsible for developing and commercializing Good's lead program, which seeks to make oncology drugs that target PD-1 proteins more effective, such as Keytruda or Opdivo.
Roche pays $55M for late-stage drug for rare kidney disease with no approved treatment
An Ionis Pharmaceuticals drug has positive Phase 2 results in immunoglobulin A nephropathy, leading Roche to exercise its option to license the rights to the molecule. The pharmaceutical giant gets a contender in the chase to win the first regulatory approval of a therapy for this rare kidney disease.
Roche bispecific drug Lunsumio lands European nod in follicular lymphoma
Follicular lymphoma patients in Europe now have a new treatment option. The European Commission approved Roche drug Lunsumio, a bispecific antibody designed to go after two targets to treat advanced cases of this type of cancer.
Repare relinquishes cancer drug to Roche, gets $125M to finance growing pipeline
Roche’s deep oncology pipeline is adding a drug candidate from Repare Therapeutics that works by interfering with a DNA repair mechanism of cancer cells. Repare receives $125 million up front and it retains the right to share in the development and commercialization of the drug, camonsertib.
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Transforming Patient Care: The Role of AI-Powered Assistants
The progress in artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping patient care, across various dimensions, from facilitating faster discharge to curating treatment plans and suggesting lifestyle changes.
FDA nod for Roche drug expands its use to babies with spinal muscular atrophy
Roche drug Evrysdi, one of three FDA-approved treatments for spinal muscular atrophy, is now approved for treating those younger than 2 months of age. The regulatory decision puts the oral drug on equal footing with SMA drugs from Novartis and Biogen.
ASCO 2022 ahead: Clinical trial updates and data readouts to watch for
The American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting begins this week, including the presentation of more than 2,800 abstracts. Amgen, Roche, and Sierra Oncology are among the companies with key presentations at this year’s gathering.
Closely watched Roche drug fails a second pivotal test in lung cancer
Roche reported that its drug tiragolumab failed to achieve one of two main goals of a Phase 3 study in non-small cell lung cancer. The antibody is designed to block TIGIT, a checkpoint protein that has been a hot target for pharmaceutical companies looking for a way to broaden the reach of cancer immunotherapy.
Roche breast cancer drug fails in Phase 2 following similar stumble by rival Sanofi
Experimental Roche drug giredestrant failed to meet the main goal of a Phase 2 study in advanced breast cancer. The disappointing results allow competitors to gain ground in the field of companies developing oral selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs), drugs that block a receptor key to driving breast cancer growth.
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Market Trends to Watch for Health Systems and Their Specialty Pharmacies
The future looks bright for the integrated specialty pharmacy model – for health systems, providers, and most importantly, for patients.
Sanofi’s hemophilia A data set stage for regulatory filings, matchup with Roche
An experimental hemophilia A therapy from Sanofi and partner Sobi has met the goals of a pivotal study, and the pharmaceutical giant is now planning global regulatory submissions for later this year. The drug could compete against a blockbuster hemophilia A treatment marketed by Roche.
Freenome gets $290M from Roche as it preps blood-based cancer test’s next steps
A month after Freenome closed $300 million in financing, Roche has invested another $290 million in the diagnostics developer. The cash infusion comes as Freenome continues a pivotal test in colorectal cancer while it also readies for clinical trials in other types of cancer.
Novartis is cashing out of Roche for $21B, 20 years after mega-merger that never happened
Novartis’s equity stake in Roche, shares acquired 20 years ago in a strategy to build up to a potential mega-merger, will be sold back to the company in a $20.7 billion deal. The cash proceeds could fuel Novartis R&D, as well as potential dealmaking.
Roche bets $300M on Adaptimmune tech for off-the-shelf cell therapies for cancer
Roche is partnering with Adaptimmune Therapeutics to develop allogeneic cell therapies based on Adaptimmune’s technology. In addition to these “off-the-shelf” products, the partners will also develop a personalized allogeneic cell therapy designed specifically for a patient’s cancer.
Roche antibody gets FDA authorization for treating hospitalized Covid-19 patients
The FDA has granted emergency use authorization to a Roche antibody as a treatment for hyperinflammation in patients hospitalized with severe Covid-19. The drug, Actemra, is an anti-inflammatory medication already approved for treating rheumatoid arthritis.