Industry news

Big Pharma Continues to Invest in Immuno-Oncology Innovation

Peter Winter / BioWorld

Big pharmas are continuing to exhibit a healthy appetite for deal making, particularly for early stage therapeutic assets. Last week, for example, Merck & Co. Inc. scooped up a small Israeli biotech, Ccam Biotherapeutics Ltd., to add its immuno-oncology (I-O) pipeline. The space is hot and like many big pharmas, Merck is “scouring the world, looking for immunomodulatory agents,” according to Eric Rubin, vice president and therapeutic area head of oncology early stage development at Merck Research Laboratories. 

Powerful cancer alliance joins cost-effectiveness drug crusade

Tracy Staton / Fierce Pharma

The American Society of Clinical Oncology unveiled its framework for assessing cancer drugs earlier this summer, breaking new ground in helping doctors size up competing treatments. Now, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network is going a few steps farther.

Chinese market jitters on surprise RMB drop; Q2 pharma sales lag

Cornelia Zou / BioWorld

An unexpected and large drop this week in the reference rate for the value of the Chinese renminbi (RMB) underscored the pressures that companies are facing in a market that remains key to both business and global economic growth.

Majority in U.S. favor government steps to cut drug prices

Eric Palmer / FeircePharma

The evidence is mounting that when it comes to drug prices, Americans have had enough and are not going to take it anymore. The latest poll on drug prices from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that a majority of Americans, including those not even taking prescription drugs, think prices are too high and a nearly 75% think it is time the government take steps to do something about it. 

Life sciences slated as first Alphabet spin-out after Google reorg

Stacy Lawrence / Fierce Medical Devices

Life sciences will be a keystone to the newly re-conceptualized Google. Under the umbrella of the parent company Alphabet, life sciences will be the first standalone company to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the search-engine focused Google.

24 August 2015

Syndax Enters Clinical Trial Collaboration in Cancer Immunotherapy Combining Entinostat and Atezolizumab

Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing entinostat as a combination therapy in multiple cancer indications, announced today that it has entered into a clinical collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to evaluate the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of Syndax's entinostat, an oral small molecule that targets immune regulatory cells (myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs)), in combination with Genentech's atezolizumab (MPDL3280A), a fully humanized monoclonal antibody targeting protein programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

24 August 2015

Syndax Raises $80 Million In Series C Financing

Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing entinostat as a combination therapy in multiple cancer indications, announced today that it has completed an $80 millionSeries C financing. The financing was led by Fidelity Management & Research Company and Delos Capital Fund LP with participation from EcoR1 Capital, OrbiMed, Jennison Associates (on behalf of certain clients), Tavistock Life Sciences, Arrowpoint Partners, Cormorant Asset Management, BioMed Ventures and undisclosed top-tier mutual funds, as well as existing investors Domain Associates, MPM Capital, RusnanoMedInvest (RMI) and Forward Ventures.

From Hope to Cures: The Value of Biopharmaceutical Innovation

Ieva M. Augstums / PhRMA

Biopharmaceutical innovation means more than helping patients lead longer, healthier, more productive lives. Through the continued development of new treatments and cures, each discovery contributes valuable knowledge to the research and development process--improving patients’ lives, advancing medical innovation and fueling economic growth. 

CRS: Something's got to give on pricing of specialty drugs

Mari Serebrov / BioWorld

With specialty drugs taking an ever bigger bite of the U.S. prescription drug spend, pressure is mounting for more controls on pricing. Overall, U.S. prescription drug spending last year rose by 13 percent from the previous year, the steepest increase since 2001, according to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. That growth was driven by a 26.5 percent increase in spending for specialty drugs, due in large part to new hepatitis C drugs.

Chinese regulators easing multi-region clinical trial hurdles

EJ Lane / FeircePharmaAsia

China's move to spur drug approvals is seen as a breakthrough on accepting multi-region clinical trial processes as part of an effort to clear nearly 20,000 medicine approval requests pending and allowing more innovative therapies to reach the market, according to a briefing by the country's State Council, or cabinet.