Massachusetts
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How Mass General Brigham Is Integrating Behavioral Care Into Its Primary Care Model
Mass General Brigham launched a program this month in collaboration with behavioral health medical group Concert Health. Under the program, more than 400 Mass General primary care providers can refer their patients to Concert. The health system’s goal is to increase patients’ access to diagnoses and treatment for mild to moderate behavioral health issues — particularly for Medicaid patients, who are the most underserved.
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Thermo Fisher Adds Proteomics to Its Portfolio Through $3.1B Olink Acquisition
Thermo Fisher Scientific is acquiring Olink, a company that provides proteomics analysis tools and services used in drug discovery research. Olink’s growing revenue will help shore up a Thermo Fisher business segment whose sales have fallen due to declining Covid-19 testing demand.
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Jorie Healthcare CEO Shares Why Automation is Critical to Revenue Cycle Management
The revenue cycle management business is using AI tools to automate cumbersome tasks to help hospitals operate more efficiently. It’s beginning to attract the attention of major healthcare organizations.
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FDA Rejection Is a Delay, Not a Detour for Alnylam’s Aim to Treat Heart Disorder
Despite an affirmative FDA advisory committee vote, the agency declined to approve Alnylam Pharmaceuticals’ Onpattro for treating the heart complications caused by a rare, inherited protein disorder. But Alnylam has other drugs candidates for the disease, including one expected to post Phase 3 data in the first half of 2024.
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Apellis Lays Off 25% of Staff and Turns Focus to Commercializing New Eye Drug
The Apellis Pharmaceuticals restructuring will save up to $300 million. It comes as the biotech continues its inquiry into the cause of a rare inflammatory complication reported in a small number of patients who received its geographic atrophy drug, Syfovre.
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Alltrna Unveils $109M to Make tRNA a Universal Therapy for Genetic Diseases
Flagship Pioneering-founded Alltrna is developing tRNA therapies to address genetic diseases driven by truncated versions of proteins. By addressing an aberrant genetic instruction underpinning many diseases, the startup is developing what it describes as a potential “universal solution.”
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Sage, Biogen Drug Is Now the First Approved Oral Med for Postpartum Depression
Sage Therapeutics’ Zurzuvae is the biotech’s second FDA approved product for postpartum depression, following the 2019 nod for IV-infused Zulresso. But in a blow to the multi-billion dollar partnership between Sage and Biogen, Zurzuvae did not win an additional approval in major depressive disorder.
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Devices & Diagnostics, Artificial Intelligence, BioPharma
Newly Public Allurion Aims to Show How Med Tech Can Complement Obesity Drugs
Allurion Technologies has commercialized a gastric balloon in the form of a pill that patients swallow. But the weight loss platform from the now NYSE-listed company also includes AI-driven software that provides insights about a patient’s progress, technology with the potential for use alongside obesity drugs.
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Biogen Bulks Up in Rare Disease With $7.3B Reata Pharmaceuticals Acquisition
Biogen’s Reata Pharmaceuticals acquisition brings Skyclarys, the first and only FDA-approved therapy for the rare neuromuscular disease Friedreich’s ataxia. Biogen says Skyclarys complements the other neuromuscular drugs in its portfolio.
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Roche Expands Into RNAi Through Alnylam Alliance on Hypertension Drug
Alnylam pioneered RNA interference drugs for rare disease. The biotech aims to bring RNAI to prevalent disorders and its alliance with Roche on the drug zilebesiran for hypertension better positions the company to achieve this goal.
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Navigating Healthcare’s Data Revolution: Priorities, Opportunities, and Challenges for Health Systems
Arcadia recently partnered with HIMSS Market Insights to survey executives, IT, technology, and clinical leaders. Here’s what we found.
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Pfizer, Flagship Team Up in $100M R&D Pact: 10 New Drugs for Unmet Needs
Pfizer and Flagship Pioneering are partnering in a drug research alliance leveraging the capabilities of the more than 40 biotech startups in the venture capital firm’s portfolio. The new partners aim to develop drugs for unmet needs, including those in broad patient populations.
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FDA Lifts Partial Hold on Curis Drug, Clearing Way for Phase 2 Leukemia Study
A partial clinical trial hold has been lifted from cancer drug emavusertib and Curis has selected a dose to use in Phase 2 testing. The small molecule is being developed as a potential treatment for blood cancers.
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Thermo Fisher Adds Real-World Evidence to Remit Via $912M CorEvitas Acquisition
CorEvitas brings Thermo Fisher Scientific registries that gather data about how approved therapies are working in the real world. The acquisition will complement PPD, the contract research organization that Thermo Fisher purchased in 2021.
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Eli Lilly to Buy Sigilon, Betting the Biotech Can Overcome a Cell Therapy Limitation
Eli Lilly is expanding its diabetes prospects by acquiring cell therapy developer Sigilon Therapeutics. The two companies are already partners in the development of a type 1 diabetes cell therapy currently in preclinical development.
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Immunology & Inflammation Biotech Apogee Plans IPO to Demo Dosing Edge in Eczema
Apogee Therapeutics is planning an IPO to fund clinical development of biologic drugs that could offer dosing advantages over currently available immunology and inflammation drugs. Its lead program is being prepared for Phase 1 testing in atopic dermatitis, or eczema.
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FDA Approves First Gene Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Sarepta Therapeutics’ Elevidys is now the first FDA-approved gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Elevidys is an engineered version of a gene intended to restore function lost to the mutation at the root of the inherited muscle disease.