| | | |   | Good morning, one and all. Damian here. This week's busy earnings schedule has prompted pharmaceutical CEOs to find newer and more creative ways to say, yes, we noticed biotech got cheaper, but no, that doesn't mean we think it's more valuable. More as it develops. | | | How many billions are contained in a ‘bolt’? For Novartis, recently furnished with $21 billion in unexpected cash, the world is full of armchair CEOs. Analysts have traversed the biotech phone book in search of acquisitions reasonable and otherwise, making the case for disparate drug makers that might deserve to be the company’s next big acquisition.
However Vas Narasimhan, who happens to be Novartis’ actual CEO, apparently sees things differently. “Our focus is not larger M&A,” Narasimhan said during the company’s quarterly earnings presentation yesterday. “Our focus is bolt-on deals.”
That leaves Wall Street to ponder what constitutes a “bolt-on” for Novartis, a multinational pharmaceutical giant worth more than $200 billion. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, an oft-mentioned potential target, is valued at about $17 billion. And BioMarin Pharmaceutical, another analyst pick for Novartis, is worth about $16 billion on its own. Whether either fits Narasimhan’s definition is anyone’s guess. | The dream of the 2000s is alive in oncology It was June 2000. "Maria Maria" topped the Billboard charts, no one knew what a “hanging chad” was, and scientists believed they were on the verge of curing every cancer thanks to the mapping of the human genome. Each of those things would in time present a lesson in humility. But at least in genomics, the promises of the early century might finally be coming good.
Speaking at a STAT event on the future of cancer biomarkers, oncologists pointed to the growing number of known cancer-related genetic mutations — ROS1, EGFR, NTRK — as signs that science is finally wrapping its mind around the implications of widely available tumor sequencing. And the corresponding increase in medicines targeting those mutations suggests progress toward the lofty goals of 2000.
“It’s almost like back to the future,” said Anna Barker, an oncologist who serves as chief strategy officer at the Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC. “Where we would like to have been 21 years ago is where we are now.”
Read more. | Advanced clinical solutions powered by healthcare intelligence — delivered seamlessly ICON is the world’s largest and most comprehensive clinical research organization, powered by Healthcare Intelligence. Leveraging their human expertise, robust clinical capabilities, and insightful data resources, ICON is expanding the possibilities of clinical research without sacrificing the vital, day-to-day functions of today’s CROs. Learn more. | A decade after CAR-T, doctors are using the C-word Doug Olson was the second person in the world to receive CAR-T cancer therapy when he underwent treatment for his leukemia in 2010. His long-term results, published in Nature yesterday, elicited a rare statement from CAR-T pioneer Carl June: “We can say it was a cure for Doug.”
As STAT’s Angus Chen reports, researchers tracked Olson and another patient for a decade, finding that year after year, the CAR-T cells persisted, actively watching for cancer cells. The first patient treated with CAR-T, Bill Ludwig, also remained cancer-free until his death from Covid-19 in January 2021.
It’s a landmark result for what remains a nascent field in cancer treatment. But the dramatic results for Olson and Ludwig also underline the many outstanding questions facing CAR-T. The treatment has saved the lives of patients with certain tumor types, but efforts to translate that success to other cancers have been hit or miss.
Read more. | The pig organ boom has left one pioneer on the sidelines Back in 2015, when the prospect of growing human-friendly organs in pigs faced daunting biological hurdles, scientist Luhan Yang co-founded a biotech startup dedicated to making it a practical reality. Seven years later, amid a flurry of firsts for the field known as xenotransplantation, Yang is watching from the sidelines.
As STAT’s Megan Molteni reports, a series of unforeseen obstacles, including the outbreak of a deadly pig disease, led Yang’s company, Qihan Biotech, to quietly put its xenotransplantation work on hold and pivot to cell therapy. But that’s just for now.
“I have huge admiration for the groups that made the recent breakthroughs,” Yang said. “I believe that we will rejoin the efforts to make a positive impact for the patients and families who are waiting.”
Read more. | More reads - Convenience comes at a price: First injectable for HIV prevention isn’t cost-effective, analysis claims. STAT+
- AbbVie forecasts 2022 profit above estimates on strong sales of Botox, Skyrizi. Reuters
- Key lawmaker: ARPA-H won’t be part of NIH. STAT
| Thanks for reading! Until tomorrow,  | | | |
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