Selina Koch

San Francisco

Executive Editor at BioCentury

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Articles

From tools to targets: Dementia Discovery Fund’s approach to de-risking neurology investments

3 weeks ago | biocentury.com | Selina Koch

ARTICLE | FinanceSV Health Investors’ Jonathan Behr on speeding development through precision strategies — and managing risk across a dementia-focused portfolio By Selina Koch, Executive EditorIn a challenging period for biotech’s specialist investors, the recent announcement that SV Health Investors’ Dementia Discovery Fund had closed a second fund stands out as a bright spot — especially given the historically perceived high risk of a dementia-focused strategy.
Stealth CRL raises questions about FDA’s implementation of rare disease policies

1 month ago | biocentury.com | Selina Koch

ARTICLE | RegulationBiotech’s regulatory odyssey in Barth syndrome exemplifies the problems Makary has vowed to fix By Steve Usdin, Washington EditorFDA has issued a complete response letter for elamipretide, sending patients with Barth syndrome, along with the drug’s developer, Stealth Biotherapeutics, careening around another unexpected turn on the regulatory rollercoaster.
Can Europe step in if U.S. drug pricing cracks? A Perspective

1 month ago | biocentury.com | Selina Koch

ARTICLE | Editor's CommentaryFragmented systems limit Europe’s launch appeal — but targeted, regional actions could strengthen its position, help preserve access to innovation By Selina Koch, Executive EditorInvestors breathed a sigh of relief when last week’s MFN executive order appeared too vague to advance. But make no mistake: drug price controls remain a U.S. political priority.
Makary takes reorg off the table, leaving many empty seats to fill

1 month ago | biocentury.com | Selina Koch

ARTICLE | RegulationThe FDA commissioner says he’ll retain existing structure, which will require recruiting staff to fill critical positions By Steve Usdin, Washington EditorFDA Commissioner Marty Makary has rejected a staff proposal to reorganize the agency, he said in a recent interview. The proposed reorganization, which circulated widely on Capitol Hill, alarmed former FDA leaders and biopharma CEOs who predicted that it would render the agency dysfunctional.
Is tau approaching a tipping point in Alzheimer’s drug development?

2 months ago | biocentury.com | Selina Koch

ARTICLE | Product DevelopmentAn advancing wave of new candidates, spanning diverse modalities, converges with push for surrogate endpoint status By Selina Koch, Executive EditorIs tau the new amyloid? Leaders in the Alzheimer’s field have high conviction in tau — both as a target and surrogate endpoint — and they aren’t letting a string of clinical misses deter them. Sound familiar?
Alzheimer's Research Pulled Into Political Crossfire As NIH Cuts Accelerate

2 months ago | zephyrnet.com | Selina Koch

ARTICLE | Discovery & TranslationBy Selina Koch, Executive EditorAs it terminates NIH grants, the Trump administration has largely targeted politically charged areas such as DEI and COVID-19 research. Yet, Alzheimer's disease research - with no direct ties to these issues - has also been swept up in the purge, with more such projects, in Alzheimer's and other diseases, almost certain to follow.
Alzheimer’s research pulled into political crossfire as NIH cuts accelerate

2 months ago | biocentury.com | Selina Koch

ARTICLE | Discovery & TranslationAlzheimer’s research joins list of NIH-funded projects disrupted by terminations, freezes By Selina Koch, Executive EditorAs it terminates NIH grants, the Trump administration has largely targeted politically charged areas such as DEI and COVID research. Yet Alzheimer’s disease research — with no direct ties to these issues — has also been swept up in the purge, with more such projects, in Alzheimer’s and other diseases, almost certain to follow.
Biopharma indexes rally to end white-knuckle week

2 months ago | biocentury.com | Selina Koch

DATA GRAPHICS | Data ByteAfter series of tariff announcements continued to roil markets, Friday’s gains returned the XBI and NBI nearly to midweek highs By Paul Bonanos, Director of Biopharma IntelligenceBiotech indexes capped a volatile week with gains during Friday’s session, although their performance remains worse than the broader markets since President Trump announced widespread tariffs on April 2.
Amid Alzheon Alzheimer’s setback, PIs see new surrogate endpoint

2 months ago | biocentury.com | Selina Koch

ARTICLE | Product DevelopmentBut study’s PIs argue for hippocampal volume as a new surrogate endpoint By Selina Koch, Executive EditorAlzheon’s amyloid-targeting therapy has missed its efficacy endpoints in a Phase III Alzheimer’s trial, but the study’s PIs believe the molecule produced clinically meaningful benefit in a subgroup of early-stage patients. They argue the therapy’s efficacy is backed by a biomarker that could serve as a new surrogate endpoint.
CVRs heavily discounted in biopharma M&A deals: Data Byte

Mar 20, 2025 | biocentury.com | Selina Koch

DATA GRAPHICS | Data ByteAfter a takeout is announced, the target company’s share price hews much closer to the deal price without the CVR than with it By Selina Koch, Executive EditorContingent value rights have once again become a popular way to bridge the valuation gap in negotiations for biopharma M&A transactions, but public investors appear to place little value on them, according to a BioCentury analysis.