Tyler Patchen

Aug 12, 2024 | biospace.com | Tyler Patchen

Halda Therapeutics, a Connecticut-based biotech founded by Yale professor and entrepreneur Craig Crews, announced Monday that it has raised $126 million in a Series B extension to move two candidates into clinical trials for patients with prostate and breast cancer. The biotech has been developing a new class of cancer therapies known as Regulated Induced Proximity Targeting Chimeras (RIPTAC).

Aug 9, 2024 | biospace.com | Tyler Patchen

Medicare expenditures on Johnson & Johnson’s biologic Stelara, used for treating psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, have skyrocketed nearly tenfold from $300 million in 2016 to almost $3 billion in 2023. A report released Friday by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General has found big differences in the methods used to set drug payment amounts under Medicare Part B versus Part D.

Aug 8, 2024 | biospace.com | Tyler Patchen

Merck announced Thursday that it is ending a late-stage trial of its blockbuster Keytruda, anti-TIGIT antibody vibostolimab and chemotherapy in the first line treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, after a recommendation from an independent data monitoring committee. The Phase III KeyVibe-008 trial compared the anti-TIGIT, Keytruda and chemo combination against Roche’s Tecentriq.

Aug 7, 2024 | biospace.com | Tyler Patchen

Merck’s Q2 earnings last week began with good news as the cancer drug Keytruda and its HPV vaccine Gardasil continued to pull in billions of dollars in sales. However, management did note an issue with Gardasil. On the earnings call, Merck CFO Caroline Litchfield said there was a “significant step down” in shipments from its distributor in China, causing “above-normal inventory levels” of Gardasil.

Aug 7, 2024 | biospace.com | Tyler Patchen

Another election season is well underway for the American public, with the presidential race now seemingly between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. With the ramp-up of the campaign season come donations from thousands of interested parties, and, unsurprisingly, political action committees and individuals with ties to the pharma industry have been among those contributing millions to campaigns.