Unity CEO Anirvan Ghosh, Ph.D.

While showing early promise, Senolytics is a new field and most of the research is still in academic centers – most notably, the Mayo Clinic.

Siemens Healthineers

Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Medtronic was also open to a sale at the right price and the businesses could be valued at more than $7 billion. The two businesses were also drawing interest from private-equity firms, according to the report.

In a head-to-head comparison trial, BeiGene’s Brukinsa (zanubrutinib) bested Janssen’s Imbruvica (ibrutinib) in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic leukemia (SLL). 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s panel of outside experts did not lend its support to Cytokinetics Inc.’s heart drug, citing insufficient data on safety and efficacy.

Multimillion-dollar gene therapies being tested for sickle cell disease will be cost-effective in the United States if health disparities tied in part to decreased access to healthcare are taken into account, researchers said at a meeting of blood-disease specialists.

Moderna

A combination of Moderna’s melanoma vaccine and Merck’s immunotherapy Keytruda cut the risk of skin cancer’s recurrence or death by 44% compared with Keytruda alone in a mid-stage trial.

Diversity

Even as their clients are trying to make clinical trials more diverse and equitable, agencies are continuing their DE&I efforts to build a culture where diverse talent is welcomed.

Janssen

Co-developed by J&J’s Janssen and AbbVie’s Pharmacyclics, ibrutinib stood out across several presentations at the 64th American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting Saturday and Sunday.

NASH

As a result of the industry’s steady progress in the clinic, coupled with the enormous commercial opportunity inherent in NASH, NASH stocks soared over the course of 2014 to 2018. Then, the bottom fell out.

Roche

Exelixis’ cancer portfolio stumbled Thursday as the Alameda, CA-based company reported that a Phase III study of cabozantinib in combination with Roche’s Tecentriq (atezolizumab) failed to hit the primary endpoint of overall survival in second-line non-small cell lung cancer.