This week in pharma… 2nd December

2nd December, 2022

In this week’s news,  Genezen appointed Jeff Whitmore as Chief Commercial Officer, CDMO Micro-Sphere has launched a 200 sq ft research and development (R&D) lab, and more.

Genezen, a cell and gene therapy Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) specializing in lentiviral and retroviral vector manufacturing, continues to scale and expand its commercial operations with the appointment of Jeff Whitmore as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). 

CDMO Micro-Sphere has launched a 200 sq ft research and development (R&D) lab to strengthen its services in formulation development and inhalation. 

“We are excellently placed to offer the experience and expertise our customers need for the efficient delivery of clinical and commercial products.” Micro-Sphere MD Michael Grassberger. 

Andelyn Biosciences Inc., a patient-focused gene therapy Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization, will help the INADcure Foundation bring the first-ever gene therapy for the treatment of Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy (INAD) to clinical trials. 

FDA approves first gene therapy for hemophilia B. The treatment, which is for the less common “B” form of the bleeding disorder, will be sold in the U.S. by maker CSL for $3.5 million. 

“We still need to do epidemiological follow-up on a global scale for patients who undergo gene therapy to make sure that we don’t see some accumulating safety signal in malignancy or any other adverse event risk,” Michigan’s Pipe. 

As patent barriers protecting the world’s best-selling drug topple, biosimilars rush in. AbbVie’s adalimumab, known to the world as Humira, is an immunosuppressive drug approved to treat many illnesses, including debilitating diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, plaque psoriasis, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Also in the news

Regeneron and CytomX Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology, announced a collaboration and licensing agreement on Nov. 17, 2022.  

Susan Kovats explores the role of sex hormones in autoimmunity to guide the development of therapeutics for lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, and other diseases that preferentially affect women.

CDMO trends

Medeologix acquired three Silicon Valley medical device CDMO companies and established one-stop shop mass production facilities in Taiwan.

After Fosun sale rumors, Gland says it’s ‘not aware’ of any talks -while striking its own $120M M&A play.