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Welcome to the latest edition of the BioLines Weekender...
Earlier this week, BioNJ opened registration for our first live (fingers crossed that we do not need to revert to a virtual experience) event of 2021! Please join us on Friday, October 15, for BioNJ's Ninth Annual C-Suite Summit, where we'll reflect on this past year's successes and challenges, discuss the next wave of innovation across the value chain and share thoughts on how the industry can deepen and scale its commitment to delivering a positive impact for society. Click here for the program agenda and growing list of speakers. We are looking forward to seeing you and your colleagues in-person!
Meanwhile, having had to miss this year's Innovation Celebration due to COVID-19, we are excited to open nominations for the 2022 Dr. Sol J. Barer Award for Vision, Innovation and Leadership!
Named for Dr. Sol J. Barer, former BioNJ Chairman and former Chairman of Celgene Corporation, the 2022 Dr. Sol J. Barer Award for Vision, Innovation and Leadership will be presented at BioNJ's 29th Annual Dinner Meeting and Innovation Celebration on Thursday, February 2, 2022, at the Hilton East Brunswick. The Award recognizes outstanding biopharma industry business leaders who have made significant contributions to his or her own organization as well as to the growth and prosperity of the industry in New Jersey and beyond. Please submit your nomination to [email protected]. Describe in 250 words or less why you think your nominee qualifies for the Dr. Sol J. Barer Award. Click here for details.
We have an action-packed calendar of events coming up. We are excited to offer numerous topics impacting the industry. Come learn, network and collaborate!
Because Patients Can' Wait®,
The BioNJ Team
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 | BioNJ Calendar |  |
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Human Resources Briefing: Working Together to Meet the Challenges Posed by the Continuing Pandemic
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September 13, 2021
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Clinical Development Briefing
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September 23, 2021
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Manufacturing Briefing: Pandemic-Induced Innovation & Adaptation
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September 29, 2021
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C-Suite Summit: Transitioning to the "Next Norm"
(BioNJ's First In-Person Event in 2021!)
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October 15, 2021
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IT/Cyber Security Briefing
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November 17, 2021
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Membership Webinar
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November 18, 2021
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Inspiring Women in STEM Conference
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December 3, 2021
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Patient Advocacy Summit
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December 9, 2021
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Take Action to Stop COVID-19 and Save Lives! Visit and share BioNJ's COVID-19 Vaccine Toolbox for educational information.
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 | Putting Patients First: The Value of Medical Innovation |  |
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Last week, ICER issued its Final Evidence Report on aducanumab, a first-of-its-kind medication created to treat Alzheimer's disease. Following its typical process for gathering information, ICER found that the manufacturer's proposed pricing would "not be in alignment with its clinical benefits." These findings are questionable for several reasons. While the report acknowledges that Alzheimer's is a debilitating, insidious disease that creates massive burdens for patients, families, caregivers and society, it fails to take most of those factors into account in its pricing analysis. This is not surprising given ICER's standard approach. But, with a condition like Alzheimer's, ICER's failure to fully incorporate the perspective of patients and those who care for them in its valuation is more glaring than usual. The report also fails to consider the current treatment landscape for Alzheimer's patients.
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| BioNJ in the News |  |
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Op-ed Featured in the Courier Post by BioNJ President and CEO Debbie Hart
"Thank you, science." Three simple words capture the powerful impact that medical innovations have on our health, well-being and quality of life in the time of a pandemic. The incredible efforts of the biopharmaceutical sector over the past year -- and even years before the COVID-19 pandemic -- brought vaccines to market for COVID-19 at a rapid pace. In order to bring an end to the pandemic, it is critical that we ensure broad access to these vaccines across the globe, but we must do so in a way that protects the intellectual property that allowed us to produce the vaccines we have today -- and need tomorrow.
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 PharmaVOICE is pleased to recognize our Red Jacket Award honorees. This hall-of-fame award, introduced in 2014, honors individuals who cross a multitude of industry sectors who are raising the bar in terms of what it means to be an inspired leader for their teams, their companies, their communities and for the industry at large. They are inspired leaders for today and tomorrow.
Congratulations to BioNJ President and CEO Debbie Hart for being recognized as one of seven PharmaVOICE's 2021 Red Jacket Honorees! We couldn't be more proud!
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| NJ Company News |  |
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Despite representing roughly 12% of the U.S. adult population, in biopharma, Black professionals account for just 7% of the total workforce and 3% of executive teams. In an initiative designed to increase access to and awareness of the biopharma industry among Black talent and build a diverse talent pipeline, Princeton-based BioNJ Member Bristol Myers Squibb announced its collaboration with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Howard University, Morgan State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to launch Tomorrow's Innovators - a multimillion dollar strategic alliance to attract top HBCU-affiliated talent to the bio-pharma industry in the next five years.
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Princeton-based BioNJ Member Bristol Myers Squibb announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved Opdivo (nivolumab) for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with esophageal or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer who have residual pathologic disease following prior neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). The EC's decision is based on results from the Phase 3 CheckMate -577 trial, which demonstrated that treatment with Opdivo following neoadjuvant CRT and complete surgical resection doubled the primary endpoint of disease-free survival (DFS) compared to placebo in the all-randomized population. The safety profile of Opdivo was consistent with previously reported studies.
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Madison-based BioNJ Member AbbVie announced that SKYRIZI® (risankizumab-rzaa), an interleukin-23 (IL-23) inhibitor, is now available in the U.S. as a single-dose 150 mg injection for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Previously two 75 mg injections per dose, SKYRIZI 150 mg is now administered with one injection per dose -- via either a prefilled pen or syringe -- every 12 weeks following two starter doses. The new SKYRIZI 150 mg pen incorporates wide grip handles, audible cues to help guide the administration process and an indicator to signal when administration is complete.
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Madison-based BioNJ Member AbbVie announced that JAMA Dermatology has published 24-week results from the Phase 3b Heads Up study evaluating the efficacy and safety of RINVOQ® (upadacitinib, 30 mg, once daily) versus DUPIXENT® (dupilumab, 300 mg, every other week) -- both as monotherapy treatments -- in adults with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis who were candidates for systemic therapy. The publication expands upon previously announced topline results and showed upadacitinib (30 mg, once daily) achieved superiority compared to dupilumab for the primary endpoint, the proportion of patients with at least a 75 percent improvement in the Eczema Severity Index (EASI 75) at week 16.
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Titusville-based BioNJ Member Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved UPTRAVI® (selexipag) injection for intravenous (IV) use for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH, WHO Group I) in adult patients with WHO functional class (FC) II-III, who are temporarily unable to take oral therapy. UPTRAVI® IV is a therapeutic option that will allow patients to avoid short-term treatment interruptions and stay on UPTRAVI® therapy, as uninterrupted treatment is considered key for individuals with PAH. UPTRAVI® tablets were first approved by the FDA to delay disease progression and reduce the risk of hospitalization for PAH.
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Warren-based BioNJ Member GlaxoSmithKline announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Nucala (mepolizumab), a monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin-5 (IL-5), as a treatment for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). This new indication for mepolizumab is for the add-on maintenance treatment of CRSwNP in adult patients 18 years of age and older with inadequate response to nasal corticosteroids. Mepolizumab is the first anti-IL-5 biologic to be approved for adult patients with CRSwNP in the U.S.
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Jersey City-based BioNJ Member SCYNEXIS, Inc. announced grants of stock options to five new employees to purchase an aggregate of 24,500 shares of SCYNEXIS common stock at a per share exercise price of $6.97, the closing trading price. The stock options were granted as material inducements to the new employees to accept SCYNEXIS' offers of employment. Each option has a ten-year term, with one-fourth of the shares subject to the option vesting on the one-year anniversary of the employee's first date of employment and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments for thirty-six months thereafter, provided the employee continues to provide service to SCYNEXIS.
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Princeton-based BioNJ Member Oyster Point Pharma, Inc. announced an exclusive license and collaboration agreement with Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals (Ji Xing) to develop and commercialize OC-01 (varenicline) and OC-02 (simpinicline) nasal sprays for the treatment of signs and symptoms of dry eye disease for patients in Greater China. Ji Xing is a biotechnology company headquartered in Shanghai and founded by RTW Investments, LP (RTW), focused on bringing breakthrough medicines to underserved Chinese patients with refractory, serious and life-threatening diseases.
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Lawrenceville-based BioNJ Member Celsion announced the publication of data from its Phase 1b OVATION 1 Study with GEN-1 in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in patients with advanced ovarian cancer in Clinical Cancer Research. The study, authored by Premel H. Thaker, et al. is titled "GEN-1 in Combination with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Patients with Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Phase I Dose-Escalation Study." GEN-1 is a DNA-based interleukin-12 (IL-12) immunotherapy currently in Phase I/II clinical development for the localized treatment of advanced ovarian cancer (the OVATION 2 Study).
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BioNJ Member Pfizer Inc., with offices in Peapack, and Vivet Therapeutics announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to VTX-801, Vivet's clinical-stage gene therapy for the treatment of Wilson Disease -- a rare, genetic disorder that reduces the ability of the liver and other tissues to regulate copper levels, causing severe hepatic damage, neurological symptoms, and potentially death. The FDA's Fast Track program is designed to facilitate the development, and expedite the review of, novel potential therapies that are designed to treat serious conditions and fill unmet medical need. VTX-801 is a novel investigational gene therapy to be evaluated in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial to determine the safety, tolerability and pharmacological activity of a single intravenous infusion in adult patients with Wilson Disease. Pfizer is collaborating with Vivet on the clinical supply of VTX-801 for the Phase 1/2 clinical trial.
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BioNJ Member Pfizer Inc., with offices in Peapack, announced positive top-line results from the Phase 2b/3 ALLEGRO trial evaluating oral once-daily ritlecitinib in patients with alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease driven by an immune attack on the hair follicles that causes hair loss on the scalp and can also affect the face and body. Ritlecitinib 50 mg and 30 mg achieved the primary efficacy endpoint of the study, namely the proportion of patients with less than or equal to 20 percent scalp hair loss after six months of treatment versus placebo. The Phase 2b/3 ALLEGRO trial met the primary efficacy endpoint of improving scalp hair regrowth.
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Princeton-based BioNJ Member Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. and Synaffix B.V. announced the signing of a license and option agreement. In exchange for the license signature fee, Synaffix will initially provide target-specific rights to its proprietary ADC technologies, enabling Kyowa Kirin to evaluate two of its antibodies as proprietary ADC therapeutic candidates within its pipeline. Kyowa Kirin may expand the deal with additional ADC targets at a later point in time. The technologies licensed from Synaffix include GlycoConnect™, HydraSpace™, and multiple toxSYN™ linker-payloads, which allow for the drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) to be tailored to 1, 2 or 4 to optimize the therapeutic index of the ADC.
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Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member Eli Lilly announced results from an additional cohort of 101 adult patients from the COV-BARRIER trial. In this sub-study, patients with COVID-19 on mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) who received baricitinib plus standard of care were 46 percent less likely to die by Day 28 compared to patients who received placebo plus standard of care (nominal p-value=0.0296; hazard ratio [HR] [95% CI] = 0.54 [0.31, 0.96]; analysis not adjusted for multiplicity). The cumulative proportion of patients who died by Day 28 was 39.2 percent (n/N: 20/51) in the baricitinib arm versus 58 percent in the placebo arm (n/N: 29/50).
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Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member Sanofi announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Nexviazyme® (avalglucosidase alfa-ngpt) for the treatment of patients one year of age and older with late-onset Pompe disease, a progressive and debilitating muscle disorder that impairs a person's ability to move and breathe. Nexviazyme is an enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) designed to specifically target the mannose-6-phosphate (M6P) receptor, the key pathway for cellular uptake of enzyme replacement therapy in Pompe disease. Nexviazyme has been shown in clinical trials to provide patients with improvements in respiratory function and walking distance.
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As part of Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member Sanofi's endeavor to accelerate the application of messenger RNA (mRNA) to develop therapeutics and vaccines, the company has entered into a definitive agreement with Translate Bio, a clinical-stage mRNA therapeutics company, under which Sanofi will acquire all outstanding shares of Translate Bio for $38.00 per share in cash, which represents a total equity value of approximately $3.2 billion (on a fully diluted basis). In June 2018, Sanofi and Translate Bio entered into a collaboration and exclusive license agreement to develop mRNA vaccines which was further expanded in 2020 to broadly address current and future infectious diseases.
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Kenilworth-based BioNJ Member Merck & Co. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review a new supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) seeking approval for KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, as a single agent for the treatment of patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma that is microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR), who have disease progression following prior systemic therapy in any setting and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation. The application is based on overall response data from Cohorts D and K of the KEYNOTE-158 trial.
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Kenilworth-based BioNJ Member Merck & Co. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted and granted priority review for a new supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, for the adjuvant treatment of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at intermediate-high or high risk of recurrence following nephrectomy (surgical removal of a kidney), or following nephrectomy and resection of metastatic lesions. This sBLA is based on data from the pivotal Phase 3 KEYNOTE-564 trial, in which KEYTRUDA demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in disease-free survival (DFS) compared to placebo.
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Kenilworth-based BioNJ Member Merck & Co. announced that the Phase 3 KEYNOTE-716 trial investigating KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, met its primary endpoint of recurrence-free survival (RFS) for the adjuvant treatment of patients with surgically resected high-risk stage II melanoma. At an interim analysis, treatment with KEYTRUDA as a single agent showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in RFS compared with placebo as adjuvant therapy for these patients. No new safety signals were observed. Based on these data, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted a new supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for KEYTRUDA for the adjuvant treatment of adult and pediatric (12 years and older) patients with stage IIB or IIC melanoma following complete resection.
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Kenilworth-based BioNJ Member Merck & Co. and Eisai announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the combination of KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, plus LENVIMA, the orally available multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor discovered by Eisai, for the first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The approval is based on results from the pivotal Phase 3 CLEAR (Study 307)/KEYNOTE-581 trial, in which KEYTRUDA plus LENVIMA demonstrated statistically significant improvements versus sunitinib in the efficacy outcome measures of progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and confirmed objective response rate (ORR).
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Woodcliff Lake-based Eisai Co., Ltd. has obtained two additional approvals as "a monotherapy for partial-onset seizures" and "an adjunctive treatment / a monotherapy for pediatric indication for partial onset seizures in patients with epilepsy 4 years of age and older" in China from the National Medical Products Administration. Fycompa has already been approved in China as an adjunctive treatment for partial-onset seizures with or without secondarily generalized seizures in patients with epilepsy 12 years of age and older.
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BeiGene, a global biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative cancer medicines worldwide, announced that it plans to build a new campus for research & development and manufacturing at the Princeton West Innovation Campus in Hopewell. BeiGene officials said they have entered into a purchase agreement to acquire an approximately 42-acre site with over 1 million square feet of developable real estate. They intend to build a state-of-the-art facility that is expected to include commercial-stage biologic pharmaceutical manufacturing, clinical R&D and the BeiGene Center for Pharmacovigilance Innovation.
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Ridgefield Park-based BeiGene, Ltd. announced positive topline results from an interim analysis of the Phase 3 SEQUOIA trial comparing BRUKINSA® (zanubrutinib) to bendamustine and rituximab (B+R) in patients with treatment-naïve (TN) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) whose tumor did not exhibit the deletion of chromosome 17p13.1 (del[17p]). With a median follow-up of 25.8 months, the SEQUOIA trial met the primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) as assessed by independent review committee (IRC), as BRUKINSA achieved a highly statistically significant improvement in PFS compared to B+R.
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Summit-based Seqirus presented findings from a new observational safety study conducted in the U.S. that found no unexpected adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant people who were vaccinated with the company's cell-based quadrivalent seasonal influenza vaccine (QIVc) during pregnancy. The prospective observational cohort study evaluated pregnancy outcomes and events of interest in the fetus or infant following vaccination with QIVc during any trimester. "These data provide further reassurance on the safe use of seasonal influenza vaccines in pregnant people," said Christopher Robinson, M.D., MSCR, Charleston Maternal Fetal Medicine and study author.
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Basking Ridge-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published positive detailed results from a Phase 3 trial that assessed the ability of REGEN-COV™ (casirivimab and imdevimab) to prevent COVID-19 infection among household contacts of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. The trial met its primary endpoint, reducing the risk of symptomatic infections by 81% (p<0.001), with a 93% reduction of symptomatic infections after the first week, and no dose-limiting toxicities observed.
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Basking Ridge-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the investigational COVID-19 antibody cocktail REGEN-COV™ (casirivimab and imdevimab). The authorization now includes post-exposure prophylaxis in people at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, who are not fully vaccinated or are not expected to mount an adequate response to vaccination, and have been exposed to a SARS-CoV-2 infected individual, or who are at high risk of exposure to an infected individual because of infection occurring in the same institutional setting (such as in nursing homes or prisons).
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Positive topline results from the head-to-head DESTINY-Breast03 Phase 3 trial showed that ENHERTU® (trastuzumab deruxtecan), the Basking Ridge-based Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited and AstraZeneca HER2 directed antibody drug conjugate (ADC), demonstrated superiority over trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1). At a planned interim analysis, the Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) concluded that DESTINY-Breast03 met the primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS), showing a highly statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in PFS for patients with HER2 positive unresectable and/or metastatic breast cancer previously treated with trastuzumab and a taxane.
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Whippany-based Bayer boosted its drug pipeline with a $2 billion takeover and lifted its outlook for 2021 after sales of prescription medicines recovered from restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bayer now expects sales of 43 billion euros ($50.9 billion) this year, up from 41 billion earlier. Core earnings (EBITDA) before special items are seen at 10.6 billion to 10.9 billion euros, compared with 10.5 billion to 10.8 billion previously. The more optimistic outlook was partly driven by Bayer's pharmaceuticals division, where second-quarter sales rose 16.2% and which is being strengthened with the acquisition of Vividion Therapeutics for up to $2 billion.
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| People in the News |  |
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Princeton-based BioNJ Member Oyster Point Pharma, Inc. announced the appointment of a new Director and Chairperson to its Board of Directors.The Oyster Point Pharma Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Donald Santel as non-executive Chairperson and a Director of the Company and a member of the Compensation Committee. Don joined the Board on July 30, 2021, and will take over as Chairperson as Ali Behbahani, M.D. steps down as Chairperson, remaining a Director of the company.
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Kenilworth-based BioNJ Member Merck & Co. has created the role of Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer and named a former Johnson & Johnson executive to the position. Cristal N. Downing will be a member of the executive team, leading the development, advancement and execution of the company's communications and public affairs strategy. Most recently, Ms. Downing was Vice President, Communications & Public Affairs, Medical Devices, for Johnson & Johnson. In her career, she has more than 20 years of leadership expertise working for organizations including American Express, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo.
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Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., with offices in Basking Ridge, announced that Craig Granowitz, M.D., Ph.D. will join the company as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Granowitz joins Lexicon with deep and successful leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having previously built global medical organizations at three separate companies. Before joining Lexicon, Dr. Granowitz served as chief medical officer at Amarin Corporation plc, where he was a key leader on the company's clinical development programs and held a number of other medical, safety and communications responsibilities.
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| Funding |  |
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The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology today announced that it will open applications for a $1.25 million round of grant funding through its New Jersey Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) Direct Financial Assistance Program on Monday, August 16, 2021. New Jersey start-ups can apply online at https://www.njeda.com/csit. The program provides a $25,000 to $50,000 funding match to New Jersey-based companies that have received federal SBIR/STTR grants.
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The National Institutes of Health's (NIH's) National Cancer Institute (NCI) is collaborating with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) to support the small business community in developing innovative medical device development tools (MDDTs). On Tuesday, August 24, 2021, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET, NCI and CDRH are holding a joint informational webinar to discuss these funding opportunities, MDDT program requirements and small business eligibility criteria.
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| Academia/Institutions/Incubators |  |
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Newark-based BioCentriq™ announced its partnership with McKinsey & Company in the launch of a new center to advance operations and manufacturing excellence in cell and gene therapy (CGT). The new Digital Capability Center will focus on accelerating operational excellence and digital transformations in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. "Our mission is to make cell and gene therapies more accessible to the patients that need them, and this center will provide an opportunity for companies from around the world to experience innovative and promising Industry 4.0 approaches and technologies first-hand," said Haro Hartounian, SVP and General Manager, Biopharma Division of the New Jersey Innovation Institute.
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The award honors the NJMEP workforce development team for preparing students and upskilling the current workforce to meet the needs of today's manufacturers through training programs, apprenticeships and more. "Manufacturers have been struggling for years with a dwindling workforce," said NJMEP CEO John Kennedy. "Without people, there is no manufacturing. The industry continues to struggle with an outdated stigma, and our Pro-Action Education Network team has done a tremendous job of breaking down those misconceptions. Between the training and certification programs, as well as our student outreach, we are gaining ground to bridge the skills gap."
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Aiding in the longtime mission to increase investment in cancer research, Governor Phil Murphy recently signed the fiscal year 2022 State budget, which included a $10 million appropriation to support pediatric cancer research. This legislation, which was sponsored by Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney and Senator Anthony M. Bucco, will support the establishment of the Pediatric Cancer Center at New Brunswick-based Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, which in partnership with RWJBarnabas Health, is a leader in pediatric cancer research and care.
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Salma Jabbour, M.D., Vice Chair of Clinical Research and Faculty Development at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and Clinical Chief of Radiation Oncology at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Radiation Oncology. This distinction honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the society and to the field of radiation oncology through research, education, patient care and service to the field. Dr. Jabbour works closely with a multi-disciplinary team from the Thoracic Oncology and Gastrointestinal Oncology Programs to educate patients and help them make informed decisions about what treatment options are right for them.
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Kimberly Talley has been named Vice President of Patient Care Services for Inspira Medical Centers Vineland and Elmer, Inspira Health Center Bridgeton and Inspira Health Center Woodbury's inpatient behavioral health program. Ms. Talley brings a wealth of clinical and leadership experience to Inspira Health, with particular expertise in strategic development, operations, evidence-based practices, lean principles, the science of high reliability and partnerships. Her focus on delivering patient-centric care and elevating the patient experience fully align with Inspira's strategic initiatives.
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New Brunswick-based BioNJ Member Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey resident researcher Daniel Herranz Benito, PhD, was recently awarded a 2021 AACR-Bayer Innovation and Discovery Grant (21-80-44-HERR) from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in the amount of $50,000 to further explore a novel mitochondrial uncoupling drug in the treatment of leukemia and a potential therapeutic strategy against T-ALL. He shares more about the project.
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| Thought Leadership from BioNJ Members |  |
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We invite our Innovation and Associate Members at the Executive, Preferred and Market Maker levels to submit their white papers for consideration for this new section of the Weekender. Please submit papers to [email protected].
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Considering the role life sciences companies have played throughout the pandemic, and their increased prominence in economic and political commentary, it may come as a surprise that the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors are being outperformed by the broader market, and that the consumer price index for prescription drugs (CPI-drugs) continues an 18-month decline. Ever resilient, the life sciences ecosystem is facing its own unique set of opportunities and challenges involving capital markets, clinical trials and a complex development pipeline impacted by new business models and technologies. Click here to download a "Life Sciences Industry Outlook" by BioNJ Member RSM.
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| BioNJ Member Services Provider Directory |  |
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BioNJ recognizes the vital role that our Service Provider Members play in the growth of New Jersey's robust life sciences ecosystem. For this reason, we are delighted to remind our community about BioNJ's Member Service Provider Directory, a categorical listing of BioNJ Members by service sector. By working with fellow BioNJ Member organizations, you are not only supporting our community, but benefiting from a wide variety of high quality organizations. To learn how you can become a Member and be featured on this resource tool, please contact Kim Minton at [email protected], or 609-890-3185. Find providers in these categories:
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