Hello, everyone, and how are you today? We are doing just fine, thank you, courtesy of cool breezes and clear, blue skies hovering over the Pharmalot campus. This calls for a celebration with a cup of stimulation, which we are managing to brew despite the mischievous official mascot, who likes to steal items from under our nose. And we have also gathered a few items of interest to help you on your journey today. We hope it is a successful one and you conquer the world. Meanwhile, do keep in touch….
Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn is joining Flagship Pioneering, the venture capital firm that launched Moderna (MRNA) and remains closely tied to the vaccine maker, The Washington Post writes. Hahn will serve as a chief medical officer. His move is the latest by a federal official to a company that is regulated by the government or that might profit from firms regulated by the government — what critics call a revolving door that they say undermines trust in federal decisions.
AstraZeneca (AZN) reported a late-stage trial failed to provide evidence its antibody therapy prevented symptomatic Covid-19 in people recently exposed to the virus, the latest disappointment in a broader search for reliable post-infection therapies, The Wall Street Journal says. A single dose of the long-acting antibody was not statistically more effective than a placebo in a trial of 1,121 people. The drug maker received U.S. government support potentially exceeding $700 million for development and to potentially supply hundreds of millions of doses.
Sage Therapeutics (SAGE) reported that an experimental pill designed to alleviate depression with a two-week course of therapy was successful in a large clinical trial involving patients with major depressive disorder, STAT writes. The drug demonstrated a statistically significant, anti-depressive benefit compared to a placebo. The positive results are a comeback win for Sage and its efforts to develop the pill for different depressive disorders, but the benefit appears to be relatively small, raising questions about the drug’s commercial potential.
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