Tuesday, January 4, 2022 Daily Archives

New year, new gene therapy plants from Pfizer and Expression

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Christmas came early for Pfizer and Expression Therapeutics, which cut the ribbons on viral vector manufacturing plants in North Carolina and Ohio, respectively. Pfizer’s gene therapy division celebrated the new year with an expanded manufacturing footprint, having opened the first of three facilities at its site in Durham, North Carolina on December 15. The 85,500 square-foot plant will support clinical manufacturing of Pfizer’s gene therapy pipeline and represents an investment of $68.5 million by the firm. The facility will create…

January 4, 2022

Bioanalytics booster: Sartorius takes stake in Automated Lab Solutions

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Sartorius has acquired 62.5% of cell isolation firm Automated Lab Solutions (ALS) with the remaining shares set to be purchased in 2026. Jena, Germany headquartered ALS is the latest investment in bioanalytics by life sciences firm Sartorius. The deal, announced late last year, adds solutions for the automated analysis, selection and isolation of cells to Sartorius’ offerings, and adds around 30 people to its staff. Gerry Mackay, member of the Executive Board and Head of the Lab Products & Services…

January 4, 2022

Novartis to boost gene therapy pipeline through $800m Gyroscope buy

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Novartis will add a gene therapy candidate in Phase II trials for an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration through the addition of Gyroscope Therapeutics. Novartis will gain GT005, an Adeno-Associated Virus-2 (AAV)-based gene therapy candidate intended to be a one-time treatment for geographic atrophy (GA) – an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that leads to progressive and irreversible vision loss – through the proposed acquisition. Novartis is one of the leaders in the gene therapy…

January 4, 2022

COVID driving revs but patent loss and markets continue to shape pharma

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COVID-19 will be a revenue driver and R&D focus for biopharma, but pre-pandemic factors like patent expiry and emerging markets continue to shape the sector says IQVIA. The research services and analytics firm made the comments in a report, predicting spending on meds will reach $1.8 trillion by 2026 with a significant contribution coming from COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot sales. According to the authors, “The total cumulative spending on COVID-19 vaccines since their introduction through 2026 is projected to…

January 4, 2022