Here are the latest stories being discussed in biopharma today:
Novo Nordisk Budgets $4.1B for New US Manufacturing Site Amid Ireland Cancellation
Novo Nordisk has committed $4.1 billion to establish a new fill-finish facility in Clayton, NC, focusing on its obesity drug production. This investment follows the company’s decision to cancel plans for a similar project in Ireland. A spokesperson confirmed, ‘Following an assessment, we have decided to stop project activities in Grange Castle Business Park.’ Novo Nordisk is currently undertaking seven construction projects globally, with previous commitments totaling $6.8 billion in production investments this year.
Grail Prepares for Public Debut Post-Illumina Spin-Off
Grail, a pioneer in multi-cancer blood screening, is set to trade independently after a spin-off from Illumina on Tuesday. The company faces significant challenges ahead, without the financial backing of its former parent company. ‘We’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of de-risking, and we clearly have an enormous opportunity in front of us,’ said CEO Bob Ragusa.
Phase 3 Breast Cancer Failure Leads to Staff Cuts at G1 Therapeutics
G1 Therapeutics has announced significant staff reductions following the Phase 3 trial failure of its lung cancer drug Cosela in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. The drug did not show an improvement over placebo, with median overall survival for Cosela patients at 17.4 months versus 17.8 months for the placebo group. Subsequently, the company will refocus on its lung cancer indication and cut hiring plans related to breast cancer.
Merck KGaA’s Head and Neck Cancer Drug Trials End in Phase 3 Failure
Merck KGaA has decided to terminate its Phase 3 trials for xevinapant, a cancer drug licensed from Debiopharm. The drug did not meet its primary endpoint of prolonging event-free survival in patients with unresected locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Consequently, trials in resected disease combined with radiotherapy will also be discontinued.
Korea-Based Bridge Biotherapeutics Closes Boston Office
Bridge Biotherapeutics has shut down its Boston-area discovery wing, which focused on platform-like discovery efforts around covalent inhibitors. The decision comes nearly four years after the Boston Discovery Center was established in 2020. The closure marks a notable pivot for the South Korean drug developer. Comments and further details remain unavailable as company representatives and collaborators did not respond to requests.
UK Selects Pfizer Over Local GSK for RSV Vaccine Supply
The UK government has chosen Pfizer to supply millions of doses of its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine instead of opting for GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) competing product. Pfizer confirmed that it won the competitive tender process, securing its position in the national RSV immunization program. This agreement reportedly involves more than 3.5 million doses for older adults and 1.4 million for pregnant individuals, though Pfizer and UK officials have yet to confirm these specifics. GSK expressed disappointment but remained confident in the value of its vaccine.