Merck Discontinues Development of COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates Merck (MRK) known as MSD outside the United States and Canada announced yesterday that the company is discontinuing the development of its SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccine candidates, V590 and V591. This decision follows Merck’s review of findings from Phase 1 clinical studies for the vaccines. In these studies, both V590 . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here …

The Compugen Story For those who are still asking about the value of Compugen’s (CGEN) discoveries our answer is that the best story written about this firm is its own autobiography.   We believe Compugen's accomplishments are extremely valuable in improving the treatment of cancers. As small as the firm is, Compugen . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to subscribe …

bluebird bio Decision to Separate its Businesses bluebird bio (BLUE) will retain focus on its severe genetic disease (SGD) and will launch its oncology business (Oncology Newco) as a new entity. The Board of Directors at bluebird bio approved this decision and it is anticipated that the spin-out of Oncology Newco is to be tax-free . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to …

Rhythm Pharmaceuticals Announces Successful Phase 3 Trial Results for Obesity In November 2020, when the U.S. FDA granted approval to the Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (RYTM) product IMCIVREE™ (setmelanotide) for obesity due to proopiomelanocortin (POMC), proprotein convertase subtilisin/Kexin type 1 (PCSK1) or leptin receptor (LEPR) deficiency, the firm has since announced positive results from a pivotal . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here …

Intellia Therapeutics in the News Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) presented the first demonstration of physiological protein levels of human alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) in non-human primates (NHPs) following a single administration.  Intellia Therapeutics Liver Gene Insertion Technology Intellia’s targeted liver gene insertion technology has the ability to achieve therapeutic levels of protein . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to subscribe or here to …

Acquisitions  AstraZeneca Acquires Alexion Pharmaceuticals AstraZeneca (AZN) and Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) entered into a definitive agreement for . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to subscribe or here to log in.

CRISPR, Intellia and Editas, Our Gene-Editing Sisters, are Rallying The three CRISPR gene-editing firms that we have chosen are enjoying rallies. CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Intellia Therapeutics (

Intellia Therapeutics Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) stock price headed south probably because some robots learned that the firm commenced an underwritten public offering of $150 million of shares of its common stock. In addition to the commenced public offering Intellia announced its intention to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional fifteen percent (15%) of the shares . . . This content is …

Rhythm Pharmaceuticals FDA Approval of IMCIVREE™ for Genetic Obesity At the end of the trading week last Friday, November 27, 2020, the United States FDA approved Rhythm Pharmaceuticals’ (RYTM) product IMCIVREE™ (setmelanotide). The product is designed to treat chronic obese adult patients and pediatric patients 6 years and older with obesity due to proopiomelanocortin (POMC), proprotein convertase subtilisin/Kexin type . . . This content is …

Reata Pharmaceuticals We picked Reata Pharmaceuticals (RETA) for investment after confirming that the products the Company has created and is currently developing have a novel mechanism of action that enables the treatment of severe diseases that have yet to find treatments. Reata’s strategy is to build a deep understanding of the cellular response to injury in order to develop . . . This content is …

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Receives EUA from the FDA for REGEN-COV2 Regeneron Pharmaceuticals’ (REGN) antibody cocktail therapy casirivimab and imdevimab, known also REGN-COV2 or REGEN-COV2, received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA EUA is for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults as well as pediatric patients at least 12 years of age and weighing at least …

Pfizer, BioNTech & Moderna When asked whether we heard the news about the submission of the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and whether we will inform our readers about it. Our answer was that we have posted many articles about Pfizer's (PFE) and BioNTech’s (

PTC Therapeutics Approvals and Achievements PTC Therapeutics (PTCT) has achieved a lot recently. The latest is the August approval from the U.S. FDA of its product Evrysdi (risdiplam), the first orally administered at-home treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in adults and children 2 months and older.   Evrysdi has been granted approvals in Brazil, Chile and Ukraine as . . . This content is …

bluebird bio bluebird bio (BLUE) financial results and business highlights for the third quarter 2020 are important to be aware of when volatility and negative analysis lack common sense. The stock selloff has been steady and progressive while there was no bad news emanating from the clinical trials on gene therapy that would provide cures or from any FDA . . . This content is …

CRISPR Therapeutics Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, Co-Founder CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) announced on October 7, 2020 that Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier has been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her groundbreaking work on the CRISPR/Cas9 system.  Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier is the co-founder of CRISPR Therapeutics together with Rodger Novak and Shaun Foy. Dr. Charpentier is the Founding, Scientific and Managing . . . This content is …

Compugen Compugen (CGEN) presented its third-quarter achievements and financial results. We believe the firm is on the right track towards clinically confirming that its discovered targets, PVRIG and TIGIT when inhibited, will extend the capability of the current checkpoint inhibitors into treating cancers resistant to immunotherapy by checkpoint inhibition.   From Compugen Anat Cohen-Dayag, Ph.D., President and CEO of Compugen . . . This content is …

Intellia Therapeutics Scientific Co-Founder Shares Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Collaborator On October 07, 2020 Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D., one of Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) scientific co-founders, was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology. Dr. Doudna shared the award with her research collaborator, Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, one of . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here …

Cytokinetics Omecamtiv Mecarbil for Heat Failure Three biotech firms: Amgen (AMGN), Cytokinetics (

Gilead and Galapagos Granted Marketing Authorization for Filgotinib by the EC Gilead Sciences (GILD) and Galapagos NV (

Bristol-Myers Squibb Increased activity being observed at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) is aimed at further empowering the firm's various franchises. It all started with the firm’s attempt to empower its oncology franchise with the creation and approval of its checkpoint protein inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab) - a programmed Death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor. This antibody has been the most successful attempt . . . This content is for paid …