Endpoints News

Stanford physician-scientist Howard Chang will be Amgen's new chief scientific officer and senior vice president of research. https://lnkd.in/eutgv9aQ

Novartis is buying gene therapy and neuroscience biotech Kate Therapeutics in a deal worth $1.1 billion. https://lnkd.in/eddyv7TH

NewAmsterdam Pharma Corporation’s lead cardio program obicetrapib passed another Phase 3 trial, demonstrating its ability to lower “bad cholesterol” in combination with a drug called ezetimibe. https://lnkd.in/e5AxncsR

As we've been covering all year in, pharma's work using telehealth to more directly connect with patients is quickly becoming a key sales strategy rather than a side project. In today's Endpoints News Health Tech newsletter, Shelby Livingston has the authoritative piece on what that could mean for the industry at a time when there's more scrutiny than ever. Also inside: - I got the scoop on Synapticure Inc.'s $25M Series A (digital health meets neurodegenerative conditions) - Ngai Yeung has the scoop on Jimini Health raising $8M for its approach to AI-assisted therapy Check it out: https://lnkd.in/gkh6TAYQ

Exclusive: Former Pfizer chief commercial officer Angela Hwang will become Flagship Pioneering's next CEO-partner and chief executive of its startup Metaphore Biotechnologies, which seeks to mimic nature to create new medicines, including obesity management treatments with partner Novo Nordisk. “What I’m going to be able to bring are the lessons that I have learned launching so many products across so many different categories,” Hwang said in an interview with Endpoints News. “Now being able to bring all of this early and be able to shape these programs early, I think, is truly something that I can do to round out my career.” #flagshippioneering #pfizer #metaphore #biotechceo #biotech

Venrock has added $500 million to its healthcare investing pool, the firm confirmed to Endpoints News on Wednesday. The long-standing firm's healthcare unit has been active lately, investing in obesity biotech Metsera, autoimmune startup Jade Biosciences and others. And one of its investors, Bong Koh, might have one of the best LinkedIn bios ("team bag carrier"). #venrock #healthcareinvesting #biotech #lifesciences #pharma

Synapticure Inc., a startup building digital health tools for people with neurodegenerative conditions and their caregivers, has raised $40 million in a new round of funding to bring its approach to more people living with conditions like ALS, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. B Capital led the $25 million Series A round, and health system CommonSpirit, as well as CVS Health Ventures, RA Capital Management and Nexus NeuroTech Ventures joined as new investors. Existing investors GV, Optum Ventures and Rock Health Capital also contributed. Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer writes for our #HealthTech newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eFrGBhup

Incyte’s $750 million buyout of Escient Pharmaceuticals is in a rough patch as a mid-stage chronic hives candidate was flagged with safety concerns and a separate itch drug failed to clear its proof-of-concept trial. Incyte is pausing enrollment in a Phase 2 study of INCB000262 in chronic spontaneous urticaria following “certain in vivo preclinical toxicology findings,” the company said Monday. Shares $INCY dipped 12% premarket Tuesday. Read the full story by Ayisha Sharma: https://lnkd.in/epuMZhhg

Merck has said a subcutaneous version of the immunotherapy passed a Phase 3 a decade after Keytruda hit the market. Roche snagged the first FDA approval for a subcutaneous PD-L1-targeting drug in September. Kyle LaHucik reports: https://lnkd.in/e8QGvwfh

Exclusive: Therapists can’t be around for their patients 24/7. Jimini Health is betting AI can be the solution. Read Ngai Yeung's full report: https://lnkd.in/eDKR97i5