seeking biotech alpha partnerships

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 Bristol-Myers Squibb and Tsinghua University Announce Collaboration to Accelerate Early Research into Potential Therapies for Autoimmune Diseases and Cancer 

 AbbVie and Rice University establish K.C. Nicolaou Research Accelerator to advance therapies in oncology 

Johnson & Johnson and Boston University Announce a New Alliance Focused on Tackling Lung Cancer 

Amgen And Cedars-Sinai Partner For Improved Healthcare Quality

Thu July 19, 2018 4:00 PM|PR Newswire|About: AMGN 

Shanghai Lung Cancer Innovation QuickFire Challenge

 "partnerships help foster a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in the university community.”. 

 Bill Nygren Comments on Bristol-Myers Squibb = "The company’s two most valuable drugs Opdivo and Yervoy should continue to grow revenue as they maintain effectiveness with new tumor types. Bristol Myers Squibb also has the most new molecular agents and the highest number of combinations of agents in trials. Moreover, the company’s R&D and marketing prowess also make it a desired partner for promising academic and small biotech innovators. 

 Bill Nygren - Oakmark Fund manager -  invested in 6.5 million shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb for an average price of $54.03 per share. The manager dedicated 1.85% of his equity portfolio to the position. 

​Ray Dalio - Bridgewater Associates also invested in Bristol-Myers during the quarter.

 U.S. Food and Drug Administration Accepts for Priority Review Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Application for Empliciti (elotuzumab) Plus Pomalidomide and Low-Dose Dexamethasone in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

 Jeff Auxier comments on Merck = Merck beat estimates in the second quarter of 2018 with $10.5 billion in revenues and EPS of $1.06. They were buoyed in the quarter by their signature cancer drug KEYTRUDA which allows the body’s immune system to destroy cancerous cells by blocking a protective enzyme in cancer cells. Sales grew 89% in the quarter to $1.667 billion and are expected to continue to grow to upwards of $13 billion annually by 2026. Recently KEYTRUDA was approved in China and the EU for metastatic melanoma. 

Jeff Auxier Comments on Biogen = Biogen saw revenues increase by 9% to $3.4 billion. Revenue growth was driven by Spinal Muscular Atrophy drug Spinraza which saw a 108% increase in revenue. Spinraza is Biogen’s fastest growing drug which they hope will be able to offset the slowing Multiple Sclerosis product line. Biogen presented the detailed results for the phase II trials of their Alzheimer’s drug BAN2401 on July 25th. The results of the trial were positive with tested patients showing 30% less cognitive decline over 18 months than those who received the placebo, but the presentation garnered a mixed reception and caused Biogen’s stock to fall 9% in after-hours trading. Earlier in July, Biogen announced that the trials of the drug were looking very positive without giving any details, and this announcement may have caused many to anticipate that the results would be better than what was ultimately shown. Currently, Biogen’s stock is hurting from the results announcement, but their outlook is still positive in the long-run due to the strength of their pipeline. Another Alzheimer’s drug in Biogen’s pipeline, Aducanumab, just finished its enrollment for two phase III trials. This drug has been regarded as more promising than BAN2401, and if it is successful Biogen will have the only drug in a $12 billion market.
 

  PR Newswire

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., July 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -Amgen (AMGN) announced the groundbreaking of its new next-generation biomanufacturing plant that will be constructed at its West Greenwich, R.I. campus. The new plant is the first-of-its-kind in the U.S. and will use Amgen's proven next-generation biomanufacturing capabilities to manufacture products for the U.S.and global markets. 

 European Commission Approves BLINCYTO® (blinatumomab) For Use In Pediatric Patients With Philadelphia Chromosome-Negative Relapsed Or Refractory B-Cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia 

 AbbVie Receives U.S. FDA Approval of ORILISSA™ (elagolix) for the Management of Moderate to Severe Pain Associated with Endometriosis

 Merck Obtains Earlier FDA Approval For Expanded Label Of Keytruda In Front-Line Lung Cancer

 First-ever Study of Lilly's Humulin® R U-500 Administered in an Insulin Pump Shows Improved A1C in People with Type 2 Diabetes 

U.S. FDA Approves XTANDI® (enzalutamide) for the Treatment of Men with Non-Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC). XTANDI is now approved to treat another form of advanced prostate cancer. XTANDI is now approved to treat men with prostate cancer that no longer responds to treatment that lowers testosterone and has not spread to other parts of the body.

 New Real-World Study Finds Long-Term XARELTO® (rivaroxaban) Use Resulted in Fewer Strokes and Systemic Emboli Compared to Warfarin in Frail Patients with Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation 

 Lynparza significantly delays disease progression in Phase III 1st-line SOLO-1 trial for ovarian cancer 

 Abiomed Announces Approval in India for the Impella 2.5®, Impella CP® and Impella 5.0® Heart Pumps and First Indian Patient Treated 

Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Opdivo® (nivolumab) + Low-Dose Yervoy® (ipilimumab) is the First Immuno-Oncology Combination Approved for MSI-H/dMMR mCRC Patients Who Progressed Following Treatment with a Fluoropyrimidine, Oxaliplatin and...

 Novartis Kisqali® now first and only CDK4/6 inhibitor that is indicated with fulvestrant as both initial or second-line treatment for postmenopausal women with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer 

 BIOGEN AND EISAI REPORT DATA FROM LONG-TERM EXTENSION PHASE 1B STUDY OF INVESTIGATIONAL ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE TREATMENT ADUCANUMAB 

 Study Shows Improved Quality of Life and Reduced Symptoms In Patients Treated with Medtronic Cryoballoon 

 Gilead and Galapagos Announce TORTUGA Phase 2 Study of Filgotinib in Ankylosing Spondylitis Achieves Primary Endpoint 

 Intuitive Submits New Robotic-Assisted Platform to FDA for Obtaining Lung Biopsies

 Illumina Receives Approval of MiSeq™Dx System in China

 FDA Grants Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Genentech’s TECENTRIQ in Combination With Avastin as First-Line Treatment for Advanced or Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) 

 FDA APPROVES EYLEA® (AFLIBERCEPT) INJECTION SBLA IN WET AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION 

 Celgene Announces Phase III ‘AUGMENT' Study of REVLIMID® in Combination with Rituximab (R²) for the Treatment of Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Indolent Lymphoma Met Primary Endpoint

 Abbott Receives FDA Approval for Next-Generation MitraClip® Device to Treat People with Leaky Heart Valves 

 Adults with type 2 diabetes treated with Tresiba® (insulin degludec injection) had a significant reduction in A1C and a 30% lower rate of hypoglycaemic episodes after starting basal insulin 

 Neurocrine Biosciences is a San Diego based biotechnology company focused on neurologic and endocrine related disorders. The Company’s three late-stage clinical programs are: elagolix, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist for women’s health that is partnered with AbbVie Inc.; opicapone, a novel, once-daily, peripherally-acting, highly-selective catechol-o-methyltransferase inhibitor under investigation as adjunct therapy to levodopa in Parkinson’s patients; and INGREZZA™ (valbenazine), a novel, once-daily, selective VMAT2 inhibitor under investigation for the treatment of Tourette Syndrome. INGREZZA (valbenazine) capsules was approved by the FDA on April 11, 2017 for the treatment of adults with tardive dyskinesia and is currently commercialized by Neurocrine in the United States. 

 Sangamo Announces 16 Week Clinical Results Including Reductions In Glycosaminoglycans In Phase 1/2 Trial Evaluating SB-913, A Zinc Finger Nuclease Genome Editing Treatment For MPS II (Hunter Syndrome)

 FDA Approves ORKAMBI® (lumacaftor/ivacaftor) as First Medicine to Treat the Underlying Cause of Cystic Fibrosis for Children Ages 2-5 Years with Most Common Form of the Dise 

 BioMarin Doses First Participant in Phase 2 Study of Vosoritide for Treatment of Infants and Young Children with Achondroplasia

 BeiGene Initiates New Phase 3 Trial of Anti-PD-1 Antibody Tislelizumab Combined with Chemotherapy as First-line Treatment for Patients with Advanced Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in China

PerkinElmer’s EUROIMMUN Receives FDA Clearance for ANCA IFA and EUROPLUS Granulocyte Mosaic™ assays using EUROPattern Microscope

 Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its Dako PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx assay for expanded use in urothelial carcinoma. 

 FDA Approves OLUMIANT® (baricitinib) 2-mg Tablets for the Treatment of Adults with Moderately-to-Severely Active Rheumatoid Arthritis 

Alkermes adds Merck's Keytruda to early-stage study of ALKS 4230 in solid tumors

 Thermo Fisher Scientific Board Authorizes $2 Billion of Share Repurchases