Here are the latest stories being discussed in biopharma today:
Moderna has outlined its future strategy for the vaccine market as it transitions from the pandemic peak. The company has identified a potential $52 billion vaccine market at its height. Roughly half of this sum would come from a $27 billion market for respiratory virus vaccines like COVID-19, RSV, and flu. The remaining $25 billion would come from vaccines for a range of latent viruses, such as shingles, Epstein-Barr, and cytomegalovirus. Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel also tabulated these potential peak markets to demonstrate how the company would break even by 2026 after the sharp drop in COVID-19 vaccine and booster demand.
India-based contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) are seeing increased interest from biopharma clients in their biologics and early-phase clinical offerings. Executives from companies like Enzene Biosciences, Aragen, and Syngene attribute the increased interest to factors like geopolitical instability and measures like the BIOSECURE Act.
Oncopeptides and Vector Pharma have entered a partnership to market the cancer drug Pepaxto in the Middle East and North Africa. The new arrangement follows the FDA’s withdrawal of Pepaxto’s approval in the US.
The Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) has launched the Quantitative Medicine Center of Excellence. The center aims to promote the more consistent use of quantitative medicine for drug development and regulate the decision-making process.
On the annual ‘Purple Day’ for epilepsy awareness, SK Life Science spotlighted several initiatives. The biopharma company unveiled a new mentoring program and a ride-sharing program for epilepsy patients in partnership with the Epilepsy Foundation.
Ovid Therapeutics has filed a petition asking the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to review a patent held by Marinus Pharmaceuticals. The patent in question covers methods for treating status epilepticus with the drug ganaxolone.
