The FirstTake Podcast – A landmark cancer approval, Pfizer’s Arena deal delivers and the expert view on recent breast cancer developments

Virginia Li digs into more promising data for NK CAR cell therapy, this time from Nkarta who share price doubled on the announcement. We listen to an extract from this week’s KOL View Live discussion between Michael Flanagan and Xianxin Hua, professor of cancer biology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, about the progress of CAR-T therapies as potential treatments for solid tumours. And Simon King provides some early thoughts on key trends from first quarter earnings season, including uncertainty around future COVID-19-related revenues and Big Pharma’s appetite for M&A.

On this week’s episode FirstWord Pharma PLUS editors Virginia Li, Michael Flanagan and Simon King look ahead to the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) which is taking place this weekend in New Orleans.

On this week’s episode Virginia Li discusses the closely watched FDA AdCom meeting for Amylyx’s ALS therapy AMX0035, which saw experts vote narrowly against Amylyx having shown sufficient efficacy for the drug from a single clinical study. Simon King looks at two major clinical data announcements – for Almirall and Eli Lilly’s atopic dermatitis drug lebrikizumab and Roche’s potential cancer therapy tiragolumab. And FirstWord HealthTech’s Tina Tan highlights some notable trends in health tech venture capitalist investments during the first quarter of 2022, ahead of an exclusive live event for FirstWord HealthTech PLUS subscribers next week where she will provide a more comprehensive overview of VC activity.

On this week’s episode editors Virginia Li and Simon King discuss FDA approval of the first novel checkpoint inhibitor for eight years – Bristol Myers Squibb’s LAG-3 inhibitor relatlimab – and evaluate positive data for Pfizer’s etrasimod, which it gained via December’s $6.7 billion acquisition of Arena Pharmaceuticals. In addition, FirstWord’s Michael Flanagan speaks to Adam Brufsky – professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and associate chief for the school’s haematology/oncology division – to discuss the relevance of recent clinical and regulatory events that will impact the treatment of breast cancer.

On this week’s episode FirstWord Pharma PLUS editors Virginia Li and Simon King discuss an unexpected corporate re-manoeuvring around Biogen and Eisai’s controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm and disappointing clinical data for Sanofi’s breast cancer drug amcenestrant. Simon also catches up with FirstWord HealthTech’s executive editor Tina Tan to find out about some recent oncologist surveys looking at the use of digital technologies to help combat pandemic-extended treatment waiting times and the mental wellbeing of cancer patients.

On this week’s episode FirstWord Pharma PLUS editors Michael Flanagan and Simon King discuss why Gilead is getting flak for a positive cancer drug study, what’s gone wrong at bluebird bio and why the FDA has been so quick to expand approval of Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo for the treatment of neoadjuvant lung cancer.

On this week’s episode FirstWord Pharma PLUS editors Virginia Li, Michael Flanagan and Simon King discuss key developments in the field of gene editing, the approval of Janssen and Legend Biotech’s Carvykti for multiple myeloma and whether interchangeability status will have a meaningful impact on future US market for Humira biosimilars.

This week FirstWord Pharma PLUS editors Michael Flanagan, Virginia Li and Simon King discuss confirmation of positive top-line data for AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s Enhertu in HER2 ‘low’ breast cancer, the implications stemming from Amicus Therapeutics’ decision to abort a gene-therapy spin out and whether GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi’s long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine has arrived too late to make a meaningful impact on the pandemic.

FirstWord Pharma PLUS editors Virginia Li and Simon King discuss Phase III clinical data for a new depression therapy being co-developed by Sage Therapeutics and Biogen, the FDA’s new - but also old – commissioner, Robert Califf, whose reappointment five years after he first held the role was confirmed by the US senate this week and whether Regeneron can make its multi-billion dollar eye-disorder therapy Eylea an even more compelling product for physicians.

FirstWord Pharma PLUS editors Michael Flanagan, Virginia Li and Simon King discuss Eli Lilly’s attempt to bring price disruption to the US cancer immunotherapy market, Pfizer and Amgen’s future growth strategies and some new diabetes drugs to keep an eye on.