After the Alzheimer's Crash, Should Biogen Turn to M&A to Bolster Its Pipeline?

Earlier this week, Biogen reported out its first-quarter financial results, showing an 11% increase in revenues, hitting $3.5 billion. But in light of the company’s announcement in late March that it was dropping development of aducanumab for Alzheimer’s, analysts are speculating on what the company needs to do to stay profitable. And the Alzheimer’s pivot wasn’t the only challenge, although that announcement resulted in a stock drop where the company lost $18 billion in value overnight. But one of the company’s top-selling drugs is Spinraza to treat a rare muscular disease called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Spinraza came on the market as the first viable treatment, but Novartis is developing its own drug, which in late-stage trials appears to be a one-and-done gene therapy, rather than an ongoing treatment like Spinraza. If Novartis’ Zolgensma is approved, it will likely be the therapy of choice for SMA Type 1 patients, although it is as of now not a treatment for all types of SMA like Spinraza is.

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MedTech

Data Analytics: A Groundbreaking Technology in Biotech

Article | July 16, 2022

Biotechnology is a vast discipline of biology that employs diverse biological systems to create solutions that can significantly alter the ways in which they operate across various domains. That said, biotechnology is not a new notion. It has existed for millennia, with ancient civilizations using its earliest incarnations to cultivate crops and create alcoholic beverages. Today, the biotechnology industry has developed by leaps and bounds and has amassed a vast quantity of scientific data through study and research. Given the importance of data in the biotechnology business, it is not difficult to understand why biotech companies utilize data analytics. Modern data analytics tools have made it possible for researchers in the biotech industry to build predictive analytics models and gain knowledge about the most efficient approaches to accomplish their desired goals and objectives. Data analytics is increasingly being adopted by biotech businesses to better understand their industry and foresee any problems down the road. How is Data Analytics Revolutionizing Fields in Biotechnology? Today's business and scientific fields greatly benefit from data. Without the analysis of vast information libraries that provide new insights and enable new innovations, no industry can really advance. Being highly reliant on big data analytics, biotech is not an exception in this regard. With the tools and methods that help scientists systematize their findings and speed up their research for better and safer results, data analytics is making deeper inroads into the biotechnology industry. It is emerging as a crucial link between knowledge and information and is extensively being used for purposes other than just examining the information that is already available. The following are a few of the cutting-edge biotechnology applications of data analytics Genomics and Disease Treatment Pharmaceutical Drug Discovery Drug Recycling and Safety Agriculture and Agri-products Environmental Damage Mitigation Data Analytics Possibilities in Biotechnology With data analytics becoming an integral part of how biotech businesses operate, biotechnologists and related stakeholders need to understand its emergence and crucial role. Data analytics has opened new frontiers in the realm of biotechnology. Thanks to developments in data analytics, research and development activities that once took years may now be accomplished in a matter of months. Also, now scientists have access to biological, social, and environmental insights that can be exploited to create more effective and sustainable products. By understanding the importance of data-related tools and techniques applications, biotech companies are aiming to invest in the popularizing technology to stay updated in the fast-paced biotechnology industry.

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MedTech

Next-Gen Genetics Cancer Therapies Creating Investment Prospects

Article | September 22, 2022

Genetic therapeutics such as genetic engineering and gene therapy are increasingly emerging as one of the most influential and transformed biotechnological solutions around the globe in recent times. These genetic solutions are being assessed across various medical domains, including cancer treatment, neurology, oncology, and ophthalmology. Citing the trend, the genetics industry is estimated to experience a tsunami of approvals, with over 1,000 cell and gene therapy clinical trials currently underway and over 900 companies worldwide focusing on these cutting-edge therapies. Growing Cancer Encourages Advancements in Genetic Technologies With the surging cases of cancers such as leukemias, carcinomas, lymphomas, and others, patients worldwide are increasing their spending on adopting novel therapeutic solutions for non-recurring treatment of the disease, such as gene therapy, genetic engineering, T-cell therapy, and gene editing. As per a study by the Fight Cancer Organization, spending on the treatment of cancer increased to $200.7 billion, and the amount is anticipated to exceed $245 billion by the end of 2030. Growing revenue prospects are encouraging biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies to develop novel genetic solutions for cancer treatment. For instance, Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., a Japanese pharmaceutical company, introduced a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy, Abecma, for the treatment of relapsed or refractory (R/R) multiple myeloma in 2022. Amid a New Market: Genetics Will Attract Massive Investments Despite several developments and technological advancements, genetics is still considered to be in a nascent stage, providing significant prospects for growth to the companies that are already operating in the domain. Genetics solutions such as gene therapies, gene editing, and T-cell immunotherapy are emerging as highly active treatments across various medical fields, resulting in increasing research and development activities across the domain, drawing significant attention from investors. Given the potential of genetic treatments and the focus on finding new ways to treat cancer and other related diseases, it's easy to understand why companies are investing in the domain. For instance, Pfizer has recently announced an investment of around $800 million to construct development facilities supporting gene therapy manufacturing from initial preclinical research through final commercial-scale production. Due to these advancements, cell and gene therapies are forecast to grow from $4 billion annually to more than $45 billion, exhibiting growth at a 63% CAGR. The Future of Genetics Though there is a significant rise in advancement in genetic technologies and developments, the number of approved genetic treatments remains extremely small. However, with gene transfer and CRISPR solutions emerging as new modalities for cancer treatment, the start-up companies will attract a growing amount and proportion of private and public investments. This is expected present a tremendous opportunity for biopharma and biotechnology investors to help fund and benefit from the medical industry's shift from traditional treatments to cutting-edge genetic therapeutics in the coming years.

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MedTech

Laboratory Information Management System for Biotech Labs: Significance & Benefits

Article | July 13, 2022

If you have ever visited the testing laboratory of a large biotechnology company, you will be aware that managing the laboratory's operations single-handedly is no easy task. The greater the size of a lab, the more research and testing activities it must accommodate. A variety of diagnostic tests are prescribed for patients in order to detect various diseases. For example, it may include blood glucose testing for diabetics, lipid panel, or liver panel tests for evaluating cardiac risk and liver function, cultures for diagnosing infections, thyroid function tests, and others. Laboratory management solutions such as laboratory information management systems (LIMS) and other software play a significant role in managing various operational data at biotech laboratories. It is one of the important types of software developed to address thedata management and regulatory challenges of laboratories. The software enhances the operational efficiency of biotech labs by streamlining workflows, proper record-keeping, and eradicating the need for manually maintaining data. What Are the Benefits of Laboratory Information Management Software in Biotechnology? As the trends of digitization and technology continue to create deeper inroads into the biotechnology sector, a significant rise in the adoption of innovative medical software solutions, such as LIMS, is being witnessed for managing research data, testing reports, and post-research results globally. Here are a few reasons that are encouraging biotech facilities to adopt LIMS solutions Real-Time Data Collection and Tracking Previously, collecting and transporting samples was a tedious and time-consuming task. However, the adoption of LIMS with innovative tracking modules has made the job easier. The real-time sample tracking feature of LIMS has made it possible for personnel to collect the research data in real-time and manage and control the workflow with a few mouse clicks on the screen. Increase Revenue LIMS makes it possible to test workflows while giving users complete control over the testing process. A laboratory is able to collect data, schedule equipment maintenance or upgrades, enhance operational efficiency, and maintain a lower overhead with the help of the LIMS, thereby increasing revenue. Streamlined Workflow With its completion monitoring, LIMS speeds up laboratory workflows and keeps track of information. It assigns tasks to the specialist along with keeping a real-time track of the status and completion of each task. LIMS is integrated into the laboratory using lab information, which ultimately speeds up internal processes and streamlines the workflow. Automatic Data Exchange LIMS solutions store data in a centralized database. Automated transfer of data between departments and organizations is one of the major features of LIMS. Through its automated information exchange feature, LIMS improves internal operations, decreases the reporting time for data sharing, and assists in faster decision-making. Final Thoughts As the healthcare sector continues to ride the wave of digital transformation, biotech laboratories are emphasizing adopting newer technologies to keep up with the changes. Citing this trend, laboratory information management systems are becoming crucial for biotech and medical organizations for maintaining research data, instant reporting, and managing confidential, inventory, and financial data with centralized data storage.

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Industrial Impact

AI and Biotechnology: The Future of Healthcare Industry

Article | January 20, 2021

Artificial intelligence has grasped the foundation in biotech. It can have the most innovative impact on biotechnology. AI has already established its presence in our day-to-day life. AI has made the existence of self-driving cars possible. Likewise, the benefits and quality that it can contribute to biotech can also be felt. With AI, bio technicians will be able to enhance virtual screening, overlook preliminary datasets from clinics, and decipher an enormous amount of information. It can also help in improving the medication process by gathering and analyzing every bit of information. The Significance of AI in Biotechnology In the past few years, the application of artificial intelligence in the biotechnology industry has shifted from being sci-fi to sci-fact. A vast number of biotech companies like Deep Genomics are adopting AI for making data-driven decisions and use analytics tools to work efficiently. Unlike the AI robots in sci-fi that are ready to take over the world. AI designed for biotech has been designed to solve certain problems or complete a bunch of tasks by using automated algorithms. The aim of AI technology for biotech is to collect insights along with hidden patterns from large amounts of data. All the different industries of biotech including agriculture, animal, medical, industrial, and bioinformatics are gradually being affected by artificial intelligence. Moreover, the biotech industry is realizing that AI enables them some of the important strength to their business, including: Expanding accessibility Cost-effectiveness Critical predictions Efficient decision-making Research centers like PwC have also estimated output of $15.7 trillion by 2030 solely with AI contribution in industries. A survey revealed that about 44% of life science experts are using AI for R&D activities, as well. Use of AI in Biotechnology Altering Biomedical and Clinical Data So far the most developed use of AI is its ability to read voluminous data records and interpret them. It can prove to be a life-save for bio technicians who would have to examine that much data from research publications by themselves for the validation of their hypothesis. With the help of AI, clinical studies of patients will also become easier as all the examination reports and prescriptions will be stored in one place for cross-reference. Furthermore, it will also help in blending and fetching data into usable formats for analysis. Test Result Prediction Through trial and error, AI along with machine learning can help in predicting the response of the patient to certain drugs to provide more effective outcomes. Drug Design & Discovery AI plays a vital role whether it’s designing a new molecule or identifying new biological targets. It helps in identifying and validating drugs. It reduces the cost and time spent on the entire drug trial process and reaches the market. Personalized Medications for Rare Diseases With the combination of body scan results, patients’ body and analytics, AI can also help in detecting dangerous diseases at an early stage. Improving Process of Manufacturing To improve the process of manufacturing in biotechnology, AI offers a wide range of opportunities. It controls quality, reduces wastage, improves useability, and minimizes the designing time. Moving Towards AI-Enhanced Biotech Future Ever since the concept of artificial intelligence has arrived, being curious by nature, humans have started working towards achieving this goal. It has been growing at a fast pace while showing unbelievable growth and achievements at times. In comparison to the traditional methods used in the biotechnology industry, AI-based methods seem more reliable and accurate. In the upcoming years, it will show its success by improving the quality of health people have. You can also develop your AI-based application or know more about it by taking IT consultations.

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Spotlight

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iCumulus is a new-age global fulfilment platform, leading the revolution of e-commerce, turning it into a totally shared & unified global economy. iCumulus connects your business to a network of global logistics providers, creating a unique shared ecosystem with the most competitive shipping rates. Unlike traditional logistics providers, iCumulus scales not by assets, staff or inventory, but by connecting true demand to supply ensuring best consumer experience. Our comprehensive cloud based e-fulfilment platform manages all distributions, purchasing, into store and consumer deliveries at no additional cost. We want our customers to be free to deal with what's important to them - service their customers, allowing them grow sales and reach new markets.

Related News

Biogen’s Experimental Drug Shows Promise for Genetic Form of ALS

biospace | May 15, 2019

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease with no approved treatments. Diagnosis is tantamount to a death sentence and researchers are desperately searching for some kind of therapy. Although there have been numerous failed treatments, Biogen believes it might be on the right track. “ALS is a disease you really want to make a difference in,” Toby Ferguson, M.D., Ph.D, Senior Medical Director for Neuromuscular Research and Early Development at Biogen told BioSpace. Earlier this month, Biogen announced interim results from a Phase I/II study of tofersen, an antisense oligonucleotide the company licensed from Ionis Pharmaceuticals that is being studied as a potential treatment of ALS patients who have a confirmed superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) mutation. The interim results showed both a proof-of-biology and proof-of-concept, which supported the start of a Phase III clinical trial to confirm the efficacy and safety of tofersen in that patient population, Ferguson said. Ferguson said this was exciting news as it showed the potential of tofersen to target the genetic driver of this form of ALS.

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Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals Announce SPINRAZA (nusinersen) Meets Primary Endpoint at Interim Analysis of Phase 3

Biogen | November 07, 2016

Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) announced that SPINRAZATM (nusinersen), an investigational treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), met the primary endpoint at the interim analysis of CHERISH, the Phase 3 study evaluating SPINRAZA in later-onset (consistent with Type 2) SMA. The analysis found that children receiving SPINRAZA experienced a highly statistically significant improvement in motor function compared to those who did not receive treatment. SPINRAZA demonstrated a favorable safety profile in the study.

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Nature Publishes Results from Pre-Clinical Research and Phase 1b Study of Biogen’s Investigational Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment Aducanumab

Biogen | August 31, 2016

Results from pre-clinical research and PRIME, the Phase 1b study of Biogen’s (NASDAQ: BIIB) investigational treatment for early Alzheimer’s disease (AD), aducanumab, were published today in Nature. The full manuscript titled, “The Antibody Aducanumab Reduces Aβ Plaques in Alzheimer’s Disease,” can be found in the 1 September, 2016 issue of Nature

Read More

Biogen’s Experimental Drug Shows Promise for Genetic Form of ALS

biospace | May 15, 2019

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease with no approved treatments. Diagnosis is tantamount to a death sentence and researchers are desperately searching for some kind of therapy. Although there have been numerous failed treatments, Biogen believes it might be on the right track. “ALS is a disease you really want to make a difference in,” Toby Ferguson, M.D., Ph.D, Senior Medical Director for Neuromuscular Research and Early Development at Biogen told BioSpace. Earlier this month, Biogen announced interim results from a Phase I/II study of tofersen, an antisense oligonucleotide the company licensed from Ionis Pharmaceuticals that is being studied as a potential treatment of ALS patients who have a confirmed superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) mutation. The interim results showed both a proof-of-biology and proof-of-concept, which supported the start of a Phase III clinical trial to confirm the efficacy and safety of tofersen in that patient population, Ferguson said. Ferguson said this was exciting news as it showed the potential of tofersen to target the genetic driver of this form of ALS.

Read More

Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals Announce SPINRAZA (nusinersen) Meets Primary Endpoint at Interim Analysis of Phase 3

Biogen | November 07, 2016

Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) announced that SPINRAZATM (nusinersen), an investigational treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), met the primary endpoint at the interim analysis of CHERISH, the Phase 3 study evaluating SPINRAZA in later-onset (consistent with Type 2) SMA. The analysis found that children receiving SPINRAZA experienced a highly statistically significant improvement in motor function compared to those who did not receive treatment. SPINRAZA demonstrated a favorable safety profile in the study.

Read More

Nature Publishes Results from Pre-Clinical Research and Phase 1b Study of Biogen’s Investigational Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment Aducanumab

Biogen | August 31, 2016

Results from pre-clinical research and PRIME, the Phase 1b study of Biogen’s (NASDAQ: BIIB) investigational treatment for early Alzheimer’s disease (AD), aducanumab, were published today in Nature. The full manuscript titled, “The Antibody Aducanumab Reduces Aβ Plaques in Alzheimer’s Disease,” can be found in the 1 September, 2016 issue of Nature

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