Pulse Network

Meet our founder, Hannah Kurth, and explore how Pulse Network is impacting the rare disease community. Read more in the latest RARE blog by Laura Hulley of SciPro. https://lnkd.in/eyByqhwJ

Everything you missed in #Pharma & #Biotech 🦠🔬 ✅ Approvals BeiGene's Tevimbra (tislelizumab) gains EU recommendation for gastric and esophageal cancers FDA approves Novocure's Optune Lua (tumor-treating fields) for advanced lung cancer FDA approves Astellas Pharma' VYLOY (zolbetuximab-clzb) for advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer Merck's Keytruda (pembrolizumab) secures its 29th and 30th European approvals, broadening its use in endometrial and cervical cancers FDA expands Pfizer's RSV vaccine Abrysvo (RSVpreF) for adults 18-59 AbbVie wins FDA approval for Parkinson's drug Vyalev (foslevodopa-foscarbidopa) after prior rejections DBV Technologies receives FDA accelerated guidance for Viaskin peanut patch (peanut protein allergen) EMA recommends Novo Nordisk's Alhemo (concizumab) to treat hemophilia A and B 💸 Deals Merck acquires Modifi Bio with $30M upfront, potential for $1.3B Lumos Pharma goes private via merger with Double Point Ventures Samsung Biologics signs $1.24B production deal with an Asian pharma TEVOGEN BIO joins Microsoft’s program to advance AI for drug development Eli Lilly and Company invests £279M in UK for Gateway Labs, backing biotech and obesity prevention Novartis licenses cancer drug from Chengdu Baiyu Pharmaceutical for $70M upfront, $1.1B in milestones SIGA Technologies in-licenses mAb library from Vanderbilt for smallpox/mpox Editas Medicine teams up with Genevant Sciences for a gene-editing platform Recursion expands collaboration with Google Cloud to enhance AI-driven drug discovery processes Monopar Therapeutics Inc. licenses Wilson disease drug ALXN-1840 (bis-choline tetrathiomolybdate) after Ph3 success 🎯 Late-stage developments Marinus Pharma's ganaxolone fails Ph3 trial in tuberous sclerosis Zhaoke Ophthalmology announces positive Ph3 for NVK002 in myopia GSK’s Arexvy shows positive results in Phase 3b trials for RSV prevention in younger adults, broadening its potential impact beyond senior populations Regeneron and Sanofi's Dupilumab (dupilumab) shown effective for Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria ✳️ Other Industry-sponsored clinical trials in Europe now 12% of global share Women's Brain Foundation reveals critical sex and gender disparities in Alzheimer’s research #pharma #biotech #pulsenews #curiousminds #healthtech Hannah Kurth Patricia Machado Tamsin Lacourte Alexandra SILVAIN

Everything you missed in #Pharma & #Biotech 🦠🔬 ✅ Approvals Roche's new breast cancer drug Itovebi (inavolisib), a targeted therapy for patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer, approved by the FDA FDA approves Pfizer’s HYMPAVZI (marstacimab), once-weekly treatment for adults and adolescents with hemophilia A or B without inhibitors 💸 Deals Paris-based Qantev, an AI-driven solution supporting health insurers, raises €30 million in Series B Purespring Therapeutics raises $80-105 million in Series B financing to advance gene therapies aimed at transforming the treatment of kidney diseases Lundbeck acquires US company Longboard Pharmaceuticals for $2.6bn AstraZeneca commits up to $2bil in deal with CSPC Pharmaceutical Group to develop preclinical heart disease drug, YS2302018, aimed at disrupting lipoprotein(a) to treat cardiovascular conditions Judo Bio debuts with $100M and a plan to take RNA drugs to the kidney 🎯Late-stage developments Boehringer Ingelheim receives breakthrough therapy designation for survodutide as a treatment for non-cirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and moderate or advanced fibrosis GSK's RSV vaccine Arexvy shows strong efficacy in preventing lower respiratory disease in older adults across three RSV seasons in Phase 3 Scholar Rock's apitegromab meets primary endpoint, demonstrating improvements in motor function for patients with spinal muscular atrophy 📈 Access An analysis by IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science confirms that the first round of Medicare drug price negotiations under the IRA is unlikely to lead to significant cost reductions for most patients. While government claims suggest savings for Medicare, patient out-of-pocket expenses are expected to remain largely unchanged, particularly for those already benefiting from low fixed co-pays or low-income subsidies. Additionally, changes in insurance plan designs and drug formularies may even increase costs for some patients. ✳️ Other The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for AI breakthroughs in predicting protein structures, revolutionizing drug discovery and biology The 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNAs, small molecules essential in regulating gene expression and playing a critical role in various disease processes   Melinda French Gates announces $250 million fund, "Action for Women's Health," aimed at improving women's healthcare globally bluebird bio's Skysona gene therapy trials report seven cases of blood cancer in gene therapy trials Microsoft launches new AI tools to streamline healthcare, including an AI agent for automating tasks like nurse documentation and enhanced models for medical imaging 👉 What’s your favorite industry news? #pharma #biotech #pulsenews #curiousminds #healthtech Hannah Kurth Patricia Machado Tamsin Lacourte Alexandra SILVAIN

Did you miss our September event? 👉 Stay tuned for our next event in Paris on November 21. The registration link will be shared imminently. 🔗 #biopharma #healthtech #networking #Paris

Everything you missed in #Pharma & #Biotech 🦠🔬 ✅ Approvals French startup Remedee Labs receives EU approval (CE marking) for noninvasive millimeter-wave wristband aimed at treating chronic fibromyalgia pain GE HealthCare secures FDA approval for PET radiotracer to detect coronary artery disease, enhancing diagnostic capabilities Eli Lilly and Company’s selpercatinib gains FDA approval to treat RET-mutant medullary thyroid cancer and RET fusion-positive thyroid cancer Formycon AG's and Fresenius Kabi's Stelara biosimilar Otulfi (ustekinumab-aauz) receives FDA approval for Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis Pharming Group N.V.’s Jeonja (leniolisib) obtains UK MHRA approval for treating APDS (activated PI3Kδ syndrome), a rare immune disorder Johnson & Johnson's Yuvanci (macitentan) gains EU approval for pulmonary arterial hypertension 💸 Deals Paris-based AzurBio Pharma launches to support biopharma market entry in Europe Recordati to pay $825 million upfront for the rights to Sanofi’s rare disease biologic Enjaymo (sutimlimab) Bristol Myers Squibb forms a $110 million partnership with Prime Medicine, Inc. focused on T-cell therapy SUN PHARMA signs an agreement with Philogen S.p.A. to commercialize FIBROMUN (L19TNF) for soft tissue sarcoma and other cancers Kailera Therapeutics launches with $400 million funding to advance obesity treatments developed in China to global markets Florey Biosciences spins out from Wyss Institute at Harvard University to develop probiotic-based medical foods for neurological conditions BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. signs early R&D deal with CAMP4 Therapeutics to target diseases with suboptimal protein expression Genentech to acquire Regor Therapeutics Group' portfolio of next-generation CDK inhibitors for breast cancer 🎯 Late-Stage Developments Zephyrm Therapeutics pursues IPO in Hong Kong to fund Phase 3 trials for its cell therapy programs targeting lung conditions and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) Johnson & Johnson’s Carvykti & Darzalex Faspro show positive Ph3 results in multiple myeloma 👀 To Watch In 2025, Germany to allow confidential AMNOG pricing and lift reimbursement guardrails, enhancing negotiation power for companies and GKV-SV but creating uncertainty about the confidentiality of pricing ✳️ Other A European clinical trial network launches a patient recruitment portal to streamline the process of finding suitable participants for clinical trials A Nature study reveals significant gaps in FDA-approved AI-based medical technologies, such as data transparency, limited demographic data, and a lack of published scientific validation, underscoring the need for improved regulatory oversight A Shanghai-based trial puts 3 patients with autoimmune disorders into remission using donor-derived CAR T cells engineered with CRISPR technology 👉 What’s your favorite industry news? #pharma #biotech #pulsenews #curiousminds #techbio Hannah Kurth

✨ Our 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 has been scheduled! At Pulse, we believe curiosity drives innovation and success. Pulse brings together leaders from biopharma and healthtech through regular in-person events, online forums and other avenues designed for thought-partnership and exchange. Pulse is 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭. As in September, this month's event will be 𝐏𝐮𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, a speed-networking exercise followed by apéro. 🔗 Pre-register here: https://lnkd.in/eBZSMQ4K #curiousminds #biopharma #healthtech #networking

On Sept 26, Pulse Network proudly hosted 𝗣𝘂𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, an engaging speed networking event where our #curiousminds explored the future of rare diseases.✨ It was exciting to witness the intense, thought-provoking exchanges among our experts from all corners of life sciences. 🚀   With attendees bringing diverse expertise — including strategy, business development, market access, R&D and legal — our participants included #executiveleaders and #entrepreneurs from esteemed organizations such as Servier, Aimmune Therapeutics, and ESTEVE PHARMA LTD as well as #tech investment. The energy and curiosity were truly palpable. 📣 Feedback highlight: “𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩 ‘𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙧’ 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜.” A huge thank you to all participants from for bringing your insights and passion, and for enriching our growing community. 👉 Join our next event on November 21 #PulseNetwork #Pharma #Biotech #biopharma #healthtech #techbio #Innovation Hannah Kurth Tamsin Lacourte Patricia Machado Alexandra SILVAIN Pulse Edge

Congratulations to Pulse Network member Patricia Machado for her appointment at Cilcare. 👏 We’re proud to see our members achieve such success. Bravo, Patricia! #curiousminds #networking #leadership https://lnkd.in/eUSssCDs

Everything you missed in #Pharma & #Biotech 🦠🔬 ✅ Approvals UCB's drug Bimzelx (bimekizumab) receives three new FDA approvals (psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis), significantly enhancing its blockbuster potential by expanding its use across multiple inflammatory conditions Regeneron and Sanofi's Dupixent® approved in the US as the first-ever biologic for COPD FDA approves Bristol Myers Squibb's Cobenfy (xanomeline and trospium chloride) for schizophrenia, the first new pharmacological approach to treat schizophrenia in decades FDA approves first two drugs for rare Niemann-Pick disease: Zevra Therapeutics’ arimoclomol (Miplyffa) and IntraBio Inc’s levacetylleucine (Aqneursa) 💸 Deals Telesis Bio and Beckman Coulter Life Sciences collaborate to enhance DNA and mRNA synthesis 🎯Late-stage developments Biohaven achieves positive topline results in pivotal study of troriluzole in spinocerebellar ataxia Amgen reports Phase 3 trial success for eczema drug rocatinlimab AbbVie's dopamine-focused Parkinson's treatment ABBV-951 meets primary endpoints in a Phase 3 trial, demonstrating significant improvement in motor function and symptom control Amgen's Uplizna (inebilizumab) successfully meets endpoints in a trial for generalized myasthenia gravis Biogen and UCB report positive topline results from a Phase 3 trial for their lupus drug, dapirolizumab pegol; to initiate second Phase 3 study Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech’s CAR-T therapy Carvykti demonstrates a strong survival benefit in multiple myeloma, solidifying its lead in earlier treatment lines 👀 To watch Korean startup Doctorpresso develops an AI model capable of detecting depression through small language cues, achieving over 90% accuracy in diagnosis An appeals court has revived PhRMA’s lawsuit challenging the drug pricing provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ✳️ Other Pfizer recalls Oxbryta for sickle cell disease from all markets worldwide due to safety concerns and halts clinical trials U.S. Pentagon commits $500M annually to women's health research on arthritis, chronic fatigue, and heart issues The EU's new guidance on the validity of clinical studies provides criteria for assessing the certainty and relevance of clinical evidence, covering internal and external validity, the use of qualitative descriptive methods, the role of risk of bias tools, and considerations for real-world evidence 👉 What’s your favorite industry news? #pharma #biotech #pulsenews #curiousminds #techbio Hannah Kurth Patricia Machado Tamsin Lacourte Alexandra SILVAIN

French InsurTech Alan has just secured a new $193M funding round and has reached a $4.5B valuation. The French #HealthTech sector has been highly dynamic. But how does it compare to its German counterpart, the largest economy and #healthcare system in Europe? I wrote down a few thoughts. All the figures below are coming from the HealthTech Alpha platform from Galen Growth | Insights You Can Trust. 1️⃣ 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 Total funding to date for HealthTech startups has reached nearly $10 billion in France (with 60% allocated to the top 30 companies), while in Germany, it remains below $5 billion (with over 50% going to the top 30). As a result, France boasts four officially recognized unicorns—Doctolib, Alan, Owkin, and Dental Monitoring—whereas Germany currently lacks any officially acknowledged unicorns (though Caresyntax could be considered an unofficial one). 2️⃣ 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 "𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡" 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 In the top 30, #France has 3 AI drug discovery #scaleups (Owkin, Aqemia, Iktos) and even one foundation model for biology (Bioptimus). In the top 30, #Germany does not have any "Deep Research" HealthTech, except Molecular Health (founded before 2010, and therefore not listed in the visual).  3️⃣ 𝐌&𝐀 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡 & 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 Most of the top 30 HealthTech companies in France and Germany do not operate in both countries (Doctolib, the leading HealthTech in Europe, is an exception). Similar to how French FinTech Qonto acquired German FinTech Penta, we may see comparable acquisitions in the HealthTech sector. For example: ➡️ 🇫🇷 Alan and 🇩🇪 Ottonova, both AI-enabled InsurTech. ➡️ 🇫🇷 Incepto and 🇩🇪 Deepc, both AI algorithms aggregator platforms. ➡️ 🇫🇷 Ouihelp and 🇩🇪 Kenbi, both home-care platforms. 4️⃣ 𝐔𝐒 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞-𝐮𝐩𝐬 Although founded in France or Germany, most HealthTech companies expand to the U.S. as their next step, rather than to France or to Germany (except for Doctolib). The reasoning is clear: the U.S. accounts for over 40% of the HealthTech market, while Germany represents 4% and France 3%. As a result, VC investors tend to adopt a 'go big or go home' strategy. 5️⃣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐊 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟑 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 Besides France and Germany, UK had a leading portfolio of HealthTech scale-ups, but: ➡️ Babylon (AI virtual care) went bankrupt ➡️ Exscientia (AI drug discovery) was acquired by Recursion and recently published disappointing results for its AI developed drug. ➡️ BenevolentAI (AI drug discovery) went public with a current market cap of $100M (almost 8x less than its $766M total funding).