Good morning, everyone, and how are you today? We are doing just fine, thank you, despite a thick fog enveloping the Pharmalot grounds. After all, as the Morning Mayor taught us: “Every new day should be unwrapped like a precious gift.” So while you tug on the ribbon, we will fire up our coffee kettle to brew another cup of stimulation. Our choice today is chocolate cappuccino, for those tracking this sort of thing. It pays to experiment, you know? Meanwhile, we have assembled the latest menu of tidbits for you to peruse as you gear up for another busy day. We hope your journey goes well and you conquer the world. And as always, do keep in touch. …
Investigators released the first detailed case report about a patient who died after receiving lecanemab, providing a new glimpse into safety concerns surrounding the closely watched experimental Alzheimer’s drug, STAT writes. An unpublished version of the report was previously written about by Science in November, one of three deaths from the lecanemab trials revealed by Science and STAT. But the published version, in the New England Journal of Medicine, will allow doctors to evaluate the case as they consider whether and how to use a treatment that could be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as soon as this week.
Meanwhile, Biogen disclosed that it will split its research and development division into two units ahead of the highly anticipated FDA decision about the company’s second Alzheimer’s drug, Reuters adds. The company named interim R&D chief Priya Singhal as executive vice president, head of development following the separation. Singhal will also serve as the interim head of research until Biogen completes its search for a new chief for that division. The moves come two months after the company hired a new chief executive officer, Christopher Viehbacher, in a bid to recover from the controversial failure to turn its first Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm, into a blockbuster product.
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