A Karyopharm Therapeutics multiple myeloma drug candidate faces longer odds for speedy FDA approval after the agency’s staff raised questions about the therapy’s efficacy and safety. Staff concerns about Karyopharm drug selinexor were detailed in briefing documents posted Friday afternoon, ahead of an advisory committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday. Such panels are convened to assess […]

Enzyvant has named Rachelle Jacques its new CEO. She comes to the Cambridge, MA, rare disease drug developer from Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ALXN), where she was senior vice president and global franchise head of complement. Her experience also includes senior roles at Shire and Baxalta. Jacques succeeds Alvin Shih, who will continue to advise Enzyvant. […]

Innovate Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: INNT) CEO Christopher Prior has resigned. In his place, Sandeep Laumas, the executive chairman of Innovate’s board, has been appointed chief executive. Prior had been Innovate’s CEO since 2015. According to a securities filing, he resigned from his chief executive post and board seat on Feb. 19. The filing gave no reason […]

[Updated 2/22/19, 2:42 pm CT. See below.] Exact Sciences screened 934,000 patients for colorectal cancer in 2018 using its stool-based diagnostic test, Cologuard, resulting in a 71 percent surge in annual revenue to $454.5 million, the company announced Thursday. Exact (NASDAQ: EXAS), which relocated from the Boston area to Madison, WI, in 2009, is one […]

Voyager Therapeutics and AbbVie, already partners developing gene therapies for Alzheimer’s disease, are now expanding their alliance to include Parkinson’s. AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) is paying Cambridge, MA-based Voyager (NASDAQ: VYGR) $65 million up front under the new deal. Gene therapies use viruses to carry the genetic instructions into cells. The agreement calls for Voyager to […]

Here’s a roundup of recent news from Wisconsin’s high-tech industries: —Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK), the Milwaukee-based seller of hardware and software that enables industrial automation, is forming a joint venture with Houston-based Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB), a maker of products for drilling and other tasks in the oil and gas industry. The new venture, called Sensia, […]

The growing epidemic of the fatty liver disease known as NASH, which has no FDA-approved treatment, has led to a frenzied race among drug companies. This week, one company, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, solidified its lead. But how much will being first to the finish line mean when all is said and done? Intercept (NASDAQ: ICPT) reported […]

Raymond Sanchez has been appointed chief medical officer of Cerevel Therapeutics. Sanchez comes to Boston-based Cerevel from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development and Commercialization, where he most recently served as senior vice president, global clinical development. During the last half of his 11-year tenure at Otsuka, he was also chief medical officer of Otsuka subsidiary Avanir Pharmaceuticals. […]