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Day one of the very first JP Morgan Healthcare virtual conference is officially over and, from our perspective, it’s busier than ever. Key COVID-19 players like Gilead Sciences and Moderna were buzzing over successful pandemic efforts, while Big Pharmas Merck & Co., Bristol Myers Squibb and Novartis discussed their long-term views on blockbuster drugs and mergers and acquisitions.
Others, like Vertex, were eager to tout expansions into new areas of disease, while Genentech’s CEO presented some lessons from the pandemic and Merck KGaA spoke about resilience in the face of pandemic demand.
Here’s what you need to know as day 2 kicks off. From Moderna’s rapid rise in the ranks of vaccine developers, to Regeneron’s plans to boost adoption of its cocktail of antibodies, we follow developments as the day progresses.
Want more? We will be following the latest news on Day 2 of # JPM2021 as it happens here. Check out yesterday’s updates from Bristol, Vertex, Johnson & Johnson and many more here, and check out Fierce Biotech’s coverage here.
UPDATE: Tuesday, Jan.12 at 2:33 p.m. ET
At last year’s JP Morgan Healthcare conference, Modern was a clinical-stage biotechnology company with promising technology and big ambitions. This year, biotechnology has one of the only COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the world. Global vaccine rollout could propel the company into the ranks of leading vaccine producers in terms of global revenue, CEO Stephane Bancel said in an interview for Fierce JPM Week. The company has secured purchase orders worth more than $ 11 billion and is negotiating other deals, Bancel said in a presentation Monday. Meanwhile, Moderna’s success in COVID has provided “validation” for its platform as a biotech eye vaccine against a range of other diseases. Story
AT Regeneron, there is no doubt about it: “As a company, we have to do a much better job” to offer patients antibody therapies – like those of the company -, R&D manager George yancopoulos said Monday. While there are barriers to treatment – therapies are infused, meaning patients must first get a prescription and then go to an infusion center for administration – Yancopoulus said Regeneron could ‘work much more closely with the government ”to learn more about effective ways of getting the cocktail to patients. “Right now the vaccine is not helping any of those people,” he added. “The only thing that can really help these people… is these antibody therapies.” Story
UPDATE: Tuesday, January 12 at 11:15 a.m.ET
While the world waits Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy Data, PDG Alex gorsky had a simple post to share during his JPM fireside chat on Monday. The company is in the “final stages” of a data analysis and hopes “to have this information very soon,” he said. With the deployment of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines lagging behind in the United States, J & J’s single-dose regimen could “be a game-changer,” said Moncef Slaoui, Operation Warp Speed manager, recently. J&J plans to produce hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine in the first half of 2021 and nearly a billion doses by the end of the year. Story
Even like Pfizer, Modern and AstraZeneca to ship COVID-19 vaccines by the millions, a “second wave” of vaccines will still be needed to immunize the world, experts said at a Fierce JPM Week panel. Total vaccine demand will reach 16 billion doses, an expert says, and it is not known how long the protection will last from the first round of vaccines. We hope that the current vaccine launches “will help us end the acute phase of the pandemic”. Swati gupta, a frame with IAVI said, but since COVID-19 is likely to become endemic, “we also need to plan for longer-term management of the disease.” Valneva CEO Thomas lingelbach says he is “absolutely sure” that there will be a demand for follow-up vaccines. Story
UPDATE: Tuesday, Jan.12 at 10:10 a.m.ET
About a month later Eli lilly present positive results on her weekly double GIP and tirzepatide, a drug for GLP-1 type 2 diabetes, Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen said both companies can be successful in the competitive GLP-1 class. Just as Novo promised when Lilly launched Trulicity, Jørgensen now says the two companies can each work to grow the class. And he sees neither of them “completely wiping out the market and having a product that is just massively differentiated”. So far, Novo is seeing positive uptake of its GLP-1 pill Rybelsus – the first oral drug in the class – although initial lockdowns of COVID-19 are hampering absorption. Now patients are more comfortable seeing their doctor and Novo is seeing a “steady flow” of new prescriptions.
UPDATE: Tuesday, January 12 at 9:30 a.m.ET
Alexion 2020 sales were about $ 5.93 billion in 2020 after growing 18.7% year-over-year, CFO Aradhana sarin said. To meet its 2025 sales target of around $ 9 billion to $ 10 billion, the company plans to quadruple the number of U.S. neurology patients its C5 drugs Soliris and Ultomiris treat compared to 2019. While the company is set to be acquired by AstraZeneca in a $ 39 billion deal, Sarin called the company’s capabilities “unique, difficult to replicate and necessary to serve rare disease patients.” Story
CEO Ken frazier Monday seemed particularly resistant to the idea that it was hard to prepare for Merck & Co. on the other side of Keytruda’s patent expiration date. The company is considering keytruda co-formulations, combinations and other routes of administration that could extend the life of the mega-rockbuster, for example. Additionally, “I think our prospects for revenue growth are underestimated by 2024,” said Frazier, referring to candidates in the company’s pipeline. Meanwhile, the company has continued to close deals, completing 120 deals in 2020 alone. Frazier knows these little pacts may not be what investors are looking for. “I think what people are saying is, ‘We would like you to do something bigger and later,’ he admitted. Story
Despite some controversial WHO data last fall, the adoption Galaad Sciences’ The COVID-19 antiviral Veklury, formerly known as remdesivir, has fallen from just 30% of patients hospitalized in October to around 50% to 60% today, CEO Dan O’Day said Monday. As a result, the company now expects Veklury to pocket $ 2.8 billion to $ 2.83 billion in 2020, while it achieved total 2020 revenue of between $ 24.3 billion and $ 24 billion. $ 35 billion, well above the estimate of $ 23 billion to $ 23.5 billion she had previously sketched. . As for the company’s plans beyond Veklury? “Biktarvy, Biktarvy, Biktarvy – it’s very important,” O’Day said of the products that would fuel Gilead’s short-term sales expansion. Story
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