Good morning, everyone, and nice to see you again. We hope the weekend respite was invigorating and relaxing, at least for those of you not preoccupied with a pair of big industry events. Regardless, the usual crushing routine of deadlines, meetings, calls, and the like is upon us. So no matter where you are, please join us for a cup of stimulation. Our choice today is Jack Daniels — yes, there is such a thing and the beginning of the week is a good reason to consider it, yes? Meanwhile, here are some tidbits. Hope your day is smashing and, as always, do keep in touch. …
The infamous Party at BIO Not Associated with BIO is back — though not by the same name. The PABNAB moniker is not attached to the event’s online presence as in the past, but one of the same organizers, Martina Molsbergen Tamaro, is throwing a “Gladiators and Goddesses” themed bash at a venue near the BIO International Conference, which begins Monday in Philadelphia, STAT informs us. Last year’s party featured topless dancers, some of whom had company logos painted on their bodies, which prompted attendees and even a senator to admonish the biopharma industry.
Here are a few highlights from the ASCO meeting that began over the weekend: Kisqali, a breast cancer drug from Novartis (NVS), dramatically extended survival in younger women, but whether it will help the company battle Pfizer (PFE) is unclear. Moderna Therapeutics (MRNA) showcased for the first time some early data on a personalized cancer vaccine. And Lynparza, an AstraZeneca (AZN) and Merck (MRK) drug, helped patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who carry BRCA gene mutations go nearly twice as long without worsening compared with those who received a placebo.
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