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Medicare limits coverage of $28,000-a-year Alzheimer’s drug from Biogen

Its benefits have been widely questioned, sparking a tug-of-war over the fair value of new medicines that offer tantalizing possibilities but come with prohibitive prices.

Medicare is poised to make pivotal announcement on Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug

Federal officials this week are expected to make a long-awaited announcement that could help decide the fate of Aduhelm, Biogen’s new Alzheimer’s drug, which costs over $28,000 annually and has stirred more controversy than any medication in years.

Moderna says Omicron-specific vaccine won’t be ready before fall; data in young children imminent

Speaking at the virtual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, Moderna chief executive Stéphane Bancel also said the company is working on an all-in-one annual vaccine for respiratory illnesses.

Beam Therapeutics inks $300 million gene-editing collaboration with Pfizer

The companies announced Monday that they are partnering to work on new medicines for diseases involving the liver, muscles, and central nervous system.

Three IPOs on Friday, and more deals in Boston biotech
It has been a very busy start to 2022 for Boston-area biotech companies, with the annual J.P. Morgan Health Care Conference about to begin next week.

Blueprint Medicines appoints new CEO
Kate Haviland will succeed longtime CEO Jeff Albers at the Cambridge biotech, which is advancing sales of its precision medicine for cancer and a rare blood disorder.

Latest Headlines in Biotech

Biogen's headquarters in Cambridge.

Samsung in talks to acquire Biogen, per report

Biogen is reportedly in talks to be acquired by Korea’s Samsung Group in a deal that would value the Cambridge-based drugmaker at $42 billion.

The Biogen Inc., headquarters is shown March 11, 2020, in Cambridge, Mass.

Biogen cuts Alzheimer’s drug price 50 percent months after approval

The company will reduce the annual list price of the treatment to $28,200 to lower out-of-pocket costs for patients and reduce “the potential financial implications for the US health-care system.”

Tom Cahill, the founder and managing partner of Newpath Partners.

Newpath Partners raises $350 million for second life science fund

Since launching in 2018, Newpath has partnered with more than 15 scientific founders and participated in large funding rounds for the likes of Neumora Therapeutics and Prime Medicine.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals signage is displayed at the entrance to the company's building in Boston.

Vertex to advance kidney disease drug after positive early data

It’s an important advance for the Boston biotech, which has been trying to diversify its business beyond cystic fibrosis treatments.

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel

Moderna’s concerns about Omicron outlook spark market slump

Top executives at the Cambridge company reiterated that the Omicron variant’s many mutations suggest new vaccines will be needed, triggering a drop in financial markets.

Pedestrians walk past Biogen Inc. headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

US insurers balk at paying for Biogen’s $56,000-a-year Alzheimer’s treatment

None of the 25 large insurers that responded to a Bloomberg News survey judged the $56,000-a-year drug “medically necessary."

Biogen Inc. headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Biogen faces European regulator’s doubts over Alzheimer’s drug

A panel of the European Medicines Agency gave “a negative trend vote” on the U.S. drugmaker’s application, the company said Wednesday.

Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital is testing a nasal vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease

The hospital will enroll 16 participants aged 60 to 85 who have an early, symptomatic version of the disease to participate in the early-stage test.