Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and inspiring, because that oh-so familiar routine of online meetings, phone calls, and deadlines has returned. You knew this would happen, yes? After all, the world, such as it is, continues to spin. So time to give it a nudge in a better direction with a cup of stimulation. And as we fire up the coffee kettle, we are reaching for our flavor of the day, chocolate raspberry. Please feel free to join us. Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits for you to digest. Moreover, we hope you have a smashing day and conquer the world. And as always, please do keep in touch. …
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel voted in favor of expanding use of CAR-T therapy in blood cancer, despite concerns about side effects, STAT writes. The group voted 11-0 that the benefits of Carvykti, a CAR-T medicine from Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech, outweighed risks for patients with multiple myeloma whose disease has persisted despite initial treatment. The same panel voted 8-3 in favor of Abecma, from Bristol Myers Squibb and 2seventy Bio, for multiple myeloma patients who received at least two lines of therapy. Currently both medicines are approved only for patients who have been treated for myeloma with four or more medications.
Federal authorities are investigating Meta Platforms for its role in the illicit sale of drugs, according to The Wall Street Journal. U.S. prosecutors in Virginia have been sending subpoenas and asking questions as part of a criminal grand jury probe looking into whether the company’s social-media platforms are facilitating and profiting from the illegal sale of drugs. Meta is the owner of Instagram and Facebook. The FDA has been helping with the investigation. Meta, meanwhile, has enlisted outside entities to screen advertisers and content that might violate rules regarding the promotion and sale of drugs.