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Tristan Manalac

Tristan Manalac

Senior Staff Writer

Tristan is BioSpace‘s senior staff writer. Based in Metro Manila, Tristan has more than eight years of experience writing about medicine, biotech and science. Being formally trained in molecular biology, he once dreamed of collecting degrees and starting his own lab. But these days, he finds his greatest joy in a bottle of beer and a beautiful sentence. He can be reached at tristan.manalac@biospace.com, tristan@tristanmanalac.com or on LinkedIn.

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Complete response letters
Update: FDA does not freeze CRL trove as ‘radical transparency’ push hits speedbump
An unnamed pharma filed a citizen petition in April seeking reforms to the way the FDA publicly releases rejection letters, alleging that the policy “contravenes decades of agency practice.”
July 23, 2026
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Businessman in starting position ready to sprint run stock illustration
Obesity
Lilly preps FDA run for ‘triple-G’ weight loss drug with Phase 3 data
With weight loss topping 20% at 80 weeks in the Phase 3 TRIUMPH-2 and TRIUMPH-3 trials, Eli Lilly plans to file for retatrutide’s approval in the first quarter of 2027. Previously a filing was expected later this year.
July 23, 2026
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Cash flow, making profit from business or earning from stock investment concept, wealthy businessman business owner or investor opening water tap to let gold dollar coins money flowing out.
Earnings
Roche’s late stage pipeline ‘so full,’ CEO Schinecker not feeling pressure to add on
Roche has 19 investigational medicines that could launch by 2030—and even if not all of them make it to market, the company is “well set-up for growth into the next decade,” CEO Thomas Schinecker said on the pharma’s Q2 earnings call.
July 23, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
A contemporary artistic collage featuring a hand holding a trophy. The concept of victory and achievement.
Approvals
GSK’s $10.6B Nuvalent bet pays off early as FDA approves lung cancer drug
Jideytro is GSK’s first approved product for lung cancer. With its takeover of Nuvalent Bio last month and a deal with Hansoh Pharmaceutical in 2023, the pharma now has several other lung cancer assets in late-stage development.
July 23, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
A boxing match between the USA and China
China
US ‘eroding’ lead in rare diseases a matter of national security: Report
A Congressional advisory panel recommends the U.S. government put supportive policies in place for rare disease drug development, such as a finalized platform designation from the FDA and the allowance of novel trial designs for small patient populations.
July 22, 2026
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4 min read
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Tristan Manalac
syringe in a vial with a radioactive symbol against a background of antibodies
Radiopharmaceuticals
Novartis scraps mid-stage radiopharma asset as Pluvicto soars
The discontinued asset, being trialed for breast cancer and solid tumors, had yielded disappointing data, leading to Novartis’ decision to abandon development, according to a company spokesperson.
July 22, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Partnership handshake with world map background. Business concept
Earnings
Novartis stays ‘geography-agnostic’ in dealmaking amid flurry of China deals
Novartis will continue to be on the lookout for bolt-on deals below $2 billion, CEO Vas Narasimhan said Tuesday on the pharma’s second quarter earnings call—though major pickups aren’t completely off the table.
July 21, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
People are looking far ahead on the growth graph..
Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Dyne gets early 2027 decision date for Duchenne therapy, analysts expect ‘smooth’ review
If approved, Dyne Therapeutics’ zeleciment rostudirsen could “capture the majority” of the exon-51 Duchenne muscular dystrophy market, given its better efficacy and dosing profile versus Sarepta Therapeutics’ exon-skipping therapy Exondys 51, the current standard of care, according to Oppenheimer.
July 21, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
A flower in the middle of the desert
IPO
2026 IPO class blooms again as BlossomHill, Latigo set sights on Nasdaq
Eighteen companies have gone public this year so far, putting 2026 on pace to record the highest number of IPOs since the pandemic-driven high of 2021.
July 20, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Man jumping, running, and winner holding trophy. Competition, challenge, risk and reward concept. Vector illustration.
IgA nephropathy
Vertex’s IgA nephropathy drug derisked after Novartis, Vera approvals
The FDA is currently reviewing Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ povetacicept, with a target action date of Nov. 30. If approved, the drug could benefit from campaigns from Novartis and Vera Therapeutics for their recently approved IgAN therapies Fabhalta and Trutakna.
July 20, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Business
GSK culls cough program for drug at the heart of $2B Bellus bet after Phase 3 fail
Camlipixant, which GSK picked up in its $2 billion buyout of Bellus Health in April 2023, “is unlikely to transform patient care,” the pharma said.
July 17, 2026
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Cardiovascular disease
Insmed moves closer to $6B opportunity as PAH drug shows long-term durability
Insmed’s inhalable candidate showed “impressive” long-term efficacy in pulmonary arterial hypertension, according to analysts at Guggenheim Partners, with functional and biomarker improvements through one year of follow-up.
July 17, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Two arrow signs representing the new way and old way approach to business
Policy
FDA disavows Makary, Prasad’s papers as lawmaker blasts ‘shoot-from-the-hip’ policymaking
Journal publications that suggested changes in FDA guidelines do not “communicate FDA policy or interpretation of a regulatory issue,” acting director Kyle Diamantas wrote in a letter to House Energy & Commerce committee ranking member Diana DeGette.
July 17, 2026
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Circular ornament one hundred dollar bill obverse
Psychedelics
Lilly makes up to $3.8B psychedelics play in AtaiBeckley takeover
With the AtaiBeckley acquisition, Eli Lilly is jumping into psychedelics, a drug class that Jefferies analysts say could herald the “biggest change” for the field of psychiatry.
July 16, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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IPO
Braveheart, Attovia, Vogenx keep IPOs ballooning with plans to compete in cardiometabolic, immuno
Braveheart Bio is looking to take on Bristol Myers Squibb in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, while Attovia Therapeutics wants to challenge Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent. Vogenx, meanwhile, is looking to establish its name in the cardiometabolic space.
July 16, 2026
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4 min read
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Tristan Manalac