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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.

Protection or defensive stock in economy crisis or market crash, business resilient to survive difficulty or insurance concept, businessman holding umbrella to cover and protect from downturn arrow.
Rare diseases
Amgen shores up Tavneos’ FDA defense with Duke data analysis
After the FDA flagged patient deaths linked to Amgen’s rare disease drug Tavneos and called for its voluntary removal, the pharma recruited an independent data analysis from Duke researchers to help build the case for the drug’s continued market approval.
June 12, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Creative picture image collage banner of guy worker jump from financial charts determined company success.
Neurodegenerative disease
Novartis’ $12B Avidity buy pays dividends with Phase 1/2 muscular dystrophy win
The RNA-based medicine is one of a handful of antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates that Novartis acquired last October when it took over neuromuscular-focused Avidity Biosciences.
June 12, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Internet Network Computer Security
Business
Novo hit with cybersecurity breach, urges vigilance among trial participants
Novo Nordisk said that the information affected by the breach shouldn’t allow third parties to “identify participants in our clinical trials” despite “unauthorized access” to patients’ personal data.
June 12, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
A player checkmates the king, target in the background, chess game and strategy concept, vintage style poster
Immunology and inflammation
Takeda’s AI-designed pill bests BMS’ Sotyktu in head-to-head psoriasis trial
Takeda eyes an FDA run for its investigational psoriasis pill after the drug elicited total skin clearance in more than 35% of patients at 16 weeks—more than 2.5 times that in controls taking Bristol Myers Squibb’s Sotyktu.
June 11, 2026
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
2D illustration showing scientists' hands editing a DNA strand
Funding
SonoThera bags $125M series B to advance safer gene therapies
Instead of using viral vectors, SonoThera’s genetic medicines are delivered through an ultrasound-mediated technology that could help sidestep key safety issues with conventional delivery methods.
June 11, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Different types of glue on light blue background, flat lay.
Deals
Novartis tightens bond with Orionis in up to $1.4B molecular glue deal
It’s the latest Big Pharma deal for molecular glue technology and Novartis’ second with Orionis Biosciences, after first linking up in March 2020. The backloaded agreement will see Novartis pay $40 million upfront.
June 11, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Sorting garbage concept. Cropped photo of paper thash. Crumple paper falling to the recycling bin
Rare diseases
Sanofi cans late-stage study for rare autoimmune disease on underwhelming efficacy
The discontinuation of Sanofi’s Phase 3 study for its complement inhibitor drug in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy delivers an ‘obviously disappointing’ blow to the broader drug class, according to William Blair.
June 10, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Focus on the path, Businessman running on his own track
Rare diseases
Disc’s FDA meeting sets ‘clear path’ for embattled rare blood disease drug
The FDA rejected bitopertin in February amid reports of skepticism from former CBER director Vinay Prasad, who has since departed the agency.
June 10, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
A brain hovers over a hand against a yellow-striped background
Alzheimer’s disease
Lilly bets up to $1B+ with AlzeCure in search for next Alzheimer’s act
The star of the licensing agreement, a small-molecule gamma-secretase modulator, will help buff Eli Lilly’s position in Alzheimer’s disease, currently headlined by its anti-amyloid antibody Kisunla.
June 10, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Seamless gummy bears pattern with pink and blue jelly candy shapes on a bright pink background. Sweet repeating confectionery texture for packaging, wrapping paper, textiles, stationery and prints.
HIV
Merck, Gilead serve ‘sweet and sour’ spread after HIV win, cancer stumble
While Merck and Gilead Sciences reported back-to-back late-stage victories for their weekly HIV pill, the partners also discontinued a Phase 3 program for their cancer combo after disappointing lung cancer survival data.
June 9, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Two businessman taking competition.Overtaking
Weight loss
ADA: AstraZeneca hands Structure a win with ‘relatively underwhelming’ GLP-1 pill data
AstraZeneca is pushing its small molecule GLP-1 drug to Phase 3 development for weight control, diabetes and other cardiometabolic conditions despite the asset failing to best one from Structure Therapeutics.
June 9, 2026
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Big fish with a dollar badge wants to eat small fish
Mergers & acquisitions
GSK pays $10.6B for cancer biotech Nuvalent in industry’s second-biggest buy of the year
Nuvalent Bio is GSK’s third big-ticket purchase this year, after the pharma dropped $2.2 billion in January for RAPT Therapeutics and $950 million in February for 35Pharma.
June 9, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Isometric Business people pushing cubes. Winner easily moving the cube. Winning strategy, efficiency, innovation in business concept
Diabetes
ADA: Lilly bests Novo again, takes GLP-1 pill Foundayo to FDA for diabetes approval
Newly approved weight loss pill Foundayo reduced blood sugar more than Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide and other comparators in multiple Phase 3 type 2 diabetes trials. Eli Lilly will seek approval in this indication.
June 9, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
A city with electric wires and pipes underground.
Series B
City Therapeutics builds RNAi pipeline with $99.5M series B
City Therapeutics, one of BioSpace’s NextGen companies for 2026, was started by RNA royalty John Maraganore, former CEO of Alnylam.
June 8, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Reaching an agreement. Businessmen shake hands and make a deal. vector
Deals
Roche makes up to $2.3B blood cancer play with Nurix’s protein degrader
Roche and Nurix Therapeutics will advance their BTK degrader for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, as well as immunology and neurology indications.
June 8, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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