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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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Business
Lilly exits Rigel alliance, adding to RIPK1 scrap heap
Eli Lilly and Rigel Pharmaceuticals partnered in February 2021 to advance a pair of RIPK1 blockers, but the pharma in October last year pulled the plug on one of these programs for central nervous system indications.
April 22, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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GLP-1
Lilly, Novo dip as proposed Medicare coverage for GLP-1 pilot thrown off balance
Two of the biggest insurance providers have expressed reluctance to participate in the government’s BALANCE program that would have made GLP-1 drugs more affordable to patients.
April 22, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Thumb up close-up in surgical, medical gloves, gesture, recommendation for a successful operation. Pink background.
Regulatory
Amid US ordeal, Moderna wins EU approval for flu/COVID-19 combo shot
In the U.S., Moderna withdrew its approval application for the combination vaccine in May last year and the timeline for resubmission remains uncertain.
April 22, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Approvals
Merck steps up as ‘meaningful competitor’ to Gilead with HIV pill approval
The newly approved HIV drug Idvynso will also help Merck diversify as loss of exclusivity looms over its top-selling product, the mega-blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda.
April 22, 2026
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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IPO
The 5 largest IPOs in biopharma history
With an IPO raise of $625 million, Kailera Therapeutics now holds the new record for the largest public market debut.
April 22, 2026
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9 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Target, miss the target, target shooting, dart, correct decisions, bow and arrow, dart on target, hits and misses (3d illustration)
Kidney cancer
Merck, Eisai’s Keytruda triplet fails to improve survival in kidney cancer
A triplet regimen comprising Merck’s Welireg and PD-1 blockbuster Keytruda and Eisai’s Lenvima flopped in a Phase 3 renal cell carcinoma trial.
April 21, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Sunset illuminating the tall skyscrapers of San Diego in California from Centennial Park in Coronado
Cancer
AACR 2026: Moderna, Revolution, Zymeworks and BeOne showcase new data
Moderna, Revolution Medicines and Zymeworks record wins in melanoma, lung and breast cancers, while BeOne swings and misses at head and neck cancer.
April 21, 2026
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4 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Lung cancer
Gilead, Arcus tumble again in TIGIT, triggering 2 trial culls
The Phase 3 failure has prompted Gilead Sciences and Arcus Biosciences to terminate a mid-stage study of their TIGIT asset in lung cancer.
April 21, 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.
Sickle cell disease
Novo’s late-stage sickle cell win piles pressure on competitors
Novo Nordisk’s etavopivat elicited a 27% drop in vaso-occlusive crises and 48.7% hemoglobin response after 24 weeks, creating “separation amongst PK class candidates,” Truist analysts said on Monday. Novo plans to seek FDA approval in the back half of 2026.
April 20, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
IPO Initial Public Offering finance business concept. 3D render vector illustration of Trading on IPO Initial Public Offering, Business Startup and Stock Market Concept. Public offering share launch
IPO tracker
Odyssey tests IPO waters anew after quitting quest last year
Analysts are cautiously optimistic about an IPO rebound for biopharma. BioSpace is keeping track of companies that seek to trade on the public markets this year.
April 20, 2026
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10 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Two boxing gloves give a fist bump on a colored background. Collage art
Lung cancer
Merck’s early PD-1/VEGF data competitive in lung cancer, but Summit ‘looms large’
While Merck’s PD-1/VEGF asset appears to match the performance of Summit Therapeutics’ ivonescimab, the pharma’s Phase 1/2 readout in non-small cell lung cancer still leaves analysts with some questions moving into later-stage development.
April 20, 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
Mergers & acquisitions
UCB elevates epilepsy expertise with up to $1.15B Neurona takeover
The acquisition of Neurona will put UCB in both the epilepsy and cell therapy space, even as many of its fellow pharmas move away from the latter modality.
April 20, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
FDA headquarters with a purple psychedelic background.
Psychedelics
Trump throws support behind psychedelics with executive order
A new executive order could usher in psychedelics as the “key next wave” of mental health therapies, according to analysts at RBC Capital Markets.
April 20, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Online Medicine or internet pharmacy services as a pharmacist or web doctor and medical health service or digital healthcare for purchase and delivery of medications as Telemedicine and Teleconsultations.
GLP-1
Lilly’s Foundayo reaches 1,390 patients in first week, trailing Novo’s oral Wegovy launch
While Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill reached more than 3,000 patients in its first week on the market, analysts at RBC Capital Markets said a direct comparison of the two figures could be misleading given the shorter data collection time for Foundayo.
April 17, 2026
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Concept of money prize. Vector illustration. Halftone hand holds bouquet of money flowers. Gift prize, donation, earnings, bonus or cashback concept. Retro poster or banner. Creative trend collage.
IPO
UPDATE: Kailera breaks biotech IPO record with $625M debut
Obesity-focused Kailera Therapeutics debuted on the Nasdaq Friday after raising a record $625 million, beating Moderna’s $600 million from 2018.
April 17, 2026
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4 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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