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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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Funding
Sling catches $123M series C for thyroid eye disease pill
Sling Therapeutics is advancing the first late-stage oral drug for thyroid eye disease that, if approved, could compete against Amgen and Viridian Therapeutics.
September 16, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Successful entrepreneurs in the business world lead the company to its peak.
Commercialization
5 biotechs braving the commercial waters with product launches
A growing number of biotechs are entering the market with newly launched medicines, a pattern indicative of “improving capital markets,” according to Jefferies’ Andrew Tsai.
September 16, 2026
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8 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Lung cancer
Despite 3 patient deaths, Cullinan-Taiho plan FDA filing for lung cancer pill on survival benefit
Analysts believe Cullinan Therapeutics and Taiho Oncology can overcome the safety risks as zipalertinib “sets [a] new bar” for first-line treatment of a type of lung cancer. The candidate is already under review for the the second-line setting, with a decision expected by early next year.
September 15, 2026
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Layoffs
GSK lays off 650 staffers amid closure of German vaccine manufacturing site
GSK is consolidating its vaccine manufacturing operations to one site—located in Canada—amid the pharma’s recent $2.5 billion savings campaign.
September 15, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Breast cancer
AstraZeneca’s newly approved cancer pill fails late-stage study, blocking path to bigger market
SERENA-4 was assessing AstraZeneca’s Etcamah as a first-line option for certain patients with advanced breast cancer—a setting that could have meant a $2.9 billion opportunity for the drug.
September 14, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Approvals
Scholar Rock secures first FDA approval for muscle-targeting rare disease drug
Scholar Rock’s spinal muscular atrophy drug, now to be called Isembyld, was originally rejected in September 2025, when the FDA cited compliance problems at a third-party manufacturer.
September 14, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Cancer
5 drugmakers chasing Merck and Moderna in the cancer vaccine race
Following their blowout win in melanoma last month, Merck and Moderna are leading the way among a new crop of personalized cancer vaccines. Here are five companies with similar therapies hoping to break through where others have previously failed.
September 14, 2026
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9 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Cancer
Disc sets up polycythemia vera challenge but Silence maintains lead
The polycythemia vera field is heating up, with Disc Medicine and Silence Therapeutics each advancing next-generation therapies, playing catch-up to Takeda and Protagonist Therapeutics, who won the FDA’s approval last month for Mimrylo.
September 11, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Venture capital
Frazier adds $1.1B+ to small and mid-sized biotech fund
Frazier’s life science fund has already benefited several successful biotechs, including Verona Pharma, which was acquired by Merck for $10 billion, and Carmot Therapeutics, which Roche bought for $2.7 billion.
September 11, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Funding
Encoded raises $275M series F for Dravet syndrome gene therapy
Encoded Therapeutics’ lead asset ETX101 is a gene therapy being tested for Dravet syndrome. Phase 1/2 data showed substantial reductions in seizures.
September 10, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Bladder cancer
Tyra shares slip as bladder cancer responses fall short of investor expectations
Despite falling short of analyst expectations, Tyra Biosciences is taking its cancer drug to registrational development for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
September 10, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Regulatory
Acting CBER, CDER heads become permanent as FDA works to restore stability
The decision to promote Michael Davis and Karim Mikhail from acting to permanent division heads comes as the FDA awaits the potential confirmation of Heidi Overton, President Donald Trump’s nominee for commissioner.
September 9, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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CAR-T
BMS clinches pivotal win for myeloma CAR T in ‘key derisking event’
Bristol Myers Squibb is positioning arlo-cel for quadruple-class exposed patients, which could help reduce competition with an upcoming multiple myeloma CAR T therapy from Gilead Sciences, according to BMO Capital Markets.
September 9, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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Funding
Caspian launches with $50M, Lilly support to advance disease-modifying diabetes bet
Kura Oncology has spun out Caspian around KO-7246, which seeks to increase the number and activity of beta cells in the pancreas, in turn boosting insulin production in patients with diabetes.
September 9, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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China
Beyond China: Five other overseas destinations for biopharma dollars
As geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China grow increasingly complicated, here are five alternative territories for biotech investments.
September 9, 2026
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8 min read
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Tristan Manalac