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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.

Balloon and missed bow spears arround . Target audience and marketing concept . This is a 3d render illustration .
Rare diseases
BioMarin suffers another blow to rare disease portfolio in Phase 3 flop
BioMarin’s investigational therapy failed to elicit clinical improvements in patients with ENPP1 deficiency, while also missing key secondary endpoints of rickets severity and growth.
May 19, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
The COVID-19 vaccine in glass bottles for prevention, immunization, and treatment of coronavirus infection on a green background. Space for text. Concept of medical and vaccine.
COVID-19
FDA’s own report shows no child deaths definitively caused by COVID vaccination
Despite having no definitive data, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) in a letter to health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. suggested there was a conscious effort by the Biden administration’s FDA to cover up the safety risks of COVID-19 vaccines.
May 19, 2026
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Opportunity of winning. man sees a illuminated trophy door. vector
Cancer
Merck’s billion-dollar Kelun bet pays off as TROP2 improves survival in endometrial cancer
Merck and Kelun-Biotech’s antibody-drug conjugate significantly improved progression-free and overall survival in a pivotal endometrial cancer study, though the companies have yet to specify when they plan to file for approval.
May 19, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Minimal Clip Art Collage. Pop Vector Design Composition with bright bold geometric shapes, halftone objects for ad, animation etc
Approvals
AstraZeneca wins nod for blood pressure pill, opening new class of hypertension drugs
Baxfendy, the first aldosterone synthase inhibitor to be approved by the FDA for high blood pressure, is among the products AstraZeneca is relying on to hit its 2030 goal of $80 billion in revenue.
May 18, 2026
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1 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Human liver organ and pills. World hepatitis day. National liver health awareness month. Liver transplantation, donation background. Save patient life in hospital with liver transplant
Postmarket research
Amgen’s rare disease drug Tavneos tied to 20 deaths in Japan
The FDA has previously linked eight deaths in the U.S. to Tavneos and has alleged that doctored data were used to support its 2021 approval.
May 18, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Business people and concepts vector art exit
Government
Prasad ally Szarama exits CBER after 3 weeks as FDA cleanout continues
After less than three weeks on the job, Katherine Szarama is being replaced by Karim Mikhail as acting head of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Mikhail had previously spent more than 20 years at Merck and joined the FDA last year.
May 18, 2026
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2 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)
Cancer
Regeneron misses again as melanoma combo bows to Merck’s Keytruda in Phase 3
The late-stage miss shakes analyst confidence in Regeneron’s clinical execution, according to BMO Capital Markets, also noting last year’s Phase 3 failure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
May 18, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Illustration showing a downward graph trend
Regulatory
Future of Aardvark’s Prader-Willi drug in doubt as FDA slaps full hold on program
Aardvark Therapeutics had previously voluntarily suspended studies of ARD-101—and a related asset called ARD-201—after detecting anomalous echocardiographic readings in healthy volunteers that could indicate reduced heart efficiency.
May 15, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Save money and investment concept. Closeup piggy bank and silver coins falling. 3d rendering illustration
Series B
CREATE jumps into CAR T competition with $122M series B
CREATE Medicines is working on a clinical-stage pipeline for cancer, while its autoimmune programs are still in preclinical testing.
May 15, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Solution and strategy path questions and clear planning for ideas in business leadership with a straight path to success choosing the right strategic plan with yellow traffic signs cutting through a maze of highways.
Alzheimer’s disease
Biogen takes tau Alzheimer’s therapy to Phase 3 despite mid-stage fail, prompting cautious optimism
While Biogen’s tau-targeting therapy didn’t demonstrate improvement on a dementia severity scale, the company touted biomarker and cognitive improvements from the Phase 2 study, leaving analysts eager for more data.
May 14, 2026
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Different types of glue on light blue background, flat lay.
Funding
Degron adds $40M to series A, supporting immunology plans for molecular glue platform
Degron Therapeutics will have stiff competition in immunology, as Novartis inked a $5.7 billion agreement with Monte Rosa Therapeutics last year to develop molecular glues for undisclosed immune-mediated conditions.
May 14, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Editable vector illustration of a man winning a race. Hi-res jpeg file included.
Approvals
BeOne wins mantle cell lymphoma approval, opening new therapy class
Beqalzi is the first BCL2 inhibitor approved for relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma.
May 14, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Downsizing or layoff employee, contract termination, loss job from redundancy, dismissal workforce, restructure company, unemployed or outsourcing, businessman hand cut job from organization chart.
Layoffs
Takeda’s ‘transformation program’ leaves 4,500 jobless
While Takeda is eliminating 4,500 roles across its global operations, the company has some 2,200 jobs currently open for hiring, for which internal candidates will be prioritized.
May 14, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
leader crossed forbidden line, leadership vector concept, finish line and winner
Obesity
Lilly maintains weight loss leadership as Foundayo, Zepbound keep pounds off after switching
Despite seeing some regain, patients in two trials maintained most of their weight loss after switching to either Foundayo or lower-dose Zepbound from other injectable incretin therapies.
May 13, 2026
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2 min read
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Tristan Manalac
Large hand making pressure over group of small, silhouetted figures. Oppressions, manipulation. Contemporary art collage. Photocopy effect. Concept of world crisis, business, economy, control
FDA
After ‘most damaging period in FDA history,’ Makary will be hard to replace
With Commissioner Marty Makary’s exit, the FDA will enter a period of “unprecedented” and “prolonged” leadership vacuum, analysts at Capital Alpha predicted, noting that the government will have trouble finding someone who will want to take the FDA’s reins.
May 13, 2026
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3 min read
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Tristan Manalac
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