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8
Feb
2022

Behind the Scenes of BD: Maude Tessier on a Megamerger Curveball

[Editor’s Note: this is part of a series of interviews with business development executives about some of the surprises, subtleties, and human aspects of biotech dealmaking.] Maude Tessier is the chief business officer of Boston-based Ikena Oncology, a developer of targeted small molecule cancer drugs. Like a lot of people in business development, she considers herself a “recovering scientist.” She...
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7
Feb
2022

The Cancer Moonshot Relaunched

Last week, I had the honor of attending the Biden Administration’s relaunch of the Cancer Moonshot at the White House. The Cancer Moonshot dates back to 2016, when then-Vice President Biden, mourning the death of his son Beau, spearheaded this bold initiative to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer on a national scale. The initiative resulted in the 21st...
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2
Feb
2022

TR’s 7th Anniversary: Thank You

Timmerman Report is 7 years old today. On Feb. 2, 2015, I rode my bike to the office on a wet Seattle morning and turned on the lights. I thought there was a need for clear, probing, contextual biotech journalism. It was a leap of faith, like any entrepreneurial venture. I couldn’t have predicted 90 percent of what came next....
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1
Feb
2022

Targeting Integrins With Small Molecules: Praveen Tipirneni on The Long Run

Today’s guest on The Long Run is Praveen Tipirneni. Praveen is the CEO of Waltham, Mass.-based Morphic Therapeutic. Morphic Therapeutic is developing oral small molecule drugs aimed at integrin targets. There’s some fascinating biology and computational technology underpinning this work, which I discussed a couple years ago on The Long Run with Morphic scientific founder Tim Springer. Just to review...
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27
Jan
2022

A Small Step on Drug Pricing

Mark Cuban, the billionaire-turned-reality TV star, made news this week with the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. Cuban has been saying for a while that he wants to stick it to the man. The biopharma man. “I could make a fortune from this,” Cuban told Texas Monthly in September. “But I won’t. I’ve got enough money. I’d rather f—...
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20
Jan
2022

Reflecting on MLK and Science in Society

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13
Jan
2022

The Biogen Debacle Continues

Please subscribe and tell your friends why it’s worthwhile. Quality journalism costs money. When you subscribe to Timmerman Report at $169 per year, you reward quality independent biotech reporting, and encourage more.   Subscribe Now   Sign in to your account.
11
Jan
2022

Brad Prosek on Getting to Know an Unconventional Acquirer

[Editor’s Note: this is the first in a monthly series with business development executives about some of the surprises, subtleties, and human aspects of biotech dealmaking.] Cambridge, Mass.-based Constellation Pharmaceuticals lived through the ups and downs of the epigenetic drug discovery field for a decade, before it exited on a high note last year. The company was acquired by Germany-based...
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9
Jan
2022

Beware of the Expert Fallacy, But Don’t Fall Into The Cynicism Trap

In December, a team led by two University of Pennsylvania scholars, psychologist Angela Duckworth (best known as author of Grit) and behavioral economist Katy Milkman published in Nature the results of a colossal study on behavior change. The researchers evaluated the impact of a huge range of behavioral interventions – 54 – that were thought to potentially influence gym attendance...
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6
Jan
2022

Biotech’s Candle Burns Bright in the Dark

Earlier this week, in need of an afternoon break, I went for a 15-minute walk to the local branch of the Seattle Public Library. With KN95 mask snugly in place, I walked in, picked up my book on hold, and walked out. Two minutes, tops. No lingering these days. At home, I flipped open Carl Sagan’s 1996 manifesto, “The Demon-Haunted...
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