Dance Biopharm announced it has raised $24.5M in private equity financing to help support the development of its inhalable insulin, Dance 501. According to the press release, Dance Biopharm plans to initiate Ph3 studies in 2019. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on Dance 501 including potential read through from Afrezza.
Novo Nordisk announced plans to restructure its R&D organization which includes cutting 400 R&D jobs in Denmark and China. Novo is also establishing a new BD unit in Cambridge, MA to help facilitate additional R&D collaborations. This news comes as no surprise and is consistent with FENIX’s previous insight regarding Novo’s shift in R&D strategy as evidenced by 7 external R&D collaborations/acquisitions thus far in 2018. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on Novo’s new R&D strategy.
Beta Bionics announced it has secured $50M thus far in a Series B round. Interestingly, the press release states Novo has participated in the Series B, but there was no mention of Lilly. Recall, Both Novo and Lilly previously invested $5M each in the Series A financing. Zealand also committed $5M to the Series B fresh off its $205M cash injection from the sale of Soliqua/Lyxumia royalties. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on the Beta Bionics financing including Lilly’s apparent decision to refrain from further investment.
Less than 3 years after reorganizing the company into 5 Global Business Units (GBUs), Sanofi is once again restructuring the organization. Now, Sanofi is creating Primary Care and China & Emerging Markets GBUs, which will replace the Diabetes and Cardiovascular (DCV) and General Medicines & Emerging Markets (GEM) GBUs. As part of the transition, Stefan Oelrich, head of the DCV business, is leaving Sanofi to join Bayer’s Board of Management and lead its Pharmaceuticals Division. The transition is set to take effect by the beginning of 2019. Below, FENIX provides thoughts Sanofi’s reorganization with insight on the potential impact on its diabetes business.
Insulet announced that as of January 1, 2019, Shacey Petrovic (pictured below) will succeed Patrick Sullivan as Insulet’s CEO. For the last two years, Petrovic has served as the company’s President and Chief Operating Officer. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on the CEO succession and impact to Insulet moving forward.
Livongo announced a partnership with Abbott to integrate the FreeStyle Libre Pro into the Livongo for Diabetes program. The integration with a professional (retrospective) CGM makes sense given Livongo’s focus on patient education and behavior-based treatment. Below, FENIX provides a unique perspective that the Abbott partnership could signal a limitation in Livongo’s diabetes solution.
Riccardo Perfetti (pictured below), Sanofi’s VP Medical Affairs and Head of the DCV Global Medical Team, has reportedly left Sanofi to serve as the CMO of Applied Therapeutics. Perfetti had been with Sanofi since October 2007.
Medtronic has started notifying HCPs that its 630G sensor augmented pump (SAP) with low glucose suspend is now available with the Guardian Sensor 3 CGM. This is the same sensor that is being used with the 670G hybrid closed-loop as well as the standalone Guardian Connect CGM system. Medtronic did not issue a press release on the new 630G/Guardian Sensor 3 integration. Below, FENIX provides observations and thoughts on the upgraded sensor integration.
Tandem’s stock price has broken the $40 mark (see chart below) for the first time since Medtronic became United Healthcare’s preferred in-network insulin pump provider in May 2016. Below, FENIX provides its thoughts on Tandem’s future market opportunity.
Medtronic hosted its CY Q2 ’18 (FY Q1 ’19) earnings (press release) and provided a brief update to its diabetes business unit. Below are highlights from the call.