Oct. 29 Quick Takes: The Rise and Fall of Sputnik V

A report released Friday by the Institute of Modern Russia, a public policy non-profit headquartered in New York, argues that the Russian government’s strategy for its COVID-19 vaccine prioritized international public relations over public health. The premature registration of the vaccine, and propaganda disparaging rival vaccines, “laid the foundation for deep mistrust of the Russian vaccine, both at home and abroad.” With a more measured approach, Russia “could have genuinely impressed the world with its scientific achievements and gained trust for years to come,” the report said. “Instead, the Kremlin opted for a high-profile PR stunt that sparked fierce controversy and irreversibly undermined confidence in the Russian vaccine.”

Scemblix asciminib by Novartis AG (SIX:NOVN; NYSE:NVS) became the first chronic myelogenous leukemia therapy approved by FDA that binds the myristoyl pocket of ABL, providing a new option for patients who develop resistance or are intolerant to other tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). The agency granted accelerated approval for adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive CML in chronic phase (Ph+ CML-CP) previously treated with two or more TKIs, and full approval for adult patients with T315I mutant Ph+ CML-CP. The STAMP inhibitor is also being studied in a Phase III trial as first line treatment for chronic phase CML...