Regeneron loses a bull as threats to Eylea rise

Argus Research analysts Jasper Hellweg and Kelly Hannigan see threats to Reneron Pharmaceuticals’ (REGN +1.2%) main revenue driver, Eylea, prompting them to cut their recommendation to hold from buy.

The analysts write that Novartis may introduce a biologic for treating wet age-related macular degeneration, a key Eylea indication, by the end of 2019.

Eylea patents expire in 2022 in China and Japan, 2023 in the U.S., and 2024 in Europe.

Though Regeneron has a strong pipeline and new indications for multiple products, it will be “hard pressed” to replace lost Eylea sales, the analysts write.

Quant rating Neutral, Sell-side average rating Outperform (6 Buy, 3 Outperform, 14 Hold, 1 Underperform)

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3472083-regeneron-loses-bull-threats-eylea-rise

LabCorp, Mount Sinai Set Digital, AI-Enabled Pathology Center of Excellence

Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution will be deployed across the Mount Sinai Health System to support greater efficiency and help improve patient care

LabCorp® (NYSE: LH) and the Mount Sinai Health System today announced another element in their shared goal of improving laboratory services and patient care. LabCorp, a leading global life sciences company, and Mount Sinai, New York City’s largest integrated healthcare delivery system, will work together to establish the Mount Sinai Digital and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Enabled Pathology Center of Excellence.

“LabCorp and Mount Sinai continue to focus on innovations to enhance the quality and lower the costs of patient care, and we’re pleased to introduce digital pathology to Mount Sinai as the next phase of our collaboration,” said William B. Haas, senior vice president of LabCorp Diagnostics’ Northeast Division. “We’ve taken significant steps to enhance laboratory services across the Mount Sinai system since early 2017, and we look forward to continuing to build on those successes to advance LabCorp’s mission and our shared goal to improve health and improve lives.”

LabCorp, which has implemented the Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution in four of its laboratories and plans to introduce it to additional laboratories, will use its experience and expertise to lead the integration of digital pathology into clinical practice across Mount Sinai’s hospitals. Initially, digital pathology will be used for interpretations of genitourinary malignancies, mainly prostate tumors, as well as cancers of the head and neck. The next planned stage of implementation is for Mount Sinai pathologists to use the digital pathology solution to provide consultations for cases interpreted by LabCorp’s Dianon Pathology specialty laboratory. This will give physicians and patients from across the U.S. access to the leading expertise of Mount Sinai specialists.

The Center of Excellence will be housed within Mount Sinai’s Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine and will use the Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution to expand digital pathology capabilities for primary diagnosis and consultations across the Mount Sinai system. The department processes more than 80 million diagnostic tests a year, making it one of the largest academic departments of its kind in the country.

https://www.marketscreener.com/LABORATORY-CORPORATION-OF-13392/news/LabCorp-and-Mount-Sinai-Health-System-Collaborate-to-Establish-Digital-and-AI-Enabled-Pathology-Ce-28773980/

BeiGene creates a new entity with SpringWorks to develop BGB-3245

BeiGene (NASDAQ:BGNE) has formed MapKure, LLC, a newly created entity that is jointly owned by BeiGene and SpringWorks.

MapKure intends to develop BGB-3245, an oral, selective small molecule inhibitor of monomer and dimer forms of activating B-RAF mutations and RAF fusions which are drivers of cancer growth, including in non-small cell lung cancer and brain tumors.

Under the terms of the agreements, SpringWorks has made an equity investment into MapKure and BeiGene has contributed an exclusive royalty and milestone-bearing license to develop and commercialize BGB-3245 outside of Asia, but including rights to Japan, in exchange for a majority ownership position in MapKure.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3471990-beigene-creates-new-entity-springworks-develop-bgbminus-3245

G1 Therapeutics says breast cancer treatment helped extend life in study

G1 Therapeutics (NASDAQ:GTHX) +21.5% pre-market after announcing preliminary overall survival results from a Phase 2 trial which demonstrated that women with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer lived significantly longer when receiving G1’s trilaciclib and chemotherapy compared with women receiving chemotherapy alone.

Trilaciclib is a first-in-class myelopreservation agent designed to protect the bone marrow from damage by chemotherapy and improve patient outcomes; G1 expects to submit marketing applications in the U.S. and Europe for myelopreservation in small cell lung cancer in 2020.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3472005-g1-therapeutics-says-breast-cancer-treatment-helped-extend-life-study

Regeneron cut to Hold from Buy by Argus

https://www.benzinga.com/stock/REGN/ratings

Stealth BioTherapeutics started at Buy by Wainwright

Target $30

https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MITO/ratings

Boston Scientific target raised to $45 from $42 by Wells Fargo

Maintains Outperform

https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BSX/ratings