J.P. Morgan Notebook Day 4: Novartis CEO Weighs In On AI, Sangamo’s Next Steps And More

Additional highlights from the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, including Takeda’s partnering outlook, Sage’s guidance on Zulresso sales, Frequency’s next steps for its hearing loss drug and Revance’s preparations to take on the aesthetics market.

Golden Gate bridge with city in background, San Fransisco, CA — More updates as industry departs San Francisco

Sangamo Therapeutics Inc. may be months away from demonstrating that its gene therapy for hemophilia A – SB-525, partnered with Pfizer Inc. – offers best-in-class sustainability of its therapeutic effect, which is crucial because competitor BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. is positioned to get to market first with a gene therapy for the disease.

The potential of showing “reliability” represents Sangamo’s best chance to overcome BioMarin’s expected first-to-market advantage, CEO Sandy Macrae said at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on 16 January. The exec has previously explained that an optimal gene therapy for hemophilia A – replacing regular treatment with Factor VIII – must be “safe, reliable and predictable