Today, a brief rundown of news from Novartis and GSK, as well as updates from Omega Funds, Sern Bioscience and Boehringer Ingelheim that you may have missed.The Food and Drug Administration approved expanded use of Novartis breast cancer drug Kisqali, permitting its use in women in early stages of hormone-sensitive, HER-negative disease following surgery to prevent recurrence, the company said Tuesday. Approval in this adjuvant setting could double the number of eligible patients and potentially add more than $3 billion in annual sales compared to its current use in advanced or metastatic disease, Stifel analyst Eric Le Berrigaud wrote in a note to clients. Kisqali had sales of $2.1 billion in 2023. An Eli Lilly drug in Kisqalis class called Verzenio got approval in this setting in 2021. A third drug in this class, Pfizers Ibrance, can only be used in advanced and metastatic disease. Jonathan GardnerCo-administering GSK's vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus and shingles together was as effective as giving each separately, the company said results from the Phase 3 trial showed. According to a Wednesday statement, results showed “non-inferior immune responses“ among participants in the study, which enrolled adults aged 50 years or older. Side effects were most commonly injection site pain, fatigue and myalgia, which GSK described as “well tolerated.“ Co-administration could boost uptake by cutting down the number of vaccination visits. Delilah AlvaradoNovo Nordisk is exploring new ways to get genetic therapies into the body, announcing Wednesday a partnership with NanoVation Therapeutics focused on the Canadian firms long-circulating lipid nanoparticle technology. The two companies will collaborate on developing two base editing medicines for rare genetic diseases, with room to work on up to five additional targets. Between upfront cash and conditional milestone payments, NanoVation could receive up to $600 million from Novo. Ned PagliaruloFormer AstraZeneca research and development chief Mene Pangalos will join life sciences investment firm Omega Funds in early October, according to a LinkedIn post from Omega founder and managing director Otello Stampacchia. According to the post, Pangalos, who retired last year after more than three decades in the industry, will work with the investment team as well as existing and future portfolio companies at Omega. Stampacchia didnt specify whether hell serve in a part- or full-time position. Ben FidlerContract manufacturer Sern Biosciences on Tuesday said it has secured more than $200 million in strategic growth funding. The investment, led by Bain Capital Life Sciences, will support the construction of a new commercial manufacturing facility in Bend, Oregon. The site is expected to be completed in 2026 and will support the production of pulmonary, oral and nasal-delivered drugs, while an adjoining facility will focus on packaging and distribution of products. Bain Capital recently closed a $3 billion fund to support life science companies. Delilah AlvaradoBoehringer Ingelheim plans to ask the Food and Drug Administration for approval of an experimental treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis that on Monday, it said succeeded in a Phase 3 trial. Treatment with the drug, a PDE4B inhibitor called nerandomilast, improved lung function as measured by change in forced vital capacity after one year. According to the company, the study is the first Phase 3 trial in a decade to meet its goal for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive disease that affects an estimated 3 million people globally. Ned Pagliarulo '