STAT+: Three biotech updates, including accusations of theft and and a new lobbying leader

This STAT+ biotech roundup covers several updates: Beam Therapeutics alleging a Chinese company stole its IP, PhRMA getting a new leader, and other biotech news. It is by STAT national biotech reporter Elaine, whose coverage includes the obesity-treatment boom, new drug payment models, FDA changes affecting companies, and the emerging psychedelics sector; she co-writes The Readout newsletter and co-hosts STAT's weekly biotech podcast, The Readout Loud.

In the need-to-know items, Moderna appointed Juan Andres as its new chief operating officer, a new executive role for the company as it prepares to expand into oncology. This is Andres' second stint at Moderna; he previously served as its top executive in charge of manufacturing and quality control.

Separately, Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals and Atara Biotherapeutics said their drug Ebvallo was refiled with the FDA. The companies are seeking approval to treat patients with an ultra-rare and fatal type of blood cancer that can develop in people who have received a stem cell or solid organ transplant. In May, the FDA agreed to review Ebvallo again after previously rejecting the drug.

The lead item reports that Beam Therapeutics filed a lawsuit alleging one of its former scientists stole intellectual property and used it to co-found a Chinese company that recently made a deal with prominent VC firms. Beam is based in Cambridge. The allegations come amid escalating tensions between American biotechs and their Chinese counterparts: a growing number of U.S. investors and pharma companies are looking to China to license new drugs at lower costs, while American entrepreneurs and scientists counter that Chinese biotechs are creating copycats of U.S. drug candidates.