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Anatomy

Chandra Wilson on Greys Anatomy Nursing Home COVID-19 Storyline, Patrick Dempseys Return and Merediths Future – Variety

SPOILER ALERT:Do not read if you have not yet watched the Dec. 10 episode of Greys Anatomy.

As one of the last remaining original cast members on Greys Anatomy, Chandra Wilson has been playing Dr. Miranda Bailey since the show premiered in 2005. Tonight, Wilsons character narrates the latest episode a task usually done by Ellen Pompeos Meredith Grey.

Now, in its 17th season, Greys Anatomy is one of the most influential shows in television history, inspiring generations of young women to enter the medical field. But never in its long-running history has the medical drama been as impactful as this season, as it tackles the coronavirus pandemic.

In the latest episode, Dr. Baileys mother dies after contracting COVID-19 in the nursing home she recently moved into, after Bailey moved her parents in an assisted living center, so that they could be living closer to her in Seattle.

At one particularly moving moment of the episode, when Bailey realizes her mother is dying from the virus, the character says, I dont want her to be another Black woman statistic. Later on in the episode, Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) and Dr. Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) have a conversation about the pandemic taking more lives of Black and Brown people, shedding a light on the real-life racial disparity of the current health crisis with certain groups at increased risk from COVID-19.

Watching the news every day, you kind of get bogged down in the numbers and the statistics. Things people say on TV just end up being news items, opposed to someones life, Wilson says.

The hope is that by illuminating these things on Greys, were putting these things in the mouths of people you know these characters so that there is relevance and resonance where maybe there wasnt before, she continues. From the perspective of doing some good, if you can stomach something coming from Jackson Averys mouth better than you can stomach it coming from your mayor or your governor, then weve served a good purpose.

Here, Wilson talks about her latest storyline, the power Greys Anatomy holds during the pandemic, what it was like having Patrick Dempsey and T.R. Knight back on set plus, Baileys future on the show.

Why was it important to include a storyline about coronavirus in nursing homes this season?

There is a myriad of material out there right now, as far as how people are affected differently. Specifically in Washington, at the beginning of the pandemic, there was a big light shone on nursing homes being affected in a large way, so it just made sense for Greys Anatomy, since Washington is our home, that we would highlight nursing homes. Bringing Baileys parents to Seattle and having them live in an assisted living facility was one way to do that.

Did you have input in Bailey leading the nursing home storyline?

No, not at all. This is something that was given to me, and I said, We have to tell that story, because we are talking about a lot of peoples experiences but it is actually rare that Bailey was able to at least be there with her mom, whereas, for the most part, people arent able to be with their loved ones when they pass away.

How will her mothers death affect Bailey moving forward?

You could see in the scene between Maggie and Bailey, there is a lot of guilt there with taking responsibility for having brought her parents to Seattle. Bailey notoriously pushes through everything, but I think its hard to push through and persevere right now. I dont have a seasons worth of perspective, as far as how its going to affect Bailey, but right now its about pushing through. Eventually shes going to have to deal with it. As far as the timing is concerned, it may not be right away. But eventually, this is going to hit her.

Going into this new season, the writers knew that the show had to cover the pandemic, since youre a medical show, but since the pandemic is not slowing down, will coronavirus be the center of the rest of the reason? And was that always the plan?

Well, I know that we were starting in the COVID environment we were just going to jump in time a bit to get us into the pandemic, and then we were going to flash back into things that may have been missed at the end of Season 16 [since production was shut down]. In my heart, just as Chandra Wilson, I was hoping by the time these episodes aired, we would be talking about the past. But we are so present right now, in sort of a frightening way. So thats been really unexpected for me.

So do you know whats mapped out for the rest of the season? Or is the storyline in flux, depending on what happens with the pandemic and the vaccine?

Im not sure how much the current circumstances are changing our overall arc. Our arc has had to remain very fluid this season, based on even if were allowed to work at a certain point, depending on how our national numbers do. The relevance grows episode-by-episode, and I think it makes for an interesting journey for our writers right now to figure out where the arc goes because I think its about as fluid as the times are right now.

You went through a shutdown last spring when Season 16 was cut off early when there was an industry-wide production halt, due to the pandemic. Have you gotten used to being on set now with all of the safety protocols?

It will never feel normal and thats good because it shouldnt. It certainly feels required. This is what we need to do, in order to keep our environment and ourselves safe enough and by extension, our families, so that work is possible. One way or another, we all have to figure out what can we do during this time because we cant stay home indefinitely. It really is about honoring the requirement and going above and beyond, in order to make sure that we are as safe and as healthy as we can be, so that people can work.

You are an actor not a real doctor but since the show is influencing millions of viewers each week, do you feel a heightened sense of responsibility to keep shooting the show, during these times?

Its our responsibility to keep the quality of the show, but were not trying to beat people over the head with facts and opinions. We are ultimately entertainment.

Its an interesting responsibility. There is endless television on, and there are endless avenues as ways to watch things, but I know that if I just have to look at Zoom one more time, or something created by the iPhone, its really difficult [laughing]. Its kind of a breath of fresh air to be like, Hey, theres a show that was actually shot on a stage with actors in the room! On a level of importance, take that for what it is, but I feel good about bringing some new dramatic series content to the air, and I think thats what all the shows are trying to do. Television and movies, we are the place of escape right now. We are the thing that people are relying on, while spending so much time at home.

The biggest responsibility of that is being able to light a path in getting people back to work on set and create a model.

Another major moment of the episode is when Bailey is talking to Meredith, who is unconscious in a hospital bed with COVID-19, and then you show up in her dream sequence on the beach. Is it supposed to be implied that Meredith can hear Bailey, or anyone else whos talking to her, even though shes not responsive?

I think weve left that up to personal interpretation. Some sedated patients will tell you that they can hear everything. I think we would all like to think that in our world, Meredith can hear us and she is part of the conversation she just happens to be at the beach.

What is the future for Meredith, in regards to her health?

Im not being evasive, but only because of how fluid the season is, I think we thought we were going some place, but now were going a different place, and Im not sure where that place is. That one is up in the air because I honestly dont know and even if I did, I wouldnt tell you [laughing].

Back to Merediths dreams on the beach, what was it like having Patrick Dempsey and T.R. Knight back on set?

Wasnt that fun? It was so fun. Its just so nice to welcome people home to Greys, and with familiar faces and the familiar crew, it just makes it real easy because we all worked together for so long.

Had you kept in touch since they were both off the show?

Oh, sure! Especially, during this pandemic, I was trying to reach out to everybody to make sure that people were doing okay.

Showrunner Krista Vernoff said that she kept Patrick Dempseys return insanely under wraps even many of the actors did not know. Did you know?

Yeah. I got a chance to be in-the-know on that.

What was it like to keep that a secret?

I just know when I was on the beach with T.R., there were a few people around that seemed like they were coming to see what show was shooting, and maybe have taken out a phone, and we had people on phone watch, just to make sure that nobody was going to be able to get the scoop. And Im sure it was the same thing when Patrick was on the beach.

What was your reaction when you found out that Derek and George would be returning?

Ultimately, its about story. If you present somebody with a cool story opportunity then its like, Yeah, sure why not? This had to have been attractive for Derek to be there on the other side potentially with Meredith, and for OMalley, it had to have been. Its just a really cool story.

I know you wont tell me if there are plans for any more characters to show up this season because your lips are sealed, but which character from the past do you think would be best for Bailey to reunite with?

Well, heres the thing everybody that comes to the beach is there for Meredith, so we dont even really get to see each other in that other realm, so the other characters dont have anything to do with that. But as a fan, Id like all my babies the dead ones and the ones that are all alive in all places that would make me so happy! Just as a fan of the show, that would make me so happy [laughing].

Youve directed many episodes of Greys Anatomy. Any plans to direct this season?

That, too, is fluid. With all the protocols in place and with the PPE and the zones on set, I think its just easier for me to be Bailey. I think they need me to be Bailey right now, and to be well. There is not a season where I dont catch a cold, and its usually around the time that Im directing, and we cant have that this season because I wouldnt be allowed to come to work. So Im just focusing on being healthy and being Bailey. When we can put all this behind us, then theyll send me back to direct, and Im sure Ill do four episodes instead of two, to make up for it.

The show has been on for so long and so many actors have left the show throughout the years, so the inevitable question is always, how much longer? So how much longer for you?

That is the million dollar question. I always say until the wheels come off, Ill be there [laughing]. I think there have been so many versions of when the show would end and how the show will end that there isnt a version at this point. I keep showing up when they call me and tell me that were doing another one! I would love to see the end of her I would love to see the completion of that arc, not only as a character, but with the show, but everything is dictated by story, as always but what a great story to be able to tell that I was a starter and a finisher, thats a very cool story.

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Chandra Wilson on Greys Anatomy Nursing Home COVID-19 Storyline, Patrick Dempseys Return and Merediths Future - Variety

Anatomy

‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Why Does Everyone Really Hate Tom? – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Tom Koracick, a role played by Gregory Germann, did not relate well to Greys Anatomys characters.

Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams), Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.), and Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) did not give him an easy time. While fans may think that their hate for Tom is valid, one fan points out a petty reason that the fandom should discuss.

Tom, an attending surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, was initially Amelias mentor. Tom exudes an interesting and fun character. In fact, he is the most fun surgeon you can ever see, as he plays music while performing medical operations.

Speaking on Entertainment Tonight, Elisabeth R Finch, a Greys Anatomy co-executive producer, describes Toms character as unpredictable and unexpected. However, on the flip side, Tom exudes a lot of arrogance, which may have contributed to some of his bad relationships.

One instance of him showing his ego is when he went to brag to Teddy after pulling off Catherine Averys (Debbie Allen) surgery. Despite his arrogance, he can prove to help people in times of need. In one instance, he told Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) that he tried to form better relationships with people, but they did not like him.

RELATED: Greys Anatomy: Tom Is Underappreciated and Fans Are Begging That He Stays

Tom did not form the best relationships in Greys Anatomy. He does not seem to settle in any serious relationship, and the only relationship that showed some serious prospect was one with Teddy.

To start with, he mentored Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone). In the show, we saw Amelia request Toms help to perform a surgery, but Tom did not have to do anything as Amelia successfully did it. After the surgery, they have casual sex, and that was about it.

Tom had a healthy relationship with Catherine, and there were flirting with each other. However, this, too, did not develop into anything meaningful. Catherine approached Tom to help her with her tumor. Tom devoted his time and spent a lot of hours operating on Catherine.

Tom had yet another casual relationship with April Kepner (Sarah Drew), whereby they had a one-night stand. After the one-night stand, Tom took a step to help April overcome her struggle with her faith before growing close with Teddy.

While he did find some love from the women, the men disliked him. He was in constant confrontations with the men. At Catherines party, Owen and Tom have a confrontation concerning Teddy.

In another instance, Jackson and Tom disagreed on a pro-Bono medical case, which Tom wanted to record and use for promotion. In another instance, Richard was angry when Tom told him that Catherine had secured her job at Grey Sloan Hospital.

A fan on Reddit offered an alternative reason apart from the fact that he is proud. The fan points out that Jackson, Richard, and Owen are possessive and territorial.

The fan says that all the hate stems out from jealousy.

He points out that Tom and Catherines relationship makes Richard feel out of place. The fan also points out that Owen and Jackson hate Tom because Tom was there for the people they love in times of trouble when they couldnt be found.

Every fan has an opinion, and it is up to you to judge what explanation appeals to you. Whatever the opinion is, it does not change the fact that Toms drama makes the show more interesting.

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'Grey's Anatomy': Why Does Everyone Really Hate Tom? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Anatomy

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Fans Are Applauding the Show’s Coronavirus Tribute Scene – Yahoo Lifestyle

Photo credit: ABC

From Harper's BAZAAR

[There are spoilers ahead for last night's episode of Grey's Anatomy. If you haven't watched the episode yet, return to this post at a later date!]

The doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial have been battling the coronavirus pandemic all season, but last night's episode dealt the fans the first really personal COVID-19 death of the year. Miranda Bailey's mom passed away from COVID-19 at the end of Thursday night's episode, in scene that can really only be described as a punch to the gut. After that, the show paid tribute to all the lives lost to COVID-19 this year, and fans are applauding that choice.

The assertion that those who have passed away during the coronavirus pandemic aren't just faceless statistics was present throughout the whole episode, and Bailey even talked about it in her voiceover. People should be remembered for the lives they lived and the people they loved, she said. So when the show transitioned into a scrolling list of names of those lost to the pandemic, fans were gutted, but appreciated the decision. It even made some Grey's fans angrier that there are still people in the real world that don't take coronavirus seriously. Here are some of their reactions.

Grey's has been handling the pandemic in a real (but tasteful) way all season. Last night's episode was a really good reminder of what's at stake right now. So stay home, mask up, and keep people safe! Miranda Bailey said so!

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'Grey's Anatomy' Fans Are Applauding the Show's Coronavirus Tribute Scene - Yahoo Lifestyle

Anatomy

Anatomy of a Healthy Building – Security Sales & Integration

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Anatomy of a Healthy Building - Security Sales & Integration

Anatomy

Zoe Whittall: I started by rereading Melville; now I prefer reruns of Greys Anatomy which is good for self-care but bad for art – Toronto Star

The cherry tree in my front yard was bare when the pandemic began. It blossomed in May when it felt important to think it would all be over soon. I hosted near daily distanced visits with friends on my porch, sipping coffee under its defiantly vibrant pink and white flowers. My lover, an essential worker, made a plastic contraption so that we could hug.

When the blossoms fell later in summer, and the cherries grew Viva-Glam red, passersby filled their pockets. When they bruised purple and burst rotten, the COVID-19 numbers sunk to single digits. My lover and I got tests that we waited only twenty minutes in line for, with negative results in less than 12 hours. Then we went to the beach for a week.

While swimming in Sandy Lake, near Lakefield, the water glowed a type of turquoise Id only ever seen in the Caribbean Sea, an illusion from its shallow, sandy base. We bought roadside corn and cozied up in a rented cabin. We felt normal. The only issue was wed gotten so used to sleeping alone that we lay awake at night unsure how to handle the closeness of another person.

But I now think of August with a tender nostalgia normally reserved for college drug trips and poetic, pre-Internet love affairs. Because now the tree branches on my street are bare again, and it is just me for lockdown round two. I knew it was coming but knowing ahead of time isnt always as soothing as youd expect.

A few years ago, while promoting my last novel, I told a Macleans magazine journalist that my singular goal was to be able to spend every day writing in a room by myself. In the photo they used for the article I am sitting on my ex-partners red couch, looking out the window of our shared home. You can see a hole in my cardigan that I didnt realize was there. A shoddy, hack detail that nonetheless nails quite symbolically the state of my life at the time the photo was taken. But in 2020 I have an entire apartment in which to be alone, writing, every day of this sickly slog of a year. I know that I am extremely lucky. But perhaps I should have been more specific and ambitious with my aspirations.

I begin every pandemic day by playing phone Boggle with my friend Matt. I am terrible at it. I dont even scroll to the stats page to glimpse the tally of how many times he has beaten me anymore. One would think Boggle would be a suitable game for writers, but winning is less about being a wordsmith and more about spatial intelligence, of which I have very little. But accepting a small, insignificant daily loss while connecting to a friend has become a pleasant routine, and in keeping with the larger themes of 2020.

Like most people, Ive had several big losses in 2020, too depressing to write about, and I would prefer not to.

The act of rereading, rewatching, playing a repetitive game, or doing any activity that runs lightly over existing neural pathways, has in itself become routine for me. (I reread Herman Melvilles short story Bartleby: The Scrivener one day when I could not take in anything new. It still, as the kids say, slaps.) Now, I prefer reruns of shows like Greys Anatomy, whose predictable moralism and inane expository dialogue feels like a comforting hug when a real one is forbidden. Which is good for self-care, but bad for art.

What literature is going to come from this moment of pause? From this collective fear? Its a curious question to ponder in the semi-final stages of preparing a book manuscript, especially since everything I write about is, at its core, about anxiety. With this new book I found myself shifting the story to stagnant places. Why should my protagonist have an emotional arc, when that idea seems from the Before Times? Why are these crazy people I invented in 2018 allowed to kiss?

But Proust wrote In Search of Lost Time in bed, did he not? I ask my kitten, who responds by climbing me like a tree with his little knife hands.

To write well one must have a flourishing inner life, an ability to sink deep into an esthetic project and live in that pretend world. But for me it also helps to have real connections to the present moment. I palm handfuls of potting soil, trying to keep a geranium alive that my kitten insists on hollowing out every morning, because he knows it will rouse me, usually from a nightmare about standing in a crowd without a mask. (This dream has replaced the one about having to go back to high school naked.) My hands in the soil feels grounding, but sometimes I rarely speak for days, and connections to voice and spoken language fray, which can fracture a relationship with the present moment.

For example, the other day I blurted out something personal about my diet to my barista, because shed noticed Id changed my order. She is the one person I speak aloud to every day, so perhaps the misfire was appropriate. A comedy sketch aired that I wrote for The Baroness von Sketch Show about the daily emotional arithmetic of being an introvert. And while it did I texted a friend about how I longed to be dancing, sweaty, arms-raised and hair swinging loosely back and forth, bookended by strangers. Is COVID-19 going to make me over as a bubbly extrovert, ready to network my way back into an in-person career?

But there is something about this time that feels familiar. I grew up on a farm in the 70s and 80s, a time when childhood was largely unstructured, and my brother and I were encouraged to be imaginative and independent. Sometimes I catch myself staring out my window, watching my city-faced neighbours like a TV show, the way I used to watch the worms in our driveway, or the sheep in the pasture when I was a child, when the pace of life was slow and real TV was forbidden.

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I chat late into the night with my friend Dean in Iowa about our broken hearts and screenplay ideas. I make plans to meet a couple in Philadelphia Ive only met over Zoom, but who fill the interstitial moments of my work day with warmth and connection. My writer friend Jen in Vancouver sent me beautiful skin care products to soothe my broken heart. A friend from Instagram sent me brownies, another few sent flowers and cards when they knew I was grieving. No one is exactly OK, but we are finding what comfort we can this way, and for those of us who live alone, it feels life-saving.

So I encourage you to scroll your Netflix re-watch list or thumb through that well-worn paperback novel, play a losing game of Boggle, send some roses to your Instagram friend whose dog videos make you smile, send a hug emoji to the group text, and in the immortal words of the prophets vocal group Wilson Phillips, hold on for one more day.

Zoe Whittall is the author of The Best Kind of People. Her next novel, The Spectacular, will be out in August 2021.

Originally posted here:
Zoe Whittall: I started by rereading Melville; now I prefer reruns of Greys Anatomy which is good for self-care but bad for art - Toronto Star

Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy star Chandra Wilson addresses her future on the show as Miranda Bailey – Digital Spy

Grey's Anatomy spoilers follow.

For the 17th season of Grey's Anatomy, the show has been tackling the coronavirus pandemic and showing the frontline workers battling and struggling to try and save lives.

In episode five, Miranda Bailey had a devastating loss when her mother was diagnosed with COVID-19 and brought to the hospital where she later died.

It was heartbreaking to watch, but the most emotional moment was when Bailey sang 'My Girl' to her mother as she passed away peacefully.

Chandra Wilson, who plays Bailey, said she isn't going anywhere soon and wants to keep playing the character "until the wheels come off".

"I always say until the wheels come off, I'll be there," she told Variety.

"I think there have been so many versions of when the show would end and how the show will end that there isn't a version at this point. I keep showing up when they call me and tell me that we're doing another one!"

Related: Grey's Anatomy star addresses "profound" reunion with Ellen Pompeo in surprise return

Chandra revealed that she would love to see her character have a complete life arc.

"I would love to see the end of her I would love to see the completion of that arc, not only as a character, but with the show, but everything is dictated by story, as always but what a great story to be able to tell that I was a starter and a finisher, that's a very cool story."

Grey's Anatomy season 17 airs on ABC in the US. It airs on Sky Witness in the UK with selected episodes also available on NOW TV.

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Grey's Anatomy star Chandra Wilson addresses her future on the show as Miranda Bailey - Digital Spy

Anatomy

The Anatomy Lesson Swamp Thing – CBS Pittsburgh

SWAMP THING Tuesday, December 15, 2020, at 8pm on CW50

THE PRICE YOU PAY After being captured and taken to a Conclave facility, Swamp Thing (Derek Mears) is experimented upon by Jason Woodrue (guest star Kevin Durand), who makes an incredible discovery.

Meanwhile, Abby (Crystal Reed) and Liz (Maria Sten) track down the secret facility to free Swamp Thing.

Meanwhile, Daniel Cassidy (Ian Ziering) makes a fateful decision based on a possible future that the Phantom Stranger (guest star Macon Blair) shows him.

The episode was directed by Michael Goi and written by Noah Griffith & Daniel Stewart with teleplay by Mark Verheiden (#109).

The CW broadcast date airdate 12/15/2020.

Every episode of SWAMP THING will be available to stream on The CW App and CWTV.COM the day after broadcast for free and without a subscription, log in or authentication required.

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The Anatomy Lesson Swamp Thing - CBS Pittsburgh

Anatomy

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Never Should Have Brought Teddy Back – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Kim Raver debuted in the Greys Anatomy show in season 6 as a cardiothoracic and trauma surgeon. Later in season 8, she leaves indefinitely for Germany to work in the Army Medical Command.

Raver, who is referred to as Teddy Atman on the show, later returned on the show in season 14. However, her return displeases her fans, who are quite infuriated with her character when she returns. A fan commented on Reddit the following; Despite having other fascinating storylines, we only had to get Teddy back!

In Greys Anatomy, there is a lot of assumptions about Teddy and Owens relationship. The sparkle between the two is quite pronounced in season 14; Owen even follows Teddy to Germany. Their intimate relationship is almost predictable, but the accidental conceiving of a baby is something the fans didnt quite expect.

Although at first, the relationship seems healthy, things later turn sour on the two medics. Balancing between handling a toddler and an involving medical career becomes quite challenging for the two.

Later Teddy finds out that Amelia might have conceived Owens baby, which definitely wrecks her. In the strange turn of events, Teddy ends up confiding in her ex-boyfriend, Tom Koracick.

Teddy and Toms connection is obvious, and the two end up having an affair behinds Owens back. Later on, Teddy learns that the baby Amelia is carrying is not Owens, and she blames herself for having an affair.

RELATED: Greys Anatomy: What Would a Satisfying End to the Series Look Like?

In the episode Love of My Life, the Greys Anatomy show clearly reveals that Teddy is a peculiar woman. The back story on this episode portrays that Teddy was romantically involved with Allison, who later died in the terror attacks.

Coincidentally the love triangle between Allison and Teddy has some similarities to that of Teddy and Owen. In both relationships, three people are involved; in her first relationship, Claire was involved, while in the second, Tom is also involved.

In the same episode, we also learn that Teddy actually named her child after her lover, Allison. Fans think its weird and wrong naming her child after her allegedly best friend without informing Owen about the romantic involvement and attachment.

Fans can forgive Teddy for portraying impropriety in the show, but having an affair on the wedding eve is inexcusable. Making it worse, she accidentally recorded a voicemail during the intimate sessions for Owen. So, you can imagine the frustration Owen had to face before the proposed wedding on overhearing the encounter.

After having an affair, Teddy proceeded unapologetically and put on her wedding dress, awaiting her big moment, the wedding. The turn of events is ridiculous, and her character made fans displeased by her lack of empathy about Owens feelings.

In season 17, Owen confronts Teddy about the affair. In the uneasy conversation, Owen asks if there is anything she is hiding from him; he further professes that he trusts her and loves her. In this episode, we see that their relationship and friendship matters more to Owen, but Teddy is unbothered and continues to lie and have an affair.

As expected, Teddy denies hiding anything from Owen despite him probing for answers. Owen then takes out his phone and plays the sex voicemail Teddy accidentally left for him. Teddy is startled upon the revelation that Owen knows the truth.

She is confused about handling the situation, and the teary Owen leaves the room. Redeeming the dysfunctional relationship is almost impossible.

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'Grey's Anatomy' Never Should Have Brought Teddy Back - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Immunology

AstraZeneca to acquire Alexion, enhancing presence in immunology – BioPharma-Reporter.com

Boston-based biotech Alexion has been earmarked as a hot takeover target in the biotech sector: thanks to the significant market potential of ultra-rare disorder drugs with less competitive pressure than other sectors. Its leading medicine is soliris, which is approved for use against a range of rare immune disorders.

The value of the deal overtakes Gilead's acqusition of Immunomedics for $21bn in September; and marks AstraZeneca's largest ever acquisition.

AstraZeneca has recently been increasing its efforts in immunology research and the development of medicines for immune-mediated diseases.

As part of the acquisition, AstraZeneca will establish a dedicated rare disease unit in Boston and accelerate worldwide expansion of Alexions portfolio.Combining AstraZenecas capabilities in precision medicine and Alexions expertise in rare-disease development and commercialisation will enable the new company to develop a portfolio of medicines addressing the large unmet needs of patients suffering from rare diseases,says AstraZeneca.

Alexion was founded in 1992 and now employs more than 3,000 people. Led by what AstraZeneca terms its skilful commercial execution in building its blockbuster C5 franchise with soliris, Alexion now has five approved medicines (andexxa, kanuma, soliris, strensiq, and ultomiris) and a pipeline of 11 molecules in 20+ clinical development programs.

It serves patients in more than 50 countries and in 2019 generated a total revenue of $5bn and profit before tax of $2.2bn.

AstraZeneca predicts the combined company will deliver double-digit average annual revenue growth through 2025.

It says the two companies have been on converging paths: AstraZeneca expanding its presence from primary to speciality care, while Alexion has been progressing from ultra-orphan to orphan and speciality conditions.

And the British-Swedish giant also highlights rare diseases as a high-growth therapy area with rapid innovation and significant unmet medical need. Over 7,000 rare diseases are known today, yet only around 5% have US Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments.The global rare disease market is forecasted to grow by a low double-digit percentage in the future.

Alexion is focused in complement biology; with the complement cascade pivotal to the innate immune system. This plays a crucial role in many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases across multiple therapy areas: such as haematology, nephrology, neurology, metabolic disorders, cardiology, ophthalmology and acute care.

Meanwhile, AstraZeneca says its capabilities in genomics, precision medicine and oligonucleotides can be leveraged to develop medicines targeting less-frequent diseases.

AstraZeneca says the combined companies can bring together two rapidly converging, patient-centric models of care delivery with combined strengths in immunology, biologics, genomics and oligonucleotides to drive future medicine innovation.

The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the acquisition. The acquisition is expected to close in Q3 2021, subject to receipt of regulatory clearances and approval by shareholders of both companies. Upon completion, Alexion shareholders will own around 15% of the combined company.

Alexion has pioneered complement inhibition for a broad spectrum of immune-mediated rare diseases caused by uncontrolled activation of the complement system, a vital part of the immune system.

Alexion's franchise includesSoliris(eculizumab), an anti-complement component 5 (C5) monoclonal antibody. The medicine is approved in many countries for the treatment of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH), atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome, generalized myasthenia gravis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

More recently, Alexion launchedUltomiris(ravulizumab), a second-generation C5 monoclonal antibody with a more convenient dosing regimen.

Alexion's work in immunology extends to other targets in the complement cascade beyond C5 as well as additional modalities, with its deep pipeline including Factor D small-molecule inhibitors of the alternative pathway of the complement system, an antibody blocking neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn)-mediated recycling, and a bi-specific mini-body targeting C5, among others. The FcRn extends the half-life and hence the availability of pathogenic immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies.

Originally posted here:
AstraZeneca to acquire Alexion, enhancing presence in immunology - BioPharma-Reporter.com

Immunology

Autoantibody Problems | In the Pipeline – Science Magazine

Heres a preprint from a large team at Yale with a close look at a less-studied aspect of coronavirus infection. Its been well established by now that a feature of severe cases is a misfiring immune response (the cytokine storm, etc.), and one reason that fatality rates have been going down for hospitalized cases is better management of this problem. But the details are still being worked out and since were talking immunology, there are a lot of details.

And it looks like one of those details, potentially a very important one, is a striking correlation with autoantibodies. Those are antibodies to a persons own proteins the sort of friendly fire that you see in autoimmune diseases of all sorts (acute and chronic). This work features a new assay (Rapid Extracellular Antigen Profiling, REAP) against a displayed library of 2,770 extracellular (secreted) human proteins displayed via yeast cells, providing a high-throughput method to check a patients own serum for antibodies to these. 194 subjects (Yale patients and healthcare workers) were screened, with a wide range of disease severity, as compared to 30 uninfected controls. The new assay showed good correlation with standard ELISA assays as a reality check.

It appears that the more severe a coronavirus infection a patient has, the better the chances that they show a wide variety of autoantibodies towards their own cell-surface and secreted proteins (see the figures above). I wrote here about a study that showed that patients with antibodies towards some of their own interferons have a harder clinical course of the disease, and this new paper confirms that work and extends it. A set of patients were examined over time, and it appears that at least 50% of these reactivities were observed early enough in the course of the disease that they may well have been pre-existing. Around 10% of them were seen to increase over time, though, suggesting that the coronavirus infection was bringing on such autoimmune problems. Interestingly, about 15% of the antibody titers seemed to decrease over time, and Im not sure what to make of that.

The paper goes on to make connections between specific autoantibodies and immune function for example, some of the ones that target specific proteins on the surfaces of immune cells are associated in patients with decreased numbers of those cells. The team also looked for correlations between antibodies to specific targets (or those associated with specific tissues) and clinical outcomes. Its a complex thing to untangle, though. If you think about some specific circulating cytokine protein, antibodies to it could help to clear it from the bloodstream more quickly, or to bind to it in a way that keeps it from working (either partially or completely, which seems to be the case for the interferon autoantibodies), or at the other end of the scale, to bind to it in a way that doesnt interfere so much with its function and could even stabilize its levels in the blood.

But overall, there was no well-defined set of COVID-19 antibodies that showed up in infected patients but not in controls, and no obvious ways to match up antibody profiles to specific outcomes. Some of that difficulty, though, may be due to the wide variety of responses seen. Instead of broadly obvious trends, what shows up are a great number of individual responses that can add up to real outcomes, but which are very hard to untangle. Immunology!

One of the things that needs to be done, then, is more extensive profiling in the population. I would assume that ideally youd want to get a good-sized sample of healthy people, profile them for autoantibodies, and then watch over time to see what happens. This isnt just a coronavirus story at that point. Are there people who have greater susceptibility to various diseases, or to worse outcomes, if they have particular autoimmune fingerprints? Or will it still be a big tangled ball of yarn if you try to track these things down? At the least, I would expect that if there is indeed a population who have some sort of partial failure of immune tolerance and thus show existing high levels of auto-antibodies, they they would be at greater risk of severe coronavirus infection. How many such people are there, and how many of them are currently unrecognized?

Beyond that, theres the possibility that some of the autoimmune effects are being actually brought on by the infection. We already know about some of the larger, more obvious examples of this sort of thing (such as Guillain-Barr and others), but profiling via an assay like REAP could help to shed more light. There are already several mechanisms known for such tolerance failures, but its for sure that theres a lot more to learn, and I would think that a good-sized longitudinal study might have a lot to tell us. (Of course, Im not the person who has to go out and get funding for it, so thats easy for me to say!)

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Autoantibody Problems | In the Pipeline - Science Magazine