The layoffs across GSK’s Belgium sites come on the heels of the pharma’s planned shuttering of its German vaccine manufacturing site, which prompted job cuts for about 650 employees.
Obesity-focused Zealand Pharma is buying into Generate:Biomedicines’s generative AI platform to create new multispecific drug candidates.
The candidate is an oral version of ecnoglutide, a subcutaneous formulation of which is approved in China for type 2 diabetes and weight management. Pfizer owns commercialization rights for ecnoglutide in the Asian country.
Johnson & Johnson beat analyst expectations in the third quarter but left Wall Street wanting more; BMS dominated the news cycle on Monday with a Phase 3 win validating its $4.1 billion RayzeBio buy and mixed data in a late-stage pulmonary fibrosis trial; Revolution Medicines’ newly approved pancreatic cancer drug works better for patients with certain mutations; and Caribou Biosciences may be on its way out.
While industry leaders are unsure whether the U.S. or China will prevail, they are largely united in the belief that Europe is lagging behind.
While innovative medicine supported Johnson & Johnson’s “in line” earnings for the third quarter of 2026, investors were disappointed to see older medicines carrying the bag.
FEATURED STORIES
BioSpace is launching an IPO dashboard to help the industry keep tabs on U.S. biotechs that have taken the public plunge in 2026.
CDMO-sponsor relationships have shifted from transactional outsourcing to strategic collaboration built on shared risk, regulatory fluency and technical insight. As rising compliance pressure and geopolitical volatility reshape manufacturing, partners like Rose BioSolutions argue that true value now comes from challenging assumptions, anticipating hurdles and protecting programs before problems surface.
John Stenson from Malvern Panalytical explains why integrating multiple stability measurements onto a single platform is the route to success in early-stage biologics testing.
While Alnylam’s recent reduced revenue guidance spooked investors, analysts remain broadly bullish on the biotech’s commercial prospects.
The first-time CEO says her own sponsors took chances on her—and that industry leaders need to do the same to rebuild momentum for gender equity.
Bellwether Johnson & Johnson will kick off the third quarter earnings reporting period on Tuesday, with analysts searching for news on business development, launch execution and more.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
A surge of consolidation, rising appetite for specialized manufacturing and a shift toward decentralized trials is reshaping Switzerland’s life sciences landscape. From peptide producers to organoid CROs, service providers are scaling and diversifying as global sponsors turn to Swiss hubs for talent, innovation and regulatory strength.
LATEST PODCASTS
Johnson & Johnson beat analyst expectations in the third quarter but left Wall Street wanting more; BMS dominated the news cycle on Monday with a Phase 3 win validating its $4.1 billion RayzeBio buy and mixed data in a late-stage pulmonary fibrosis trial; Revolution Medicines’ newly approved pancreatic cancer drug works better for patients with certain mutations; and Caribou Biosciences may be on its way out.
In this episode of Denatured, you’ll hear from Jennifer McMahon, partner at Seroba and Joey Mason, venture partner at Claret Capital. We dig into how venture debt buys time when equity can’t and how Europe’s funding gaps, tranching habits and slower urgency shape who uses it well.
New data for Genmab and AbbVie’s bispecific antibody Epkinly wowed analysts and could set the partners up for an expanded approval in diffuse large B cell lymphoma; deals have flowed steadily this week, including Novartis’ nearly $8 billion bet on mRNA drugs with China’s Abogen Biosciences; and could Sarepta Therapeutics turn things around from last year’s annus horribilis?
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
As Big Pharma adds AI technology to bolster drug development, a cadre of new, upstart biotechs are pushing drug discovery to new heights.
BioSpace takes stock of the psychedelic therapeutics space, which is once again on the cusp of its first FDA approval.
Job postings increase and competition dips, according to BioSpace data.
DEALS
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Roche has gained access to a genetic obesity approach from China’s Rona Therapeutics for up to $100 million in upfront and near-term payments. -
After Pfizer’s venture arm co-led Enodia Therapeutics’ $25 million seed round in January, the pharma has signed up to collaborate with the biotech on small-molecule drugs to eliminate pathogenic proteins where they’re being made. -
TRexBio and Retension Pharmaceuticals are set to debut Friday, bringing this year’s biotech IPO count to 29 as the sector’s rebound continues. City Therapeutics and Iambic Therapeutics hope to push that number even higher. -
With an internal non-opioid program nearing approval, Viatris is picking up Pacira BioSciences for a broader pain portfolio and the associated commercial infrastructure. -
After Abogen Biosciences’ COVID shot missed the commercial window, the big question was whether its mRNA technology could create value beyond vaccines. Novartis’ $575 million upfront commitment is the clearest external validation yet of that broader therapeutic potential.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Watching the baseball playoffs this week, I was struck by the parallels between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Eli Lilly. Both franchises spend a lot of money and always appear to come out on top. -
For the second time in a week, Zealand Pharma’s weight loss pipeline has delivered mixed results, this time in a Phase 2 trial for the Roche-partnered asset petrelintide. -
Viking Therapeutics rode strong obesity data before a major capital raise, while Longeveron’s mid-stage setback prompted questions about its future. -
Kailera Therapeutics and Hengrui Pharma’s weekly injection showed benefits beyond weight loss in a mid-stage trial, leading to more regular menstrual cycles in patients with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome. -
Despite meeting the primary endpoints in a Phase 3 trial, shares of Zealand Pharma dropped in premarket trading Thursday as the up to 9.8% weight loss reflected inferior loss to that generated by competitors.
POLICY
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Amid rising industry concerns about U.S. competitiveness with China, the Trump administration is rolling out four ARPA-H initiatives to modernize clinical trial design, site activation, consent and patient data collection. -
As Chinese companies push beyond “me-too” drugs and the country lays out a new five-year plan targeting a $522 billion–strong biotech industry by 2030, experts say more predictable funding and regulation could help the U.S. maintain its edge. -
Inspection access is not “an administrative footnote,” leaders of key FDA divisions wrote in an editorial on Wednesday vowing to expand oversight of foreign clinical trial sites. -
CSL Vifor holds the marketing authorization for Tavneos in the U.K., where the drug is marketed as Avacopan Vifor. It continues to be sold on the U.S. market by Amgen despite concerns raised by the FDA. -
Astellas Pharma, BridgeBio, BeOne Medicines and six other large biotechs join the 17 Big Pharmas that previously signed on to President Donald Trump’s Most Favored Nation (MFN) drug pricing program, representing some 89% of the branded drug market.
Based on typical fourth quarter hiring activity, biopharma job seekers should apply for open roles sooner than later. Recruiting and career coaching experts offer advice on timing, networking, interviewing and casting a wider net than usual during Q4.
Looking for a biopharma job? Check out the BioSpace list of 12 top companies hiring life sciences professionals like you.
A career setback can teach you something useful—or teach you the wrong lesson. Executive coach Angela Justice explains how one difficult experience can quietly shape the choices that follow.
With U.S. data science jobs projected to grow 35% over the next decade, a recruiter and talent strategy director discuss the qualifications, technical skills and mindset needed to land these coveted positions.
Funding announcements can signal future hiring activity, giving biotech professionals a chance to build relationships before positions are posted. Industry experts share how to identify the funding events, milestones and company indicators most likely to lead to new jobs.
An executive who is rarely short on ideas needs someone to pull their big ideas through to implementation. Kaye/Bassman’s Michael Pietrack explains why this person, who he calls the implementer, may be the most important hire in the building.
HOTBEDS
REPORTS
This guide explores the evolving role of podcasts, webinars, and thought leadership programs in biopharma and provides practical recommendations for public relations agencies, corporate communications teams, and commercial marketers looking to elevate their visibility and influence.
Gain the latest insights into the biopharma hiring landscape with BioSpace’s Biopharma Job Market Report Q2 2026. Explore the trends shaping talent acquisition, from rising job postings and sustained R&D hiring to the market activity signaling stronger hiring demand ahead.
Opportunities increased by the end of the first quarter, according to BioSpace data.
CANCER
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While BNT113 failed to improve progression-free survival in patients with a type of head and neck cancer during a Phase 3 trial, BioNTech is holding out hope for an overall survival win—but analysts say that outcome is now “less likely.” -
Data released by the FDA show that Revolution Medicine’s newly approved pancreatic cancer drug underperformed in a large subgroup of patients, but analysts say the biotech still has a clear winner. -
The centerpiece of Bristol Myers Squibb’s 2024 RayzeBio buy has read out, hitting the primary endpoint in a late-stage tumor trial. -
ArriVent BioPharma’s Phase 3 lung cancer trial was clouded by stronger-than-expected data for patients receiving chemotherapy, prompting analysts to pivot focus to a late-stage test of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor in a different type of lung cancer and to the biotech’s antibody-drug conjugate pipeline. -
New data for Genmab and AbbVie’s bispecific antibody Epkinly wowed analysts and could set the partners up for an expanded approval in diffuse large B cell lymphoma; deals have flowed steadily this week, including Novartis’ nearly $8 billion bet on mRNA drugs with China’s Abogen Biosciences; and could Sarepta Therapeutics turn things around from last year’s annus horribilis?
NEUROSCIENCE
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After one patient death prompted an FDA hold this spring, Newron Pharmaceuticals has now shared that a total of four fatalities have been recorded among participants receiving its schizophrenia candidate. A fifth death was recorded among those taking the placebo. -
The Takeda spinout showed that a high dose of solengepras can shorten the periods during which difficult Parkinson’s disease symptoms like involuntary movements and sleepiness. -
After a series of clinical-stage failures, Alector is resetting around its preclinical blood-brain barrier delivery technology, securing a big pharma partnership along the way. -
The results are nevertheless “unprecedented,” UniQure executives said on an investor call Tuesday, emphasizing that the updated natural history database used as the control group for the Phase 1/2 study of AMT-130 underestimates disease progression. -
In the Phase 3 TEMPO program, AbbVie’s Juvmo elicited significant improvements in motor symptoms and prolonged periods with good symptom control.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Caribou Biosciences entered the scene in 2011 and went public in 2021. Over the course of its existence, the biotech has received funding and support from a handful of Big Pharma players, including Novartis, AbbVie and Pfizer. -
Not a month after reports of three deaths in autoimmune trials for Novartis’ CAR T cell therapy ignited a debate about the use of these treatments in nonfatal diseases, Kyverna Therapeutics reported data bolstering its case to bring to market the first CAR T for an autoimmune disease. -
Jefferies analysts made the prediction after Sarepta Therapeutics, which has endured nothing short of a saga with the Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy Elevidys, presented data this week showing its clinically meaningful benefit in older patients who are able to walk. -
Ebvallo, which Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals and Atara Biotherapeutics are proposing to treat a posttransplant complication, joins a wave of rejected or discouraged therapies on which the FDA has reversed previous guidance after the exit of former Commissioner Marty Makary. -
Summit Therapeutics scores a $2 billion equity investment from AstraZeneca to support ivonescimab’s late-stage development; uniQure crashes after four-year data from its Huntington’s disease gene therapy failed to impress; Kyverna Therapeutics brings new light to a struggling CAR T space in autoimmune disease.
