Move over Humira, Skyrizi and Rinvoq are expected to beat the former megablockbuster’s peak sales by the end of this year.
Rumors of Biogen’s disagreements with Eisai have been greatly exaggerated, CEO Chris Viehbacher said during a second quarter earnings call. The partnered Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi saw sales climb 20% for the period.
The announced reduction of hundreds of staff came a day ahead of Moderna’s Q2 earnings report.
While Eli Lilly’s diabetes blockbuster was non-inferior to its older incretin therapy Trulicity in a highly anticipated Phase III cardiovascular outcomes trial, analysts had hoped for statistical significance in reducing major events such as cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke.
Employed biopharma professionals are highly likely to look for new jobs in the next 12 months, although not quite as likely as their unemployed counterparts, according to a BioSpace LinkedIn poll. Three recruitment experts discuss the findings and what’s driving job searches.
In this episode presented by IQVIA, BioSpace’s head of insights Lori Ellis discusses the concerns and opportunities of patient data driving AI tasks with Louise Molloy, associate director medical information and pharmacovigilance.
FEATURED STORIES
The groundwork being done in 2024 is building the foundation for global collaboration in the future.
With the antibody drug conjugate market projected to hit $28 billion by 2028, some companies are looking to harness the drugs for immunotherapy.
Patient assistance programs may actually be a two-way street, providing patients with drugs and companies with data.
Eli Lilly, Rivus Pharmaceuticals and more target different biological processes in hopes of generating higher-quality weight loss and avoiding metabolic issues.
Donanemab, which will be marketed as Kisunla, will compete with Biogen and Eisai’s Leqembi.
In 2023, the ADC market exceeded $10 billion, and this momentum is persisting into 2024, as evidenced by several strategic deals and a robust pipeline of candidate drugs.
LATEST PODCASTS
In this episode presented by Slone Partners, Leslie Loveless, Co-CEO and Managing Partner discusses how hiring and the building of executive teams has responded to the current biotech environment.
Pfizer seals the deal with Metsera for $10 billion after Novo Nordisk bowed out; President Donald Trump welcomes executives from Novo and Eli Lilly to the White House to announce that the companies’ GLP-1 medicines would be sold at a reduced cost; and the FDA grants the second round of priority review vouchers—primarily to already marketed drugs.
In this episode presented by PII, BioSpace’s head of insights discusses how to relieve clinical trial patients of technological burden to improve compliance with guests Oliver Eden and Travis Webb.
Job Trends
Takeda Canada Inc. is pleased to announce its support of the Canadian Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Consortium’s $1 million PIONEER Grant in its second year.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
In this deep dive, BioSpace investigates China’s rise as a biotech powerhouse.
In this deep dive, BioSpace explores the next big thing in obesity.
BioSpace did a deep dive into biopharma female executives who navigated difficult markets to lead their companies to high-value exits.
DEALS
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The Federal Trade Commission’s increased scrutiny of mergers has now hit IQVIA, whose proposed acquisition of Propel Media has been challenged by the watchdog agency. -
The Federal Trade Commission released new draft guidelines for assessing mergers, while an Alzheimer’s conference yielded promising data and J&J kicked off Q2 earnings season with a sound beat. -
The proposed regulatory framework provides a tougher stance on mergers, impacting industries such as biopharma where the FTC’s recent lawsuit seeks to block Amgen’s Horizon Therapeutics buy. -
The Swiss pharma is expanding its neuroscience pipeline with an upfront $500 million payment to DTx Pharma and additional payments of up to $500 million upon completion of certain milestones. -
The Federal Trade Commission is asking for more information regarding Pfizer’s planned $43 billion acquisition of Seagen, according to the latter’s Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday.
WEIGHT LOSS
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After stopping the study early due to strong efficacy, Novo Nordisk released data from the FLOW study showing significant benefits of semaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. -
Eli Lilly is planning to launch its blockbuster diabetes drug Mounjaro next year in India, the world’s most populous nation, ahead of its main competitor Novo Nordisk which is eyeing an Indian launch of Wegovy in 2026. -
Viking Therapeutics announced Tuesday that its GLP-1/GIP receptor dual agonist helped patients lose up to nearly 15% of their weight over about three months in a Phase II study. -
Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma’s dual glucagon/GLP-1 receptor agonist elicited significant topline Phase II results in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. -
Seeking a slice of the lucrative obesity market, Indian pharma companies are developing their own versions of Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, Reuters reports.
POLICY
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Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide, which has previously been approved in China for diabetes, can now also be used for chronic weight management in the world’s second most populated country. -
As scrutiny of pharmacy benefit managers mounts, a House committee will hold a hearing on the alleged anticompetitive business practices of these middlemen. -
AstraZeneca joins Johnson & Johnson and Bristol Myers Squibb in appealing a previous legal loss for its challenge to the government’s drug price-setting program. -
After discontinuing its long-acting insulin product Levemir, Novo has again found itself under legislative scrutiny, with three Democratic senators seeking a sit-down with the pharma. -
Vertex has filed a complaint against the Department of Health and Human Services, seeking to make its fertility preservation program available to federally insured patients needing Casgevy treatment.
Attempting to customize your resume yourself can be a time-consuming process, which might not lead to more interview requests. Here’s how to effectively tweak your resume for a job!
According to a BioSpace survey, almost 70% of respondents are likely to look for a new job in the 12 months. The question is, why? Of those planning to look for a new job, 54% said they wanted new challenges and 42% said they wanted more rewarding opportunities. How about you? Are you ready to look for a job with more challenges and rewarding opportunities?
Expending countless hours of time and energy usually leads to frustration and burnout during a job search. Here are some tips to understanding what a company is really looking for in a job description.
Life is full of twists and turns, but there are always new opportunities around the corner, even when we hit the pause button on our careers. Getting back into the industry doesn’t have to be scary or overwhelming. You can have a successful job search if you take a step-by-step approach.
The concept of company culture is a hot topic in the workplace now. Here are some tips to help you be more likable during an interview.
For young people looking to find a career path, the pharmaceutical industry is a good one to go into, especially if salary is a major concern.
HOTBEDS
REPORTS
In this Employment Outlook report, BioSpace explores current workforce sentiment, job activity trends and the prospective job and hiring outlook for 2025, particularly as it compares to the previous year.
BioSpace’s third report on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in life sciences examines dramatic shifts in attitude around diversity initiatives.
CANCER
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In addition to missing the mark in overall survival, Gilead reported Thursday a higher number of deaths in the Trodelvy arm of the confirmatory metastatic urothelial cancer study. -
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s investigational antibody-drug conjugate Dato-DXd failed to significantly improve overall survival in non-small cell lung cancer patients versus docetaxel. -
Johnson & Johnson’s radiopharma candidate JNJ-6420 returned mixed results in an early-stage study, demonstrating strong biochemical and radiographic response but also resulting in four patient deaths. -
Until compelling surface targets for lung cancer are developed, antibody-drug conjugates will fail to treat most patients with lung cancer, experts told BioSpace. -
Pfizer’s Wyeth unit notched a legal victory over AstraZeneca on Friday as a federal jury found the British-Swedish company violated two key patents in developing and marketing its lung cancer drug Tagrisso.
NEUROSCIENCE
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The biopharma’s data manipulation controversy continues with a recently leaked City University of New York report, which found signs of “egregious” and “deliberate” misconduct by a company advisor. -
Data from the Mayo Clinic shows limited eligibility for the anti-amyloid treatment. However, Michael Irizarry, Eisai’s deputy chief clinical officer, says some patients could still be eligible. -
After a groundbreaking year in the Alzheimer’s space, Parkinson’s disease researchers express renewed hope based on a greater biological understanding of neurodegeneration. -
The companies, which have been partners for a decade on various research programs, are pooling their efforts in two early-stage programs for Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases using RNA-targeting medicines. -
Pivotal clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis are expected to read out this fall. Here’s a closer look.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Through substantial leadership turnover and workforce cuts, the FDA has continued to support the advanced therapy sector, actively working to remove obstacles to innovation. -
The plausible mechanism pathway “could accelerate gene therapy/editing development,” analysts at William Blair said Thursday, while adding that additional clarity is needed. -
MeiraGTx Holdings is licensing a genetic eye disease medicine to Eli Lilly in a deal worth up to $475 million. -
The FDA previously placed two clinical studies on hold, including the Phase III trial in which the liver toxicity occurred. Intellia is working with experts to create a risk management program for nex-z. -
Pfizer and Novo Nordisk continue to fight for ownership of obesity startup Metsera; CDER Director George Tidmarsh leaves his position amid an ongoing probe into his “personal conduct”; FDA reverses course on approval requirements for uniQure’s Huntington’s gene therapy; Sarepta’s exon-skipping Duchenne muscular dystrophy drugs fail confirmatory study.
