In this episode presented by Taconic Biosciences, BioSpace’s head of insights Lori Ellis discusses how preclinical research companies are helping drug developers navigate the current challenging funding environment with Mike Garrett, CEO.
In this deep dive, BioSpace explores the next big thing in obesity.
CDC
During a hearing in front of the Senate’s HELP committee, Susan Monarez addressed her controversial firing and recalled a conversation where Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. allegedly said that “CDC employees were killing children and they don’t care.”
Listen now for a high-level discussion on overcoming pharmaceutical supply chain challenges through end-to-end integration.
Moving forward, Innate will focus on the clinical development of its antibody-drug conjugate IPH4502, the lymphoma candidate lacutamab and the AstraZeneca-partnered monalizumab.
FDA
In letters to Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, the FDA accused the companies of downplaying the risks of their GLP-1 weight loss drugs during a prime time special with Oprah Winfrey.
The multi-billion, multi-year investment comes as many of GSK’s pharma peers pull away from the U.K., either suspending or completely canceling previous commitments.
FEATURED STORIES
FDA
As Marty Makary nears the end of his first month on the job, the FDA Commissioner sat down for two interviews, offering statements that alternatively contradict and jibe with reported events.
Presentations at this year’s American Association for Cancer Research meeting could have a broad impact on the treatment landscape for head and neck and lung cancer, and implications for specific drug modalities like TIGIT and VEGF.
Executives don’t just get paid big bucks to operate a company. Sometimes they get paid millions to walk away.
Biotech was starting to show signs of recovery after years of investor pullback—until new tariffs and economic uncertainty sent fresh shockwaves through an already fragile market.
Alnylam and BridgeBio are competing for people who are switching from Pfizer’s blockbuster ATTR amyloidosis drug tafamidis while all three companies are fighting for new patients.
FDA
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary last week announced a directive that would limit industry participation in the agency’s advisory committees. But not only do company reps serve only as non-voting members, a 1997 law actually requires industry involvement.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
BioSpace’s Q3 2025 U.S. Life Sciences Job Market Report reveals a turbulent quarter for biopharma hiring, with record declines in job postings, rising layoffs, and cautious employer sentiment shaping the industry’s employment landscape.
UPCOMING EVENTS
LATEST PODCASTS
In the third episode of our mini series on artificial intelligence, Lori and guests continue their exploratory discussion on AI and the opportunity in patient lives.
Cell and gene therapy investment rebounds; WuXi Biologics and other companies named in BIOSECURE Act mull options; Bayer, J&J and Pfizer’s recent layoffs; updates from the weight loss space.
Bristol Myers Squibb wins approval for the first novel schizophrenia drug in decades; Pfizer pulls Oxbryta from the market; new IVF and abortion laws could derail women’s health research; Roche touts CDK inhibitor deal and obesity pipeline and BioSpace heads to Meeting on the Mesa.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
In this deep dive, BioSpace investigates China’s rise as a biotech powerhouse.
BioSpace did a deep dive into biopharma female executives who navigated difficult markets to lead their companies to high-value exits.
BioSpace data show biopharma professionals faced increased competition for fewer employment opportunities during the second quarter of 2025, with increased pressure from further layoffs.
DEALS
  1. The acquisition will give BioNTech full ownership of an investigational bispecific antibody targeting the PD-L1/VEGF-A pathways, a hot area in oncology that could potentially replace standard checkpoint inhibitors for cancer treatment.
  2. Novo Holdings’ acquisition of Catalent has ignited concerns from industry stakeholders, who fear that the consolidation could limit competition, but there is also the possibility that the deal could represent an opportunity for smaller-scale CDMOs to find new partners.
  3. With $70 million upfront and more than $1.8 billion on the line, Roche will gain access to Flare’s drug discovery engine to bolster its oncology pipeline.
  4. With Novo Holdings’ $16.5 billion buyout of Catalent being reviewed by regulators, what work the contract drug manufacturer may or may not be performing for Eli Lilly remains a point of contention.
  5. In a deal worth up to $285 million initially for the lead program, Novo Nordisk will gain access to Ascendis’ TransCon technology platform in an effort to find novel GLP-1 candidates with reduced dosing frequency.
WEIGHT LOSS
  1. Computational research conducted by scientists from Washington University in St. Louis shows that GLP-1 agonists can have mental and cognitive health benefits but may also harm the kidneys and pancreas.
  2. As the year gets underway, analysts and biotech executives highlight cell therapy’s pivot from oncology to autoimmune diseases, a continued appetite for next-generation obesity drugs and an increased focus on neuromuscular, kidney and cardiovascular diseases.
  3. The data suggest the high dose nearly closes the efficacy gap with Zepbound.
  4. JPM25 is in full swing as several pharma powerhouses—including Merck, Lilly and Amgen—detail their strategies for growth in the coming year.
  5. The updated guidance, which was largely driven by lower-than-anticipated sales of GLP-1 blockbusters Mounjaro and Zepbound, sent Eli Lilly’s shares cratering by as much as 8% Tuesday, even as the company forecasted robust 2025 revenue.
POLICY
  1. The CMS last month declined to include anti-obesity medications in its Medicare coverage for Part D, a move that Lilly says could interfere with patients getting the appropriate medical care.
  2. After a tense exchange, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) told Kennedy that by implementing sweeping cuts to the HHS, he is “enacting his budget,” which “Congress has not passed.”
  3. Drugmakers will be expected to commit to aligning U.S. prices with the lowest price set in a group of peer nations for all brand products across all markets that do not currently have generic or biosimilar competition.
  4. The Most Favored Nation order is unlikely to deliver broad, sustained savings without triggering legal challenges, administrative friction and unintended consequences for both the healthcare sector and patient access.
  5. In a year when eradicated diseases are on the uptick in America, how will American children survive RFK Jr.’s vaccine scrutiny and inconsistency? Two experts call on pharma and regulatory bodies to rebuild trust.
CAREER HUB
Here are tips for introverts who are trying to land their dream job.
BioSpace sat down with Gregg Burkhalter, a LinkedIn Expert, for a quick Q&A about the three most common LinkedIn mistakes and how they can affect your personal brand.
There are many reasons why you might want to negotiate your stock options. Read on to discover what stock options are and how to negotiate your stock options with your employer.
BioSpace sat down with Maritza Gamboa, the associate director of talent acquisition at Intellia Therapeutics, to find out how to identify and avoid scam job offers.
BioSpace sat down with Axogen’s Chief Human Resources Officer Maria Martinez to understand why now is the best time to make the switch to pharma and biotech.
If you’re ready to start earning the salary you deserve, here are some tips to help you recognize your worth and negotiate pay as a remote employee.
BioSpace spoke with industry experts to find out the differences between working in pharma and biotech and how to know if a pharma company is right for you.
HOTBEDS
Where are the Best Places to Work in life sciences? BioSpace’s annual Best Places to Work list demonstrates a company’s desirability in the recruitment marketplace - find out who made the list this year.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The British pharmaceutical giant has joined the direct-to-consumer push, following Pfizer and Amgen’s announcements in response to the president’s calls to lower U.S. drug prices.
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
  1. Abecma made $406 million in 2024, of which BMS paid $43 million to 2seventy bio as part of their profit-sharing agreement.
  2. The FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee recently voted to narrow the label for checkpoint inhibitors Keytruda and Opdivo in stomach and esophageal cancers based on PD-L1 expression levels—but the high unmet need in these patient populations should also be considered.
  3. On the agenda for the FDA this month are two RNA-based treatments for rare diseases.
  4. Imfinzi is one of AstraZeneca’s key growth drivers for 2025, with potential approvals in stomach and bladder cancers. The PD-L1 blocker brought in over $4.7 billion in sales last year.
  5. The new formulation of Keytruda, currently under FDA review, is sparking conflict with Halozyme, which makes enzymes that convert intravenous drugs into injectable versions.
NEUROSCIENCE
  1. In a good-news-bad-news week for Biogen, the company will cut an undisclosed number of employees, just as a higher dose of its Ionis-partnered therapy Spinraza for spinal muscular atrophy will be considered by the FDA and EMA.
  2. The drugs’ active ingredient, glatiramer acetate, has been linked to more than 80 cases of anaphylaxis worldwide since December 1996 and six patient deaths.
  3. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims ruled that Vanda cannot claim a breach of confidentiality for specifications that it did not develop itself.
  4. Cebranopadol, a dual-NMR agonist, reached the primary endpoint in a Phase III trial and matched placebo for safety, a significant concern in the analgesic field.
  5. Spravato’s monotherapy nod on Tuesday comes after a series of setbacks in the depression space.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
  1. Sarepta Therapeutics’ Duchenne muscular dystrophy therapy Elevidys handily beat analysts’ expectations in the fourth quarter of 2024, reflecting the biotech’s “world-class” execution, according to BMO Capital Markets analysts.
  2. Benefiting from technological and conceptual groundwork and positive early data, gene therapies are advancing in the clinic for cardiovascular diseases including congestive heart failure, chronic refractory angina and cardiomyopathy.
  3. FDA
    Among the 55 novel drugs that crossed the regulatory finish line last year were notable new mechanisms of action, coming particularly in the oncology and neurosciences spaces.
  4. In this short teaser, BioSpace’s Head of Insights Lori Ellis talks to CBER Director Peter Marks and Tom Whitehead, Co-Founder of the Emily Whitehead Foundation about anticipated discussions at the upcoming GenScript Biotech Forum.
  5. In a deal expected to close in Q1 2025, Roche will gain access to Poseida’s off-the-shelf CAR T candidates.