The Senate hearing for FDA Commissioner nominee Marty Makary comes after President Trump’s NIH pick, Jay Bhattacharya, was grilled by the legislative body on Wednesday.
While hiring activity has not yet picked up, it should do so soon, according to BioSpace Recruitment Manager Greg Clouse. Meanwhile, another year-over-year decrease in layoffs means less competition for jobs.
The new formulation of Keytruda, currently under FDA review, is sparking conflict with Halozyme, which makes enzymes that convert intravenous drugs into injectable versions.
Novo Nordisk’s NovoCare will now provide uninsured or underinsured patients access to Wegovy for just $499 per month—less than half of its list price.
At the heart of the deal is the drug candidate dordaviprone, which is months away from a regulatory verdict for its use in H3 K27M-mutated diffuse glioma.
The vaccine space has been battered by strong headwinds in recent weeks, including high-level disruptions to FDA and CDC advisory committee meetings.
FEATURED STORIES
While some of the initial excitement around immunotherapies has waned, companies—particularly smaller biotechs—are developing newer iterations that will take cancer care to the next level.
Lilly CEO Dave Ricks in Wednesday’s third-quarter earnings call acknowledged that the company is at the mercy of wholesaler stocking decisions.
Big-name venture capital firms are raising billions again, though funding a small number of de-risked companies. Meanwhile, smaller VC firms are catching the less flashy companies they think could be future pillars of the sector.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
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.
LATEST PODCASTS
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. removes the COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for healthy kids and pregnant women—the latest in a string of changes to vaccine policies; judge issues an order to halt HHS’ reorganization and mass layoff plans; Rocket Pharmaceuticals’ pivotal Danon disease trial is on hold after a patient death; and President Trump has named Mehmet Oz to spearhead his Most Favored Nation drug pricing policy.
In this episode presented by IQVIA, BioSpace’s head of insights Lori Ellis discusses the importance of target product profiles, particularly when navigating funding challenges, with Ian Fisher, head of development analytics.
China continues to be a source of innovation as Pfizer strikes biggest pact yet; HHS provides more info on Trump’s Most Favored Nation executive order; FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and CBER director Vinay Prasad reveal new COVID-19 vaccine strategy following Novavax approval; ODAC underway after chaotic planning; more.
Job Trends
4D Molecular Therapeutics, a leading clinical-stage genetic medicines company focused on unlocking the full potential of genetic medicines to treat large market diseases, reported full year 2023 financial results and provided operational highlights.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
A new generation of checkpoint inhibitors is emerging, with some showing more promise than others. From recent TIGIT failures to high-potential targets like VEGF, BioSpace explores what’s on the horizon in immuno-oncology.
Peter Marks, the venerable head of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, has been forced out. In this special edition of BioPharm Executive, BioSpace takes a deep dive into the instability of the HHS.
Year-over-year BioSpace data show biopharma professionals faced increased competition for fewer employment opportunities during the first quarter of 2025.
DEALS
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The Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit takes an unusual strategy, according to legal experts, raising concerns and uncertainties in the biopharma industry. -
Roger Perlmutter’s company announced the addition Thursday of myriad early- to mid-stage assets in the cancer and neurodegenerative disease spaces. -
Data from a Phase III trial of apraglutide for a type of short bowel syndrome with intestinal failure is expected by the end of the year. It is also in a Phase II study for acute graft-versus-host disease. -
The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking an injunction to prevent Amgen’s buyout of Horizon Therapeutics, which the agency says would “entrench monopoly drugs.” -
The Chapter 11 bankruptcy was driven by increasing generic competition, declining profits and the unrelenting legal woes of its head Martin Shkreli, dubbed “Pharma Bro” in the media.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Just a week after it secured FDA approval, Eli Lilly’s Zepbound now faces a challenge from Novo Nordisk’s investigational next-generation weight-loss candidate CagriSema in a Phase III trial. -
In this episode BioSpace’s Greg Slabodkin, Tyler Patchen and Lori Ellis discuss Zepbound, Wegovy, the weight loss race and the future of this drug class.
POLICY
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After missing their initial target in March 2024, Eisai and Biogen have initiated a rolling BLA for a subcutaneous maintenance formulation of Leqembi, which could offer a more convenient dosing schedule for Alzheimer’s disease patients. -
Bayer joined BMS in announcing major overhaul; Takeda drops up to $2 billion for an anti-amyloid drug from AC Immune; and BioSpace reflects on last week’s ASGCT meeting—the good, the bad and the ugly. -
Dynavax Technologies announced Tuesday that the FDA issued a Complete Response Letter to the company’s sBLA to include a four-dose regimen of Heplisav-B vaccine for adult hemodialysis patients. -
The major biopharma players have promised to increase their investments in France to help boost their respective global manufacturing and R&D capabilities, with Sanofi committing more than $1 billion. -
An updated draft of the BIOSECURE Act introduced on Friday would give U.S. drug manufacturers additional leeway for existing contracts with certain Chinese “companies of concern” until 2032.
Use this thorough interview checklist to guide you through the interview preparation process and move you closer to successfully attaining the job you seek.
Is there any point in reliving a job interview you’ve just gone on? Can any good come from analyzing it and ruminating on it?
If you’re planning a cover letter or have one ready to send, take a stroll through this list to ensure strategic optimization.
In the last article on our series of common biopharma careers, we take a close look at what it takes to become a successful computer and information research scientist.
“Why should we hire you?” is a question frequently asked in job interviews, but what’s really behind the question, and how should you respond to it?
Medical and health service managers work hard to improve the quality and efficiency required to deliver first rate healthcare services.
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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After several delays, BeiGene on Thursday finally secured the FDA’s approval for its PD-1 inhibitor Tevimbra for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. -
Antibody-drug conjugate Adcetris, when used with rituximab or lenalidomide, improved overall survival in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Pfizer secured access to Seagen’s ADC in March 2023. -
BeiGene’s Brukinsa becomes the first BTK inhibitor approved for follicular lymphoma, the most common type of low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma. -
Despite its overall survival and disease progression benefits, the U.K.’s drug cost watchdog has declined to recommend AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s Enhertu due to a lack of cost-effectiveness. -
Rybrevant has been approved for use with carboplatin and pemetrexed in the first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with exon 20 insertion mutations in the EGFR gene.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Biogen’s 2022 fourth-quarter and full-year report comes the day after an additional warning on the company’s first Alzheimer’s drug came to light. -
The discovery of novel Alzheimer’s biomarkers is enabling better trial selection, earlier pipeline decision making and new targets for therapeutics. -
Phase I/II data showed AC Immune’s anti-amyloid-beta vaccine candidate could safely elicit an antibody response in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Now, it will expand to Down Syndrome patients.
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Cassava Sciences reported Phase II data from its Alzheimer’s candidate simufilam Tuesday. The company’s stock dropped 17% following the reveal.
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Research hasn’t shown that removing amyloid plaques alone improves function in Alzheimer’s patients, said Sharon L. Rogers, CEO of AmyriAD.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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While an adverse event reported in Intellia’s gene therapy trial was a “non-concern” for analysts, it follows a handful of patient deaths in other trials for the modality and sent the company’s stock tumbling in pre-market trading. -
Acute systemic infection caused the patient to develop fatal capillary leak syndrome, highlighting the unpredictability of gene therapies and potentially challenging investment in the space, analysts say. -
Taking center stage at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy meeting was the first-ever reported case of a personalized in vivo CRISPR editing therapy, which substantially eased the symptom burden in an infant. -
Since Elevidys’ accelerated approval in 2023, experts have been clamoring for more data, particularly in older and non-ambulatory children. New results, presented Friday, show mobility improvements in 8- to 9-year-old patients after one year of follow-up. -
Lilly will use Rznomics’ proprietary ribozyme technology to develop RNA editing therapies for congenital hearing loss.
