For the second month in a row, job postings on BioSpace increased in key biopharma disciplines. However, application rates also increased.
Job listings in the area have ticked up in the last month. These seven companies are hiring in South San Francisco right now, including scientist and clinical roles.
Six months after receiving a surprise rejection due to what the FDA called “lack of substantial evidence of effectiveness,” Capricor’s cell therapy deramiocel showed significant benefits in upper-limb function and slowed decline in cardiac function in a Phase III trial.
Analysts had noted “unease” from investors regarding the state of the Phase III ADEPT-2 trial, with BMS at one point telling Leerink Partners that the reopening of enrollment would be a “significant development.”
The Phase III, open-label extension study suggests EPX-100 has a “positive” risk/benefit profile for the treatment of Dravet syndrome, analysts at H.C. Wainwright & Co. said Tuesday.
For certain monospecific antibodies, three-month toxicology studies plus other supportive evidence will suffice, eliminating the need for six-month testing.
FEATURED STORIES
The cholesterol-lowering drug is part of a suite of medicines that also includes MariTide and that Amgen Chief Medical Officer Paul Burton hopes will make the company the “undisputed leader in the management of cardiometabolic risk for patients” by 2030.
A new generation of companies is eyeing the existing, sizeable hair loss market, hoping that better formulations and new scientific targets will finally produce treatments that are safer and more effective, as well as commercially successful.
The nausea and other gastrointestinal side effects of weight loss drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy or Eli Lilly’s Zepbound will limit how much these drugs can help patients and stunt the overall obesity market unless we approach the problem head on.
While investment has slowed in radiopharmaceuticals, analysts predict increased interest to come as Novartis shows just how successful radiopharmaceuticals can be.
The upheaval of the Health and Human Services workforce and leadership leaves much to be desired in terms of delivery, recently retired FDA Chief Information Officer Vid Desai tells BioSpace, but the regulatory agency is evolving to be more open to much needed change.
Had Pfizer’s Freda Lewis-Hall not stepped in, SpringWorks’ rare disease treatment may never have reached patients. Pharmas can act now to help find the next Gomekli.
LATEST PODCASTS
In this episode of Denatured, BioSpace’s head of insights Lori Ellis and Colin Zick, partner at Foley Hoag LLP, spend time discussing some of the points brought up in the Bioprocessing Summit last month. They explore the connections between hammers, AI, The Planet of the Apes and monoliths.
The White House is clamping down on pharma’s ability to buy new molecules from Chinese biotechs; Sanofi, Merck and others abandon the U.K. after the introduction of a sizeable levy; Novo CEO Maziar Mike Doustdar lays off 9,000 while the company presents new data at EASD; Capsida loses a patient in a gene therapy trial; and CDER Director George Tidmarsh walks back comments on FDA adcomms.
This week’s release of the Make America Health Again report revealed continued emphasis on vaccine safety; Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s faceoff with senators last week amounted to political theater; the FDA promises complete response letters in real time and shares details on a new rare disease framework; and Summit disappoints at the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Barcelona.
Job Trends
Looking for a manufacturing job? Check out the BioSpace list of 11 companies hiring life sciences professionals like you.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
In this deep dive, BioSpace examines what’s next for Leqembi, the true cost of anti-amyloid antibodies, and what other Alzheimer’s treatments are coming down the pipeline.
If it feels like there has never been a tougher time to look for work, you’re not alone—and you’re likely not wrong.
In this deep dive, BioSpace examines how small, medium and large companies are using artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance their drug discovery efforts.
DEALS
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Roche will gain worldwide rights outside of the Greater China region to Hansoh’s HS-20110, an antibody-drug conjugate in early-stage development for colorectal cancer. -
The partners have yet to disclose what their priority indications are, though EVOQ’s NanoDisc technology aims to enable the development of potentially curative treatments for autoimmune conditions such as celiac disease and type 1 diabetes. -
Novo Nordisk strikes another deal, this time with Omeros, amid a broader pipeline restructuring that recently claimed its cell therapy work. -
Bristol Myers Squibb and insitro first partnered in 2020 to develop induced pluripotent stem cell models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Last December, BMS exercised its option for an ALS target. -
The acquisition will give BioCryst an investigational injectable drug for hereditary angioedema, potentially complementing its FDA-approved oral drug Orladeyo.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Novo Nordisk, under new CEO Maziar Mike Doustdar, has a new attitude. It’s making Pfizer livid. -
CEO David Ricks wants Eli Lilly’s upcoming obesity pill to be accessible to patients who need it, but the company still needs to pay for the next generation of obesity medicines to come after that. -
Mounjaro and Zepbound contributed more than $10 billion to the $11.98 billion in sales Lilly recorded for key products in the third quarter, despite price decreases for the GLP-1 medicines. -
Pfizer called Novo’s offer “reckless and unprecedented,” in a statement issued Thursday morning. -
The reprioritization initiative extends Aldeyra’s cash runway into the second half of 2027.
POLICY
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In one of the first demonstrations of the impact of last year’s Loper Supreme Court decision on challenges to agency authority, a judge ruled that the FDA does not have authority to regulate tests developed by clinical laboratories. -
Companies that have broken ground on or are actively constructing manufacturing facilities in the U.S. are exempted from the tariffs, according to President Donald Trump’s social media post on Thursday. -
Though details remain scant, the pending order is expected to be the latest effort in President Donald Trump’s campaign to bring drug prices down to the same level as economically similar countries. -
While last week’s recommended changes by CDC advisors to the MMRV vaccine schedule are unlikely to have a tangible effect on Merck’s business, the company said the removal of choice for healthcare providers is “concerning.” -
The FDA’s proposed Rare Disease Evidence Principles review process is a starting point for getting rare disease therapies across the finish line, but industry leaders say there are more concrete steps the regulator could take to help patients.
Candidates looking to enter biotech should focus on cultivating key skills, thoughtfully crafting their resumes and putting their best, most authentic foot forward in interviews. An internship, co-op or fellowship won’t hurt, either.
This webinar will help you discover effective strategies for launching your career in biotechnology. You will gain valuable insights from industry experts and leave with the essential tools you need to thrive in this dynamic field.
A clinical research associate is a professional who oversees clinical trials. Here are our top tips on how to become one.
For biopharma executives who are between roles, navigating the transitionary time can be challenging. However, they can remain visible and valuable so they’re ready to seize their next big opportunity.
In a tough labor market where layoffs continue, some are considering—or even moving—from industry to academia, according to a BioSpace poll. A career coach, scientist and general practitioner turned research coordinator share their thoughts.
Learn how to craft a resume that stands out by exploring 10 common resume mistakes and how to avoid them.
HOTBEDS
REPORTS
If people are your greatest asset, it is imperative that your organization maintains a positive employer brand presence and talent pipeline. This report covers how you can build a strong employer brand with prospective employees, current employees - and former employees.
In challenging conditions, how can employers optimize the employee experience to retain their top talent and make the most of their current teams?
In the 2020 US Life Sciences Diversity & Inclusion report, BioSpace dives into how different segments of employees experience and perceive policies, attitudes and actions. Our data suggests that there are significant disparities between segments.
CANCER
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The startup, launched out of CEO Kevin Parker’s grad school idyll during the COVID lockdowns, is primed to find new targets where Big Pharmas won’t dare. -
Moderna’s mRNA-4359, when used with Keytruda, achieves a 24% overall objective response rate in patients with melanoma, with efficacy increasing to 67% in those positive for PD-L1. -
Looking for a job in oncology? Check out the BioSpace list of nine companies hiring life sciences professionals like you. -
The centerpiece of the deal is orelabrutinib, a BTK inhibitor in late-stage development for multiple sclerosis that Biogen once paid $125 million for but abandoned after less than two years of testing. -
The business separation, expected to be completed by the end of 2026, will result in two new companies, one focused on biopharma operations and the other on royalty management.
NEUROSCIENCE
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The company is dropping its social anxiety disorder program but will still test the molecule in post-traumatic stress disorder. -
Elecsys’ approval could help boost the uptake of currently approved Alzheimer’s disease therapies, including Biogen’s Eisai-partnered Leqembi, with CEO Chris Viehbacher recently noting that such biomarker-based tests could “remove some of the bottlenecks” in uptake. -
MapLight laid out the terms of its planned IPO in a regulatory filing on Monday, providing greater detail about what the funds will be used for. -
The hold was placed earlier this year when the FDA asked for more preclinical data, but the agency was slow to respond due to ‘strain’ on its capacity, according to Neurizon. -
While Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors are often hailed as the next big breakthrough in multiple sclerosis, Immunic Therapeutics and others are leveraging neuroprotective targets and remyelination to keep the disease at bay.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Takeda wanted to create something new in the cell therapy world by combining the technology with T cell engagers. A series of acquisitions in 2021 started the process. -
Rocket Pharmaceuticals’ strategic realignment initiative in July pulled funding from fanca-cel, which the biotech was developing for Fanconi anemia. -
The centerpiece of the collaboration is the gene editor ABO-101, being developed for primary hyperoxaluria type 1, a rare disease that leads to severe kidney stones. -
As industry leaders gather at the annual event in Phoenix, the cell and gene therapy space remains in a state of flux, with M&A activity and regulatory support signaling momentum while commercialization challenges continue to hinder broader investor interest. -
Smarter design through targeted delivery and human-relevant testing can save the industry from costly safety failures.
