Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on the EU would increase manufacturing costs for pharma companies and would stall medical innovation, according to the results of a recent survey by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization.
According to analysts at BMO Capital Markets, non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy would have meant a $1.3 billion label expansion opportunity for Camzyos.
At the heart of the licensing deal is CUE-501, a bispecific molecule that can selectively deplete B cells to address autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.
Trump could use the findings of the probe to impose certain trade restrictions on pharma products, including tariffs.
In a Phase Ib trial, VERVE-102 showed it could lower bad cholesterol across doses, setting up an opt-in decision for Eli Lilly and a showdown with Novartis.
Viking Therapeutics enjoyed a nice share rally on the news that rival Pfizer is discontinuing obesity candidate danuglipron. But the biotech has a long way to go to recover after six straight months of decline.
Pfizer’s discontinuation of danuglipron brings the company down to a single molecule in its obesity pipeline.
FEATURED STORIES
Several companies—including JCR Pharmaceuticals, Denali Therapeutics and Regenxbio—have products in the pipeline that could improve treatment options for this rare disease.
FDA
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.—Trump’s pick for HHS secretary who endured confirmation hearings last week—has repeatedly criticized industry ties to the FDA, particularly financial links between the two, which could indicate trouble for the user-fee model.
IRA
While the former Biden administration showcased the Inflation Reduction Act as a key victory in the fight over high drug prices in the U.S., Trump has so far been mum on how the controversial law could evolve in the coming years.
LATEST PODCASTS
This week, Lori, Greg and Tyler discuss the first ⁠surge of IPO activity⁠ this year plus gene therapy pricing,
The team comes together to discuss the dominant themes of what was an incredibly busy week of events in San Francisco during JPM 2024.
The BioSpace team is recording from San Francisco as they bring you the the latest highlights from Day 3 at JPM2024.
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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
  1. The Swiss contract manufacturer’s cash deal for Roche’s facility in Vacaville, California, is one of the world’s largest manufacturing sites for biologics—a major growth driver for Lonza and other CDMOs.
  2. Continuing 2024’s biotech initial public offering rally, Boundless Bio will debut Thursday on the Nasdaq with the proceeds used to advance its pipeline of extrachromosomal DNA cancer assets.
  3. Big Pharma’s appetite for safe and effective oral IBD drugs with novel mechanisms of action continues to grow, with my former company just the latest in a string of acquisitions in the space.
  4. Monday’s announced buyout of Virginia-based Landos Biopharma adds a mid-stage, oral NLRX1 agonist for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease to AbbVie’s growing portfolio.
  5. Just weeks after Wegovy won FDA approval for cardiovascular disease, Novo Nordisk has bought mid-stage biotech Cardior Pharmaceuticals and its miRNA-targeting candidate for heart failure.
WEIGHT LOSS
  1. The regulator on Friday warned healthcare providers and patients about adverse events linked with dosing errors from compounded versions of Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss and diabetes drugs.
  2. Encouraged by the potential of the weight-loss candidates acquired from Carmot Therapeutics, Roche will speed up the development of its obesity programs, seeking to differentiate itself in the market.
  3. With promising Phase II data in hand, Viking Therapeutics is pushing its subcutaneous GLP-1/GIP receptor dual agonist into late-stage development, the company announced on Wednesday.
  4. Despite early 2024 optimism, BioSpace’s Job Market Trends report outlines a still sluggish situation in the biopharma industry, Novartis and J&J announce Q2 earnings, GLP-1 market leaders expand into China and the Cassava Sciences saga continues.
  5. 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.
POLICY
  1. It’s time for Congress to step up and fund America’s supply chain independence from Chinese companies by bolstering our domestic manufacturing capabilities.
  2. Healthcare players are pointing fingers amid regulatory crackdowns on pharmacy benefit managers, but proposed reforms wouldn’t address a dearth of competition in the larger market.
  3. A recent study estimated that Wegovy’s label expansion beyond obesity could push Medicare spending to $145 billion annually, but analysts remain dubious of the estimate.
  4. The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan bill, which targets WuXi AppTec, WuXi Biologics and other Chinese biotech companies as potential national security risks.
  5. As Congress considers a bill that aims to distance U.S. biopharma from five Chinese companies, the industry must emphasize the importance of prioritizing patient care over power plays.
CAREER HUB
The most effective job seekers know that standing out from the crowd goes a long way toward job search and career success. Less well-known is exactly how to differentiate oneself and gain that competitive advantage.
Conducting some research before your job interview can help ease your mind. You will feel less stressed once you know what to look forward to during the meeting and which skills will allow you to shine.
Setting yourself apart from other job candidates can be a challenging thing to do - but it doesn’t have to be with these eight important tips!
Your CV can be the ticket that lands you your dream job - as long as you focus on making sure that it’s well-written with the help of these CV writing tips.
Differing skillsets mean that extroverts and introverts will usually approach the same job differently. Here is how each of them do it.
If you’ve been getting the itch to job search but you aren’t sure if you should, here are some reasons to possibly leave a job that might help you decide if you should stay or if you should go.
Everyone wants a positive work environment but how do you find one? This article will provide you with deep insights into how you can find a company that you dream of.
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
After more than a month of speculation over how the FDA will rule on Novavax’s application for an updated formulation of its COVID-19 shot, CEO John Jacobs said on the company’s Q1 earnings call: “When we have it, we’ll have it. Until then, we don’t have it.”
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. Opdivo’s approval for patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer comes as the regulator recently raised concerns of overtreatment with this type of therapeutic regimen with platinum-doublet chemotherapy.
  2. M&A
    The acquisition was featured Monday in Roche’s Pharma Day presentation, which also included projections of more than $3 billion in annual sales from three early-stage obesity and diabetes drugs.
  3. Six months after treatment with the radiopharmaceutical therapy, 77.8% of patients with meningioma were alive and had not experienced further disease progression, beating the 26% benchmark established in earlier studies.
  4. Johnson & Johnson linked Carvykti to a 45% reduction in risk of death and Darzalex to a 61% improvement in minimal residual disease-negativity, boosting the prospects of two key growth drivers for the company.
  5. One upcoming decision—on a perioperative PD-1 regimen for lung cancer—comes as the FDA considers an overhaul of trial designs in this treatment setting.
NEUROSCIENCE
  1. While supportive of Amylyx’s acquisition of a GLP-1 drug, analysts say the company’s future hinges on key upcoming readouts from multiple products in its pipeline.
  2. While type 2 diabetes and obesity are the primary conditions currently treated with blockbuster GLP-1 drugs, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly aim to enter additional markets.

  3. ALS
    After a long and challenging journey for its stem cell therapy NurOwn, BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics has aligned with the FDA on the parameters of a Phase IIIb ALS trial that is expected to begin by the end of 2024.
  4. As the DOJ and SEC look into two of its senior employees, Cassava Sciences’ CEO and one senior vice president have departed the company.
  5. Asceneuron, which develops small molecules targeting tau protein aggregation, plans to use the funds to advance its Alzheimer’s disease asset into Phase II.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
  1. FDA
    As Sarepta Therapeutics moves closer to full approval and an expanded label for its gene therapy, some experts push back on clinical efficacy and cost while others note the hope it provides patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
  2. Tuesday afternoon’s session was standing room only as representatives from various biopharma companies presented on their work to improve the efficiency and quality of AAV production.
  3. AAVs and accelerated approval are just two of the topics being discussed at ASGCT. Meanwhile, the race between Vertex and bluebird bio’s gene therapies Casgevy and Lyfgenia is heating up.
  4. The FDA is looking at four decision deadlines in the coming three weeks, including two for a CAR-T therapy and another for a hepatitis B vaccine.
  5. In a joint conference event on Monday, cell therapy pioneer Carl June revealed unpublished results showing that in around 1,500 patients treated with CAR-T therapies, no cases of secondary malignancy could be definitively linked to the treatment.