The canceled contract comes as Moderna nears a critical FDA decision for its next-generation COVID-19 vaccine.
Nearly a third of employed and almost half of unemployed BioSpace survey respondents are seriously considering leaving the U.S. to find biotech and pharma jobs. Concerns about how the political climate is affecting biopharma are a key driver for many.
Leerink Partners previews the drugs likely to be subject to the Inflation Reduction Act’s next price negotiations as the program expands to Medicare Part B and smaller biotechs.
InflaRx’s vilobelimab met the bar for futility in a Phase III trial for the rare skin disease pyoderma gangrenosum.
In a video posted to social media on Tuesday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. claimed that there is a lack of clinical data to support the repeat COVID-19 booster strategy in children.
The layoffs will take effect on July 22 and particularly target those working in sales, data engineering and product management.
FEATURED STORIES
At the intersection of radiation and precision, Novartis, Bayer, AstraZeneca and more hope to cash in on a radiopharmaceuticals market that could top $16 billion by 2033.
As the Trump administration slashes funding for HIV-related research and infrastructure, Gilead, Immunocore and more are targeting the next goalpost: a cure.
To more effectively treat neurodegenerative conditions, we first need diagnostic tools that lend a more complete picture of protein aggregates in the brain.
LATEST PODCASTS
BioSpace remembers COVID-19 five years after the pandemic was declared, Novo Nordisk’s CagriSema again misses expectations as the company joins a lawsuit filed by drug compounders against the FDA, Viking secures ample supply of its investigational obesity medication, J&J strikes out in depression, and Makary and Bhattacharya near confirmation.
Pfizer reacts to Donald Trump’s tariff threats on big pharma, another regulatory meeting is canceled under RFK Jr., AbbVie and Eli Lilly strike mid-sized deals in obesity and molecular glues, priority review vouchers set to take a hit and immuno-oncology matures.
In the second podcast in a special series focused on BioSpace’s NextGen Class of 2025, Senior Editor Annalee Armstrong speaks with Kevin Marks, CEO of Delphia Therapeutics.
Job Trends
Job postings in California took a dip in December during the holiday period, but activity is expected to pick up in January.
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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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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. -
In a move straight out of 2021, BridgeBio Oncology is taking the SPAC route to the public markets in a deal with Helix Acquisition Corp. II worth $450 million in proceeds. -
In this episode of Denatured, BioSpace’s Head of Insights Lori Ellis and Miruna Sasu, CEO of COTA, discuss life sciences investment and the potential for disruption. -
Our CEO accidentally started a book club. Now we’re all dreaming of mega pharma mergers. -
As high prices and supply issues drive consumers to alternative markets for GLP-1s, physicians aren’t too interested in using these therapies to treat conditions like heart disease risk that have existing cheap standards of care.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Eli Lilly says Indianapolis-based Premier Weight Loss is cracking open auto-injector pens containing its blockbuster drug and repackaging them into separate doses. -
According to BMO Capital Markets, Rybelsus’ outcomes in SOUL were “inconsistent,” failing to significantly lower cardiovascular death and nonfatal stroke. -
Compounded versions could make up as much as 40% of the semaglutide market, said Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen on Thursday, but the company hopes to win patients over. -
Lexicon’s LX9851 targets ACSL5, a liver enzyme involved in fat metabolism that helps moderate fat accumulation and slow down gastric emptying. -
Deloitte urged pharma executives to “be bold” in a new report tracking the top 20 pharmaceutical companies’ R&D performance.
POLICY
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Nevertheless, Albert Bourla has been lobbying the U.S. government—as high as President Donald Trump himself—to skip the pharmaceutical industry tariffs, which Trump has threatened, in part as a way to shore up U.S. national security. -
While Vaxart can proceed with its study, fellow COVID-19 vaccine developers GeoVax and Novavax continue to be hamstrung by various regulatory roadblocks. -
In a recent interview, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said there “should be nothing political about the FDA.” Recent actions taken by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and others within the department appear to be at odds with this sentiment. -
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. -
Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi and Roche had little clarity on the potential impact of President Donald Trump’s pharmaceutical tariffs but many companies are already preparing for what’s to come.
Plus, learn about what to expect in initial interviews and how to time your post-Ph.D. job search for maximum success.
Having difficult conversations with the right mindset can build trust and further develop your relationship with your team.
Getting caught between younger team members and older bosses can be stressful for millennial managers. A leadership expert and millennial manager share tips for bridging the gap between these groups.
For reasons including downsizing, avoiding retirement and a tight labor market, senior-level biopharma professionals are increasingly turning to fractional roles, according to two recruitment experts.
Massachusetts’ biopharma jobs increased 2.6% in 2023, according to the MassBio Industry Snapshot. Whether the state’s jobs grow in 2024 remains to be seen based on this year’s layoffs and seemingly slowed hiring based on BioSpace data.
The federal judge’s decision Tuesday said the Federal Trade Commission exceeded its statutory authority in implementing a final rule aimed at restricting noncompete clauses.
HOTBEDS
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The overturning of the FDA’s lab-developed tests rule is just the tip of the iceberg. With the loss of Chevron deference, power has shifted from federal agencies to the courts, with potential implications for everything from the FDA shortage list to CMS drug price negotiations.
REPORTS
BioSpace surveyed our community to gain their insights and perspectives on work, their employers, and to understand who makes up the life science community.
How does being Black affect the workplace experience as a life sciences professional? BioSpace surveyed our community to gain a greater understanding of Black employees’ feelings of inclusion and their perspectives on employer DEI initiatives.
Over the last two decades, women have achieved near equal levels of representation in life sciences - though there are distinct gaps in leadership and pay equity. The experience of women also differs vastly depending on age, race, and other factors.
CANCER
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The FDA is currently reviewing Merck’s sBLA for Keytruda in head and neck cancer, with a target action date of June 23. -
The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2025. With the deal, Merck KGaA is adding to its rare disease and oncology pipelines. -
With ivonescimab’s data coming solely from China, its prospects in the U.S., where Summit owns the rights, remain up in the air. -
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. -
Analysts at BMO Capital Markets expect Summit and Akeso’s HARMONi-6 readout to put some pressure on Merck and its blockbuster biologic Keytruda.
NEUROSCIENCE
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President Donald Trump continues to warn of tariffs on the pharmaceutical industry; Susan Monarez replaces Dave Weldon as CDC director nominee; Novo Nordisk joins the triple-G race; Alnylam wins approval for Amvuttra in ATTR-CM; and Cassava Sciences ends development of simufilam in Alzheimer’s. -
After years of controversy and allegations of doctored data, Cassava is moving on from Alzheimer’s. -
The British pharmaceutical giant is working with the U.K. Dementia Research Institute to exploit a “natural randomization” experiment to determine whether 65- and 66-year-olds who received GSK’s shingles vaccine Shingrix have reduced dementia risk. -
The gene therapy world is in turmoil, but Arbor, armed with more than $1 billion in partnerships and raises, is going forward. -
Ionis and Ultragenyx are competing to develop oligonucleotide treatments for Angelman syndrome, but will Neuren’s peptide catch up?
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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AstraZeneca has recently been investing heavily in the cell therapy space, including two acquisitions for TeneoTwo and Gracell Biotechnologies. -
Dyne is eyeing an accelerated approval filing for DYNE-251 in early 2026 that would pit the asset against Sarepta’s Exondys 51 in a patient population amenable to exon 51 skipping. -
Having established success in cancer, biopharma is now looking to leverage CAR T therapies against a new target, autoimmune disorders, with several early- to mid-stage readouts expected this year. -
Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech hope to hit blockbuster status for Carvykti this year. -
Facing declining valuations and funding challenges, public biotechs like bluebird bio are going private to restructure, reduce regulatory burdens and refocus on long-term growth.
