Although the job market did not pick up in April, layoffs were down year over year and month over month, according to BioSpace tallies. Meanwhile, Amgen, Novartis, Regeneron and Roche announced U.S. manufacturing investments that are sparking job creation.
CRISPR Therapeutics’ partner Vertex reported that more than 65 treatment centers have been activated for the gene therapy Casgevy. While Vertex handles the market, CRISPR has been focused on its clinical program.
The FDA in February formally declared the end of the semaglutide shortage, which Novo Nordisk expects will help improve the market position of Wegovy. But Eli Lilly’s Zepbound is quickly gaining ground, with sales just $300 million behind Wegovy in Q1.
MassBio’s new report outlines several concerns, including NIH cuts undermining the research engine, FDA reductions delaying innovation and trade barriers disrupting supply chains.
Imports of pharmaceutical products surged in March, most of which came from Ireland, historically one of the biggest exporters of medicines to the U.S.
A new executive order aims to smooth the path for getting U.S. manufacturing facilities up and running; HHS says it will require placebo-controlled trials for all vaccine approvals; tariff threats hit BioNTech; Novo Nordisk’s FDA application for an oral version of Wegovy is accepted; and more.
FEATURED STORIES
Policy uncertainties are impacting biopharma dealmaking from continent to continent, with companies being asked to walk a tightrope on their relations with China.
Major pharmaceutical companies are committing billions to US manufacturing in an effort to avoid steep tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump.
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.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
At a private event held amid the fallout from the CrowdStrike incident, cybersecurity issues took a front seat, with the consequences of the evolving EU AI Act and the Loper Bright and Corner Post decisions also raising concerns for quality assurance and regulatory affairs professionals.
LATEST PODCASTS
Sarepta will update Elevidys’ label after a patient died following treatment; the FDA issues flu vaccine recommendations without advisor input; Trump CDC nominee Dave Weldon pulled at last minute; and FDA decisions expected for Alnylam’s Amvuttra in ATTR-CM and Milestone’s etripamil in tachycardia.
In the third podcast in a special series focused on BioSpace’s NextGen Class of 2025, Senior Editor Annalee Armstrong speaks with Mark McKenna, CEO of Mirador Therapeutics.
In this episode of Denatured, BioSpace’s Head of Insights Lori Ellis and Miruna Sasu, CEO of COTA, discuss the challenges of inclusion and exclusion criteria of clinical trial patients, and reflect on current investment approaches around women’s health.
Job Trends
Looking for a biopharma job in Pennsylvania? Check out the BioSpace list of six companies hiring life sciences professionals like you.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
In this deep dive, BioSpace takes a closer look at the drug price crisis in the U.S. As President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump gear up for a rematch in the 2024 election, we explore how federal reforms to lower costs could be leveraged on the campaign trail.
The job response rate has risen year over year, according to BioSpace data, indicating competition for roles posted on our website has increased.
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.
DEALS
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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. -
BridGene strikes another partnership with Takeda as the latter company continues its dealmaking streak, following high-ticket agreements with Keros Therapeutics, AC Immune and Degron Therapeutics in the past nine months. -
The proposed acquisition by global investment firms Carlyle and SK Capital Partners could net shareholders $3 per share plus potential CVR dollars and provide bluebird bio with primary capital to expand the commercial reach of its gene therapies. -
The agreement, in which Merck will pay the biotech an undisclosed initial sum to license drugs targeting a solid tumor, could net Epitopea up to $300 million down the line.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Last week, The Trump administration reversed a Biden-era proposal for Medicare coverage of anti-obesity treatments. But on Monday, HHS suggested it is open to future policy considerations toward this end. -
Stifel analysts were bullish on the data, which showed a 16.5% drop in body-mass index among patients with damage to the hypothalamus taking Rhythm Pharmaceuticals’ Imcivree. -
Under Friday’s final ruling anti-obesity medications for weight-loss will remain ineligible for Medicare coverage. -
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.
FDA
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The tradipitant saga stretches back to September 2024, when the FDA declined to approve Vanda’s drug in gastroparesis, a stomach condition characterized by delayed gastric emptying. -
Novo Nordisk filed for approval of an oral, 25-mg formulation of its weight loss blockbuster “earlier this year,” according to a company spokesperson. -
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. -
Dupixent, which was rejected by the FDA for chronic spontaneous urticaria in October 2023, is now approved as the first new targeted therapy for the indication in more than 10 years. -
Losing the FDA’s senior negotiators would slow the renewal of the user fee programs “considerably,” according to policy and regulatory expert Steven Grossman.
Check out five New York companies hiring biopharma professionals like you, including 2025 Best Places to Work winners.
Plus, communication errors that cost job offers and how to craft a LinkedIn “About” section
Year-over-year BioSpace data shows there are fewer job postings live on the website and far more competition for them.
At Johns Hopkins University, the biomedical engineering program’s Design Team offering lets undergraduates dive deep into clinical projects that can help them land industry jobs, get provisional patents or even start companies.
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.
HOTBEDS
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Following a similar decision in case the trade group Outsourcing Facilities Association brought against FDA over its decision to declare the end of the shortage of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, Judge Mark Pittman agreed that Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide is in sufficient supply, meaning compounding pharmacies can no longer sell the lucrative weight loss drugs.
REPORTS
In this job market report we’re reviewing life sciences job market movement in Q3 and what to expect for Q4 and beyond.
This labor market report examines Q3 life science job market trends and the recruitment outlook for Q4 and beyond.
BioSpace surveyed life sciences employers to understand attitudes and current trends on AI usage in recruiting. This report explores the benefits of using AI tools in recruitment and provides practical recommendations for HR and talent acquisition professionals to leverage AI effectively. Concurrently, this report highlights the challenges and risks of using these tools without critical thought and intention.
CANCER
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Lined up for the FDA in the coming weeks are a cell-based gene therapy for a rare skin disease and two product expansions for Regeneron, one with partner Sanofi. -
AI is enabling the development of a next generation of drugs that can more precisely target cancer cells while sparing healthy tissues. -
According to Tempest, its options include a partnership or licensing deal, as well as a merger or an acquisition. -
The FDA approved the use of Opdivo with Yervoy in front-line colorectal cancer, while a Manhattan court junked a class action complaint over the blood cancer drug Pomalyst. -
Wegovy and Zepbound are just the latest drug dyads to face-off in the competitive pharma market, continuing a legacy of rivalry that includes blockbuster drugs Keytruda, Humira and Eliquis.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Eisai’s new fiscal 2027 forecast for Leqembi is roughly 50% lower than its projections a year ago. -
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.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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The biotech is exploring opportunities for a reverse merger or other business combinations. CFO and now interim CEO Anup Radhakrishnan will take charge of these negotiations. -
After a patient taking the Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy Elevydis died of liver injury, Sarepta will update the label to reflect the safety signal. -
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.
