The company unveiled plans last week to test its GLP-1/glucagon dual receptor agonist in alcohol use disorder and alcohol-related liver disease.
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.
Ionis and Ultragenyx are competing to develop oligonucleotide treatments for Angelman syndrome, but will Neuren’s peptide catch up?
The Maryland-based biopharma joins Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk in trialing a GLP-1 agonist for alcohol- and liver-related conditions.
Pfizer was studying PF-07820435, an orally available agonist of the STING protein, for solid tumors.
Sutro’s stock tumbled nearly 19% after the company announced it will sideline its FRα-targeted antibody-drug conjugate luveltamab tazevibulin, which it was studying for ovarian cancer. The biotech will seek licensing opportunities for the asset.
FEATURED STORIES
RFK Jr. as HHS head is perhaps President-elect Donald Trump’s most controversial Cabinet pick now that Matt Gaetz has withdrawn as nominee for Attorney General. With Dr. Oz tapped to lead CMS and maybe Marty Makary at the FDA, it’s going to be quite the show.
A handful of billion-dollar deals in the rare disease space highlights the uptick in Big Pharma’s investment, but it’s still extremely low compared to the money flowing to more common indications.
While the full impact of the Supreme Court decision remains unknown, the new regulatory landscape could be a net positive for drug developers.
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
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.
President Donald Trump unwrapped a massive drug pricing policy as CMS prepares for the next round of Medicare drug price negotiations; Vinay Prasad to take the helm at the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research; Bayer cuts 2,000 more employees; Eli Lilly’s Zepbound scores again; and the Galapagos story turns again.
Job Trends
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced the completion of the previously announced transaction to acquire CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBAY) for approximately $4.3 billion in total equity value.
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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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After finally getting the green light from the Federal Trade Commission last month, Amgen has completed the buyout and expects to provide updated fiscal year 2023 guidance during its third-quarter earnings call. -
The Japan-based pharma is acquiring Orchard Therapeutics for approximately $477.6 million, if all conditions are met. Orchard’s pediatric gene therapy has a PDUFA date set for March 2024. -
AbbVie, Amgen, Gilead, Merck and Novartis are among the 31 members that have formed the Partnership for the U.S. Life Science Ecosystem to push back against federal antitrust reforms. -
Here’s how some biopharmas have managed to gain funding despite a falloff in investment in the sector. Hint: Positive late-stage data is a key factor. -
Eli Lilly on Tuesday continued its buying spree with a $1.4 billion acquisition of the radiopharma company’s pipeline of clinical and preclinical radioligand therapies.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Eli Lilly has partnered with Amazon Pharmacy to help fill online orders of its obesity drug Zepbound—as well as migraine and diabetes medicines—placed through the pharma’s online portal LillyDirect. -
Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy was approved on Friday by the FDA to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke in adults who have cardiovascular disease and are obese or overweight. -
Novo Nordisk’s early-stage amylin and GLP-1 co-agonist elicited a 13.1% reduction in body weight, with an overall favorable safety profile, the Danish drugmaker reported Thursday at an investor event. -
After stopping the study early due to strong efficacy, Novo Nordisk released data from the FLOW study showing significant benefits of semaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. -
Eli Lilly is planning to launch its blockbuster diabetes drug Mounjaro next year in India, the world’s most populous nation, ahead of its main competitor Novo Nordisk which is eyeing an Indian launch of Wegovy in 2026.
POLICY
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The FDA has a packed calendar this week, with six decisions on the docket, including ones for Merck’s Keytruda, BMS’s Krazati and Sarepta’s Elevidys. -
Teva Pharmaceuticals lost its patent row with Amneal Pharmaceuticals on Monday as a New Jersey court ruled that some of Teva’s claims over its inhaler product ProAir HFA were improperly listed on the FDA’s Orange Book. -
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate health committee, has proposed issuing a subpoena to Novo Nordisk President Doug Langa forcing him to testify regarding the company’s pricing for Wegovy and Ozempic. -
On Monday, GSK reported that a plaintiff voluntarily dropped her Zantac case against the company and that it is in the process of appealing a Delaware State Court’s decision to admit expert testimony in other cases. -
Ipsen and Genfit’s elafibranor will now be marketed as Iqirvo and is the first new medicine approved in nearly a decade for the treatment of the rare liver disease, according to the companies.
Once you do land your next job interview, you’ll want to address your layoff in the right way. Here’s how.
Finding common ground and making small talk are both skills that help you build that rapport with someone.
Of the resumes submitted to employers that use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), 75% are never seen by human eyes.
The global COVID-19 pandemic may not seem like the best time to accelerate your career, but some characteristics of this unusual time actually lend themselves to career-boosting activities. Whether you are still working from home or are back in your workplace, this article offers suggestions for pumping up your career.
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.
Going through a career transition can be stressful and difficult to navigate. Many professionals don’t know how to start the process or begin to explain the reasoning for making a shift.
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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BMS presented late-stage results on Tuesday at the ASCO annual meeting which showed the combination of Opdivo and Yervoy lowered the risk of death by 21% in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, compared to two kinase inhibitors. -
In addition to missing the mark in overall survival, Gilead reported Thursday a higher number of deaths in the Trodelvy arm of the confirmatory metastatic urothelial cancer study. -
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s investigational antibody-drug conjugate Dato-DXd failed to significantly improve overall survival in non-small cell lung cancer patients versus docetaxel. -
Johnson & Johnson’s radiopharma candidate JNJ-6420 returned mixed results in an early-stage study, demonstrating strong biochemical and radiographic response but also resulting in four patient deaths. -
Until compelling surface targets for lung cancer are developed, antibody-drug conjugates will fail to treat most patients with lung cancer, experts told BioSpace.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Biotech companies are exploring multiple targets in the fight against neuroinflammation. Experts say these projects could yield the next breakthrough in treating Alzheimer’s disease. -
After showing some unfavorable results for its data, AC Immune on Monday announced it will be getting back its Alzheimer’s disease candidates from Roche’s Genentech. -
With recent scientific advances, milestone approvals and increased dealmaking, the future of treatment for neurological diseases looks brighter—but continued investment, collaboration and patient-focused efforts are key. -
The deal, announced late Wednesday, will provide AbbVie with access to Cerevel Therapeutics’ pipeline of clinical-stage and preclinical candidates for psychiatric and neurological diseases. -
For forms of Alzheimer’s, frontotemporal dementia and Parkinson’s caused by genetic defects, gene therapy could change the treatment landscape.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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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. -
After warnings that the dragged-out process was putting the cell therapy company at risk of bankruptcy, bluebird bio now has a new deal to offer shareholders.
