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.
Sanofi expects to add “a significant number of high-paying jobs” in the U.S. with $20 billion investment through 2030.
AbbVie’s Emrelis is the first non-small cell lung cancer therapy approved for patients with high c-Met expression levels who have received prior lines of treatment.
Looking for a biopharma job in San Francisco? Check out the BioSpace list of 10 companies hiring life sciences professionals like you.
Currently trailing Eli Lilly and Structure Therapeutics in the oral weight loss space, Novo Nordisk strikes a deal with Septerna to put new discovery-stage programs into play.
The ADARx Pharmaceuticals partnership, which could be worth “several billion dollars” in the end, adds to AbbVie’s existing work in the space after the $1.4 billion acquisition of Aliada Therapeutics in October 2024.
GSK secures rights to Boston Pharmaceuticals’ efimosfermin alfa, which the pharma plans to develop for fatty liver diseases such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and alcohol-related liver disease.
FEATURED STORIES
Pharma stocks went on a wild ride Wednesday amid whiplashing tariff threats from the U.S. president.
FDA
Experts express concern that last week’s unprecedented FDA layoffs will trigger a little-known mechanism that could result in a “disaster” the Trump administration doesn’t see coming.
As the industry awaits official word from the administration on how the tariffs will hit, analysts go over the possibilities with one certainty: there will be increased costs for medicines.
LATEST PODCASTS
Yet another therapy with FDA accelerated approval suffers a setback; Sage’s tough year continues; Sanofi drops $326 million in radiopharma while selling its consumer health unit; Novo Nordisk’s positive Rybelsus results in cardiovascular disease; and more.
J&J beat expectations this week to launch the Q3 earnings season; a study about children treated with bluebird bio’s Skysona comes at a bad time for the company; Sen. Warren calls for scrutiny of Novo’s purchase of Catalent; and other news.
In the third episode of our mini series on artificial intelligence, Lori and guests continue their exploratory discussion on AI and the opportunity in patient lives.
Job Trends
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its drug product facility in Baltimore-Camden to an affiliate of Bora Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., a leading international pharmaceutical services company, for a total value of approximately $30 million.
Subscribe to Genepool
Subscribe to BioSpace’s flagship publication including top headlines, special editions and life sciences’ most important breaking news
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. Novartis has disclosed roughly $19.4 billion in deals in the past five years. CEO Vas Narasimhan says there’s more to come.
  2. The deal has secured Novartis the chance to work with Ratio Therapeutics on a novel drug candidate that could fortify the Big Pharma against competition from would-be radiopharmaceutical rivals such as BMS and Lilly.
  3. The acquisition will give BioNTech full ownership of an investigational bispecific antibody targeting the PD-L1/VEGF-A pathways, a hot area in oncology that could potentially replace standard checkpoint inhibitors for cancer treatment.
  4. Novo Holdings’ acquisition of Catalent has ignited concerns from industry stakeholders, who fear that the consolidation could limit competition, but there is also the possibility that the deal could represent an opportunity for smaller-scale CDMOs to find new partners.
  5. With $70 million upfront and more than $1.8 billion on the line, Roche will gain access to Flare’s drug discovery engine to bolster its oncology pipeline.
WEIGHT LOSS
  1. According to BMO Capital Markets, Medicare coverage of Lilly’s Zepbound opens the door to using secondary indications to secure CMS coverage for obesity drugs.
  2. The FDA recommended maintaining a minimum of 5% weight-loss for drug developers seeking to establish the efficacy of their investigational obesity candidates.
  3. BioSpace presents 25 noteworthy biopharma startups in ’25; analysts forecast stronger M&A as the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference kicks off next week; GLP-1s continue to expand their reach as Novo, Lilly fight against compounders; and a look ahead to five key FDA decisions in Q1.
  4. Months after posting weight loss of 7.5% at 36 days for patients taking MET-097i, Metsera releases mid-stage results of just over 11% average body weight reduction at 12 weeks, with no plateau and a promising safety profile.
  5. From ADCs and radiopharmaceuticals to cell and gene therapies, eager young startups are betting on advances in biopharma’s most competitive therapeutic spaces—and attracting dollars from Big Pharma.
POLICY
  1. Democratic senators from Georgia, Oregon, Maryland and New Mexico called the Trump administration’s decision to terminate hundreds of CDC staffers reckless and unfair.
  2. The CDC budget cuts could pose headwinds for HIV drugmakers like Gilead and Merck but are unlikely to severely cripple their HIV divisions, according to analysts.
  3. The appeals court for the Federal Circuit upheld a lower court’s ruling, finding that Regeneron has not sufficiently established that Amgen’s biosimilar Pavblu violates key patents of Eylea.
  4. The recommendations were made in a closed session with representatives from CBER, the CDC and Department of Defense.
  5. As Marty Makary and Jay Bhattacharya sail through the Senate health committee vote, Weldon’s confirmation hearing is canceled. Guggenheim Partners heralded the last-minute move to revoke Dave Weldon’s nomination as “a positive sign for reigning in vaccine criticism.”
CAREER HUB
Computer programming jobs in biopharma are on the rise, but candidates must have a specific skill set. To help, here are the best programming languages for those working in the life sciences.
Academic and industry jobs are distinguished by their approaches to collaboration and exploratory research, among other factors.
Here are the top companies on BioSpace with internship opportunities for graduate students.
A minority of companies in the industry use personality tests in hiring. Here’s why—and how to approach the assessments.
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.
Carina Clingman answers questions about forging professional connections in-person and on LinkedIn.
A resume should communicate to employers that a candidate has what they are looking for by highlighting technical and soft skills.
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
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.
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. Casdatifan’s progression-free survival benefits could help differentiate it from Merck’s Welireg in the kidney cancer arena, according to analysts at Truist Securities.
  2. Ono picked up Romvimza—previously known by its active ingredient vimseltinib—from its $2.4 billion acquisition of Deciphera Pharmaceuticals in April 2024.
  3. The failure in adjuvant melanoma could cause BMS and Opdualag to miss out on a market opportunity that is nearly twice as large as its current approved indication, according to analysts.
  4. Amgen will continue to advance half of the combo, PRMT5 inhibitor AMG 193, for which it is running a mid-stage trial in MTAP-null advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
  5. In this episode, presented by the Genscript Biotech Global Forum 2025, BioSpace’s Head of Insights Lori Ellis and Tom Whitehead continue to discuss the patient and caregiver experience, where Tom gives his insights to the future of CGTs.
NEUROSCIENCE
  1. JPM25 is in full swing as several pharma powerhouses—including Merck, Lilly and Amgen—detail their strategies for growth in the coming year.
  2. The FDA accepted Biogen and Eisai’s BLA for a subcutaneous administration of the anti-amyloid antibody Monday as the partners await the regulator’s decision on a new intravenous regimen following an underwhelming launch riddled with coverage and accessibility barriers.
  3. Biogen’s proposed acquisition comes after two difficult years of regulatory and clinical challenges, during which shares of Sage Therapeutics have fallen by more than 90%.
  4. Among Intra-Cellular’s neuropsychiatric assets is Caplyta, a pill approved for schizophrenia and bipolar depression and proposed for major depressive disorder.
  5. Emraclidine was the centerpiece of AbbVie’s $8.7 billion acquisition of Cerevel in December 2023 but failed two mid-stage trials. Tavapadon, meanwhile, has been a more rewarding asset for the pharma, clearing three Phase III Parkinson’s studies in 2024.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
  1. Not exactly known for its dealmaking, Sarepta Therapeutics has thrown down a massive wad of cash to work with Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals on RNAi-based medicines.
  2. The cancers were diagnosed 19 to 92 months after Skysona treatment.
  3. Emboldened by technological advances and a deeper knowledge of glioblastoma, Merck, Kazia Therapeutics, CorriXR Therapeutics and others are targeting the often-fatal brain tumor.
  4. Despite the death, the FDA has allowed Neurogene to forge ahead with the Phase I/II Rett syndrome trial, but using only the lower 1E15 vg dose of its investigational gene therapy NGN-401.
  5. Novartis’ up to $1.1 billion acquisition of gene therapy specialist Kate Therapeutics fits with the pharma’s plan to expand its new modality pipeline to ensure long-term business sustainability.