No Patient Left Behind says that drug value assessments used in countries like Canada and Germany undervalue innovative medicines by 90% and mislead U.S. policymakers into thinking Americans are overpaying.
After multiple rounds of layoffs that cut Kronos down to just 10 people, the small molecule biotech has accepted a buyout offer from Kevin Tang’s Concentra Biosciences.
Some 20 travel staff at the FDA, who made arrangements for the regulator’s inspectors, will be getting their jobs back, as per the Associated Press. Some food scientists involved in testing will also be reinstated.
In an internal memo, the World Health Organization signaled its support for anti-obesity drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, which the agency decided against listing in 2023, the last time the Essential Medicines list was updated.
Like fellow Big Pharmas Eli Lilly and Johnson & Johnson, Amgen is urging the Trump administration to consider tax policy instead of tariffs to promote domestic pharma manufacturing.
Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks is confident that weight loss med Zepbound is gaining market share at the expense of Wegovy, even as its rival strikes deals with CVS and Hims & Hers pharmacies.
FEATURED STORIES
Akero Therapeutics, 89bio, Boston Pharmaceuticals and more are working to bring novel treatment options for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis to a market that could reach $16 billion by 2033.
While it’s not unusual for certain positions to turn over with a new administration, the number of senior-level FDA staffers who have recently left the agency is unprecedented. The lack of communication, transparency and human decency is as well.
Bo Wang is a renowned AI scientist at the University of Toronto. He’s bringing his open-source culture and computational biology to Xaira Therapeutics in June.
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 of Denatured, BioSpace’s Head of Insights Lori and guests from Teva Pharmaceuticals and TOWER Capital Group discuss how critical it is to incorporate women into leadership positions and board rooms as a sound investment strategy.
Trump fingers Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the HHS, lupus and ATTR-CM dominate headlines this week, bluebird bio has a cash gap to leap and RegenxBio eyes Sarepta in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
A tale of two multi-billion schizophrenia deals, AstraZeneca touts strong sales while deflecting questions about an investigation into China exec, the Huntington’s pipeline builds momentum and layoffs continue with Sana Biotechnology and 23andMe.
Job Trends
AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) announced today the acquisition of Celsius Therapeutics, Inc. (“Celsius”), a privately held biotechnology company pioneering new therapies for patients with inflammatory disease.
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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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Photys is eligible for up to $186 million from Novo Nordisk for its PHICS small molecules that pair a kinase to a disease-causing protein for phosphorylation. -
BioSpace Senior Editor Annalee Armstrong reflects on the year that was, and what’s to come in 2025. -
The Novo-Catalent deal now moving ahead highlights unprecedented investment in manufacturing, while also standing out as an exception to the unspoken rule of keeping M&As to less than $5 billion this year. -
Blackstone and Bain Capital are said to be among the final bidders for the Japanese company’s Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, sources told Reuters Friday. -
By far, the largest acquisition of 2024 was Novo Holdings’ yet-to-be-closed buyout of manufacturer Catalent at $16.5 billion. Outside of that, the leading pharmaceutical companies kept to less than $5 billion per deal.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Biopharma executives shared their thoughts on the potential impacts of the new administration; Annalee Armstrong recaps JPM and her talks with Biogen, Gilead, Novavax and more; Wegovy’s higher dose induces more weight loss; AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s Dato-DXd scores its first FDA approval.
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Computational research conducted by scientists from Washington University in St. Louis shows that GLP-1 agonists can have mental and cognitive health benefits but may also harm the kidneys and pancreas. -
As the year gets underway, analysts and biotech executives highlight cell therapy’s pivot from oncology to autoimmune diseases, a continued appetite for next-generation obesity drugs and an increased focus on neuromuscular, kidney and cardiovascular diseases. -
The data suggest the high dose nearly closes the efficacy gap with Zepbound. -
JPM25 is in full swing as several pharma powerhouses—including Merck, Lilly and Amgen—detail their strategies for growth in the coming year.
POLICY
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A group of medical experts expressed concern about growing “disinformation” and “misinformation,” calling for adherence to recommended vaccine schedules. -
Democratic senators from Georgia, Oregon, Maryland and New Mexico called the Trump administration’s decision to terminate hundreds of CDC staffers reckless and unfair. -
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. -
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. -
The recommendations were made in a closed session with representatives from CBER, the CDC and Department of Defense.
By incorporating soft skills in your resume, you showcase your ability to work well with others, which is important to employers.
It’s important to quit your job the right way so you can exit on a positive note, which could benefit you in the future.
The FTC’s final rule banning most new noncompetes should go into effect later this year, although it faces opposition from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
By understanding the different types of difficult bosses, you can shift your perspective and approach the situation from a less stressful, more effective angle.
Despite the benefits of hiring foreign-born STEM employees, some companies avoid it largely due to unfamiliarity with the visa process, according to two recruitment experts.
Plus, what to expect in a phone screen and how to handle an impending layoff.
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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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. -
Ono picked up Romvimza—previously known by its active ingredient vimseltinib—from its $2.4 billion acquisition of Deciphera Pharmaceuticals in April 2024. -
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. -
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. -
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
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Biogen’s effort to buy Sage reveals its “desire to expand its pipeline at a discount,” according to analysts from BMO Capital Markets. -
Boehringer Ingelheim’s trio of late-stage schizophrenia failures on Thursday came a day after the Department of Health and Human Services hit back on the pharma’s legal challenge to the IRA’s drug price negotiation program. -
AbbVie and Gilead are going back to their roots and leaning on their established areas of expertise to set themselves up for sustainable success in 2025. -
Amidst a “renaissance” of interest in neuropsychiatry, Seaport’s executive team is taking nothing for granted. -
J&J, GSK, Eli Lilly and others struck high-value transactions in the early days of biopharma’s annual kickoff conference. Meanwhile, Biogen proposes to acquire struggling neuro partner Sage, and obesity dominates discussions as Pfizer goes “all in.”
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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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. -
Sangamo is on course to run out of money within months and has now lost access to up to $220 million in milestone payments from Pfizer. -
The approval concludes what has been a difficult regulatory path for Ryoncil, which suffered FDA rejections in 2020 and 2023. -
Tenaya’s share slump following the TN-201 data drop could be due to its “significantly lower” level of RNA expression in the Phase Ib/II trial than in preclinical models, according to William Blair analysts. -
Bristol Myers Squibb aims to generate around $1.5 billion in savings through 2025—a goal that it hopes to reach by lowering third-party expenditures, focusing only on key growth brands and cutting some 2,200 jobs by year-end.
