Lundbeck had tried to scoop the narcolepsy drug maker out from under Alkeremes with $2.4 billion, but Avadel has elected to go with its original suitor.
Merck has made a $9.2 billion play for Cidara, and there’s another bidding war afoot, this one for sleep biotech Avadel. Meanwhile, Rick Pazdur has taken the helm at CDER while tensions run high between FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and Health Secretary RFK Jr.
The FDA approval of the siRNA drug Redemplo caps off a tumultuous 12 months for Arrowhead, whose partnership with Sarepta caused its own stock to drop during the gene therapy maker’s safety troubles this summer.
Winrevair yielded significant and meaningful clinical benefits for patients with combined post- and precapillary pulmonary hypertension, an indication that, according to BMO Capital Markets, has few treatment options.
Only one clinical-stage asset from the ProfoundBio acquisition remains in development: The antibody-drug conjugate Rina-S, in late-stage studies for ovarian and endometrial cancer.
Nxera, which formerly went by Sosei, will also reprioritize its pipeline to focus on obesity, metabolic and endocrine diseases.
FEATURED STORIES
The patient-specific nature of autologous cell therapies presents unique challenges that can best be addressed by a middle path between on-site and centralized manufacturing.
Some observers see risks to becoming over-reliant on local facilities, noting the potential need for trade partners if domestic production is disrupted.
After decades without much movement, a handful of new treatments for this rare autoimmune disease are now approved, and several companies, including argenx and Regeneron, have recently released promising late-stage trial results.
While Eli Lilly’s orforglipron is top of mind heading into the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting this week, experts told BioSpace the conference will also provide important insights into the therapeutic benefits of incretin therapies beyond weight loss.
On the FDA’s docket for the back half of September is Merck’s proposed subcutaneous formulation of its blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda.
As Novo Nordisk cuts 9,000 people from its organization in a restructuring effort, BioSpace looks back on the Danish pharma company’s rise.
LATEST PODCASTS
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. removes the COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for healthy kids and pregnant women—the latest in a string of changes to vaccine policies; judge issues an order to halt HHS’ reorganization and mass layoff plans; Rocket Pharmaceuticals’ pivotal Danon disease trial is on hold after a patient death; and President Trump has named Mehmet Oz to spearhead his Most Favored Nation drug pricing policy.
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.
Job Trends
Facing financial challenges, IN8bio is looking to preserve cash resources through a pipeline prioritization and layoffs at its New York City and Birmingham, Alabama, sites.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
In this deep dive, BioSpace investigates China’s rise as a biotech powerhouse.
In this deep dive, BioSpace explores the next big thing in obesity.
BioSpace did a deep dive into biopharma female executives who navigated difficult markets to lead their companies to high-value exits.
DEALS
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The pending deal was rumored overnight after a report from the Financial Times, spurring analysts to speculate that if true, the entire gene editing space would see a boost at the markets. -
Big Pharma executives have not been shy about their desire for deals, but companies have been battling macro headwinds alongside Trump’s policies on drug pricing and tariff threats. -
At a satellite kickoff event to the annual BIO meeting, investment bankers and VCs gave reasons for optimism amid a ‘volatile’ period for the industry. -
Stifel analysts said the deal “feels like an unremarkable outcome for a company that was once one of the hottest stories in CNS.” Supernus’ offer beats Biogen’s unsolicited bid of about $7.22 per share, which arrived with a thud in late January. -
BioNTech will get CureVac’s early-stage cancer assets, including its mRNA-based glioblastoma therapy currently in Phase I development. CureVac had previously sued BioNTech for copyright infringement related to mRNA vaccine technology.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Eli Lilly’s orforglipron cut body weight to a lesser extent than rival Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, falling into analysts’ bear scenario for the oral med. Executives brushed off the concerns and said the drug will still have a wide advantage on the market. -
Terns, once a rising star in obesity and the MASH space, will refocus on cancer and partner out a handful of obesity assets. -
Maziar Mike Doustdar, who was named as Novo Nordisk’s new CEO last week, spoke on a second quarter earnings call of reallocating resources to the company’s “main core” of metabolic disease. -
George Tidmarsh takes over temporarily at CBER following Vinay Prasad’s abrupt departure; Replimmune trial leaders protest rejection reportedly driven by FDA’s top cancer regulator Richard Pazdur; Merck’s $3 billion savings push claims 6,000 jobs; and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla addresses President Donald Trump’s new threats around Most Favored Nation drug pricing. -
Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services scrapped a previous proposal, from the Biden administration, to include anti-obesity medications in Medicare Part D coverage.
POLICY
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The move comes after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received pressure from the Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine non-profit that he co-founded, which last month sued him over his failure to run the “statutorily required Task Force on childhood vaccine,” according to the lawsuit. -
The Department of Health and Human Services’ mRNA pullback only applies to their use in upper respiratory disease, according to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. -
As Trump has pressured drugmakers to lower the cost of medicines in the U.S., the pharma industry has coalesced behind a message of rebalancing what nations pay to better reflect the innovation and value of drugmaking. -
The HHS secretary recently canceled $500 million worth of BARDA contracts around mRNA vaccine research. But the U.S. government has already spent billions on this work, which has saved millions of lives. -
Citing other priorities—such as the upcoming U.S.-Russia summit—four anonymous sources claim that pharma tariffs could still be weeks away, according to Reuters.
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.
Employees worried about layoffs can practice self-care, use employer resources and contact a mental health professional, if needed.
The first Bioversity cohort includes several graduates placed at Massachusetts life sciences companies.
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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In this episode presented by Eclipsebio, BioSpace’s head of insights Lori Ellis continues the discussion on mRNA and srRNA with Andy Geall of Replicate Bioscience and Alliance for mRNA Medicines and Pad Chivukula of Arcturus Therapeutics. -
Roche and Genentech were unable to sufficiently demonstrate the benefit of using Columvi in an earlier treatment setting for DLBCL in a U.S. population, according to the FDA. -
The panelists flagged safety concerns with Blenrep and GSK’s failure to optimize its dosing regimen for the antibody-drug conjugate in multiple myeloma. -
Johnson & Johnson’s $23.7 billion in second-quarter earnings, driven by cancer and neuroscience drugs, exceeded analyst expectations, while CEO Joaquin Duato set a target of $50 billion in oncology sales by 2030. -
In advance of this week’s adcomm, the FDA flags ocular toxicities associated with the antibody-drug conjugate, which received accelerated approval in August 2020 but was pulled from the market two years later after a confirmatory trial failed to improve progression-free survival.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Long-term data presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference show Leqembi can help patients stay in the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s disease as compared to the condition’s natural progression. -
Sarepta’s Elevidys is back on the market for ambulatory patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly plans to dissolve the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and “fix” the vaccine injury compensation program, Merck, AstraZeneca and more report Q2 earnings, Novo names a new leader and Roche’s trontinemab impresses at AAIC25.
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In a Phase Ib/IIa trial, 91% of patients receiving the highest dose of trontinemab were amyloid negative after seven months of treatment, representing what B. Riley Securities called a “paradigm shift” to first-generation FDA-approved antibodies. -
Despite the failure of its Recognify-partnered inidascamine, Jefferies analysts do not expect a definitively negative stock impact on atai, given the company’s promising psychedelic pipeline. -
Acknowledging the limits of disease-modifying drugs like Leqembi and Kisunla, companies like Bristol Myers Squibb, Acadia, Otsuka and Lundbeck are renewing a decades-old search for symptomatic treatments, including in high-profile drugs like Cobenfy.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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The deal marks an end for CAR T company Cargo Therapeutics, which has been slashing its workforce and cutting programs since the January decision to halt its lead candidate for a certain type of aggressive large B cell lymphoma. -
The high court sides with HHS on HIV PrEP drugs; Health Secretary RFK Jr.’s newly appointed CDC vaccine advisors discuss thimerosal in flu vaccines, skip vote on Moderna’s mRNA-based RSV vaccine; FDA removes CAR T guardrails; AbbVie snaps up Capstan for $1.2B to end first half; and psychedelics take off again with data from Compass and Beckley.
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Cell and gene therapy leaders say the agency’s decision to remove the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies that had been attached to approved CAR T cancer therapies reflects “thoughtful consideration of real-world evidence” and “regulatory trust.” -
The pivotal trial for Neurogene’s Rett syndrome gene therapy makes use of baseline controls and a rigorous endpoint that could help ensure a broader label for the drug product, if approved, according to analysts. -
The all-cash buyout, which gives AbbVie access to Capstan Therapeutics’ in vivo edited CAR T therapy for B cell–mediated autoimmune diseases, adds to a growing sense of momentum in M&A, according to BMO Capital Markets.
