There is no certainty that the buyout will come to pass, according to The Financial Times, which first reported the rumors.
From the price of forthcoming weight loss pill orforglipron, to Most Favored Nation drug pricing and the market battle with Novo Nordisk, pricing was the number one issue for Eli Lilly on its second quarter earnings call.
Higher competition for fewer roles remains the status quo for biopharma professionals, based on BioSpace data. Additionally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that recent job growth is lower than previously believed.
Strand Therapeutics’ lead asset is STX-001, an intra-tumor self-replicating mRNA therapy that carries a payload expressing the immunomodulatory protein IL-12.
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.
Sarepta did not hold an investor call for its second-quarter earnings report or provide an updated full-year revenue outlook.
FEATURED STORIES
The ongoing conflicts between Ukraine and Russia, as well as Israel and Palestine, have sent ripples across various industries, including pharma. Medical science liaisons can help.
Mirador debuted last year with a massive $400 million and the goal of developing game-changing therapies for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. The company aims to enter the clinic this year.
As obesity drug developers compete for the highest weight-loss efficacy, experts contend that overall health outcomes—evidenced by successful studies in therapeutic areas like cardiovascular and sleep apnea—may prove a greater market advantage.
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.
Facing declining valuations and funding challenges, public biotechs like bluebird bio are going private to restructure, reduce regulatory burdens and refocus on long-term growth.
Johnson & Johnson has been fighting thousands of lawsuits over its now-discontinued talc products for 16 years. A pending judge’s ruling could finally put the issue to bed once and for all.
LATEST PODCASTS
In this episode, the third and final conversation of our mini-series on diversity in clinical trials, Lori and guests discuss framing strategies designed to protect DEI initiatives from legal challenges.
Well-financed startup Tome is winding down operations just as two new companies, Borealis Biosciences and GondolaBio, are launching. Meanwhile, in the midst of already tense relations with China, House lawmakers raise the alarm about U.S. companies working with the country’s military on trials.
Last week, the Biden administration revealed the first drug prices negotiated under the Inflation Reduction Act; Lykos, Grail and others make substantial staffing cuts, and Pfizer/BioNTech see mixed results for their COVID/flu vaccine.
Job Trends
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, has opened a new clinical and commercial ultra-cold facility in the EU, expanding its clinical trial network in Europe to help accelerate the development of advanced therapies.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
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.
BioSpace data show biopharma professionals faced increased competition for fewer employment opportunities during the second quarter of 2025, with increased pressure from further layoffs.
DEALS
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Pfizer’s sudden market withdrawal of sickle cell therapy Oxbryta, which some analysts predicted would reach $750 million in sales by the end of the decade, has left patients and healthcare providers with few options, while investors question the pharma giant’s dealmaking prowess. -
ARCH Venture Partners is the latest venture capital firm to raise a multi-billion-dollar fund. The cash will be used to support new startups working with AI. -
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are expected to rule the obesity market for a few more years without much challenge. To ensure they stay there as competition enters, the companies are spending billions in licensing and M&A deals. -
Flagship Pioneering–backed Generate:Biomedicines has signed its second major Big Pharma partnership, bringing in $65 million upfront to use its AI platform to discover novel protein drug candidates. -
The drop in interest rate is slightly bigger than anticipated and good news for the biotech industry, but little will change in the near term.
WEIGHT LOSS
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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. -
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. -
Seeking Alpha analyst Terry Chrisomalis regards Viking Therapeutics as the most attractive M&A candidate in 2025, bolstered by its strong obesity candidate VK2735 and largely de-risked MASH therapy VK2809. -
Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1s outsell Eli Lilly’s thanks to its superior marketing. Here’s how. -
Eli Lilly’s request to intervene in a suit filed by compounding pharmacies against the FDA reflects a belief the outcome could affect its business and that the FDA does not adequately represent its interests.
POLICY
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With President Donald Trump expected to deliver a drug pricing order on Monday that Big Pharma and patient groups alike have railed against, the industry’s tumultuous ride is far from over. -
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. -
Yes, according to leading vaccine physician Paul Offit, who denounced the new placebo-controlled trial requirements for vaccines and sought greater clarity: “I don’t know what they’re talking about.” -
A new executive order from President Donald Trump aims to cut down the 5-to-10-year timeline to build new facilities while stepping up the rigor of inspections on foreign plants. -
Twenty attorneys general allege that the recent workforce reduction at the Department of Health and Human Services is unlawful and could have potentially irreversible consequences.
Sales and marketing roles in the life sciences field are in high demand. To help with your job search, we’ve compiled a guide to sales and marketing jobs in the life sciences industry.
With a swirl of rumors around the changes in ownership in the pharma industry, this invariably triggers reviews of business strategies. Because of this, wider skillsets from related sectors are needed.
Candice Richards, the Manager of Talent Acquisition at Kyowa Kirin North America, shed some light on what to expect from a pharma interview and how to effectively prepare.
BioSpace sat down with Gregg Burkhalter, a LinkedIn Expert, for a quick Q&A about the three most common LinkedIn mistakes and how they can affect your personal brand.
There are many reasons why you might want to negotiate your stock options. Read on to discover what stock options are and how to negotiate your stock options with your employer.
BioSpace sat down with Maritza Gamboa, the associate director of talent acquisition at Intellia Therapeutics, to find out how to identify and avoid scam job offers.
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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Merck’s Keytruda may be the most talked about drug facing loss of exclusivity but it’s far from the only one, as several of the industry’s top-performers are losing key market protections. Some companies are more prepared than others. -
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.
NEUROSCIENCE
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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.” -
Lykos Therapeutics is currently working out ways to fund an additional Phase III study for its MDMA-assisted PTSD therapy following an FDA setback last year. -
An OIG report zeroed in on what it said were three particularly problematic accelerated approvals: Biogen’s Aduhelm, Sarepta’s Exondys and Covis’ Makena.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Regenxbio is pushing its Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy into pivotal development, with a BLA planned for 2026—potentially posing a threat to Sarepta’s Elevidys. -
Neurogene’s shares fell by 36% as the market opened Monday morning following news that a patient experienced systemic hyperinflammatory syndrome in a Phase I/II clinical trial of Rett syndrome gene therapy NGN-401. -
Bluebird has just two quarters until it’s out of cash. Executives are looking for financing to extend that runway to a projected breakeven point before the end of 2025, with analysts worried they won’t make it. -
BMS has so far been on a winning streak in the contingent value right cases, which allege that the pharma intentionally delayed regulatory activities for Breyanzi in order to avoid a $6.4 billion payout to Celgene shareholders. -
Gilead’s layoffs include 72 employees at its Seattle location, which will close. Kite will shut down its Philadelphia facility. The layoffs are attributed to aligning resources with long-term strategic goals.
