In an interview with German-language outlet Neue Zuercher Zeitung, Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan said the company is exploring ways to remove or minimize the drug price gap between the U.S. and its other markets in similarly developed countries.
For the last two years, Keytruda has reigned as the world’s top-selling drug—a distinction under threat with key patent protections expiring in 2028.
Bluebird bio has re-emerged after a private equity buyout as Genetix Biotherapeutics, marking a return to its roots and a new path forward for manufacturing.
BMO Capital Markets analysts said the first day of the CDC vaccine advisory committee meeting Thursday had anti-vaccine overtones as the panel, which was revamped by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in June, voted to recommend that children under four receive the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine separately from a chickenpox vaccine. Today the advisors will vote on changing the childhood schedule for the hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccines.
Investors had been “holding out hope” that there remained a regulatory path forward for RP1, but results of Replimune’s Type A meeting with the FDA do not appear to support this, according to BMO Capital Markets.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has cleared proposed legislation that could bring back the FDA’s rare pediatric priority review voucher program, which allows for expedited drug reviews.
FEATURED STORIES
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.
With the recently announced layoffs of 3,500 FDA staffers and exits of branch directors Patrizia Cavazzoni and Peter Marks, there could be a wealth of talent available to biopharma companies. Does this pose an ethical quandary? It depends on who you ask.
While Novartis and Bayer got there first, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly are all vying to bring their radiopharmaceutical assets to a market projected to be worth over $13 billion by 2033.
Several companies will head to the FDA seeking approval of new Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatments next year but the death of a patient taking Sarepta’s Elevidys raises important safety questions.
Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are in a global battle for dominance in the weight loss space. BioSpace takes a look at the territory covered and what’s to come.
With crucial lessons learned from the manufacturing shortages of injectable GLP-1s, experts say securing adequate supply of the upcoming oral options will be the sector’s next great challenge.
LATEST PODCASTS
Lykos Therapeutics will ask the FDA to reconsider its rejection of the company’s MDMA-assisted PTSD therapy, Pfizer scores positive Phase III results for its RSV vaccine, a roundup of Q2 earnings season and more.
With U.S. election season now in full swing, BioSpace looks at pharmaceutical-associated campaign contributions. Plus, Q2 earnings, Adaptimmune’s big approval, an anticipated FDA decision on an MDMA-assisted treatment and more.
In this episode, Lori and guests discuss the pursuit of adequate representation and how clinical trials are being shaped by the legal environment they operate within.
Job Trends
Topline overall survival results from the TROPION-Lung01 phase 3 trial, which previously met the dual primary endpoint of progression-free survival, numerically favored datopotamab deruxtecan compared to docetaxel in the overall trial population of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer treated with at least one prior line of therapy.
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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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On the heels of Keytruda’s success in a Phase III perioperative trial for a disease where it had previously failed to improve event-free survival, Merck touts an I&I deal with UK biotech Mestag. -
As traditional fundraising methods falter for smaller firms, the rise of royalty deals is reshaping how companies access capital, offering an alternative that bypasses equity dilution and debt. -
The acquisition was featured Monday in Roche’s Pharma Day presentation, which also included projections of more than $3 billion in annual sales from three early-stage obesity and diabetes drugs. -
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.
WEIGHT LOSS
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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. -
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.
POLICY
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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. -
The new policy, revealed by the Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday, would make vaccines “less available and less affordable,” according to vaccine expert Paul Offit. It could also further complicate the picture for companies like Novavax. -
When it comes to vaccination, the COVID-19 pandemic divided American society. President Donald Trump and his new Health and Human Services secretary are bringing down the hammer. What happens when there is no middle ground? -
Policy uncertainties are impacting biopharma dealmaking from continent to continent, with companies being asked to walk a tightrope on their relations with China. -
Nevertheless, Albert Bourla has been lobbying the U.S. government—as high as President Donald Trump himself—to skip the pharmaceutical industry tariffs, which Trump has threatened, in part as a way to shore up U.S. national security.
Learn the best tips, tricks, and practices to help yourself to get the first job after college life sciences industry right out of college in our comprehensive guide.
Discover the most in-demand pharma qualifications and how to use them to score your dream job in our comprehensive guide.
Instead of going through pharma job search websites, you should create a powerful LinkedIn profile. Check out Biospace to find out the benefits of having a strong LinkedIn Profile.
Despite the massive financing from venture capitalists that poured into Massachusetts in 2021, Bay State biopharma companies are struggling to find enough talent to fill the number of available jobs.
The use of body language during interview can ensure a good impression. Kinesics includes the use of posture, facial expression, movement, and gestures to communicate nonverbally.
With more and more people applying for remote positions, how can you stand out among the massive stacks of applications?
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 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. -
Leaked data showed that Pfizer’s mevrometostat has strong therapeutic potential in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, while recent readouts also position the pharma as a strong contender in colorectal cancer and bladder cancer. -
The pharma giant inked its third T cell engager deal of 2025 Wednesday—this time with Xilio Therapeutics for tumor-activated immunotherapies. -
The partnership dates back to 2015, when Incyte paid $60 million upfront for access to four checkpoint programs, including TIM-3, LAG-3, OX40 and GITR. -
Gilead beat consensus estimates in Q4 with $7.6 billion in revenue, driven largely by its HIV drug Biktarvy and CAR T therapies Trodelvy and Yescarta.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Among the 55 novel drugs that crossed the regulatory finish line last year were notable new mechanisms of action, coming particularly in the oncology and neurosciences spaces. -
Misses from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis hopefuls Denali Therapeutics and partners AbbVie and Calico Life Sciences mark the latest setbacks for the controversial platform trial, the results from which have largely mirrored the dismal success rate in ALS overall. -
Backed by ARCH Venture Partners, F-Prime Capital and Mubadala Capital, the new company will develop a pipeline of brain-penetrant small molecules to address inflammation, metabolic dysfunction and restoring lysosomal function. -
Denali’s failure on Monday continues biopharma’s losing streak against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. PTC Therapeutics and Amylyx have seen similarly disappointing results. -
Effectively treating and preventing this common form of dementia will require a cocktail of drugs and a combination of approaches, as well as a drive toward early detection.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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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. -
Investigational CAR T therapies stole the spotlight at the American College of Rheumatology Convergence as data presented by Bristol Myers Squibb, Kyverna Therapeutics and more highlighted their potential to effectively treat lupus. -
After failing to receive the RMAT designation from the FDA for its early-stage Batten disease gene therapy, Neurogene tells investors that it’s evaluating options for the program. -
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.
