The move has sparked concern that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force could soon be dismissed after a decision by the high court affirmed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s power to remove its members at will.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will work with Gilead and other private backers to ensure the HIV preventive Yeztugo, approved last month by the FDA, is available in low- and middle-income countries, concurrent with high-income nations.
The number of employees laid off and companies letting people go increased year over year during the first half of 2025. BioSpace recaps the five largest layoff rounds, including cuts at Bayer, BMS and Teva.
Nuclidium’s radiopharmaceutical platform is unique in its use of copper-based payloads, which the biotech claims can deliver higher doses while also being safer.
The deal gives AstraZeneca’s rare disease unit Alexion access to specialized capsids developed by the Japanese biotech JCR Pharmaceuticals for use in up to five of Alexion’s gene therapies.
In the second biggest acquisition of the year, Merck gains the commercial COPD drug Ohtuvayre, which could help offset the loss of revenue when Keytruda’s patent expires later this decade.
FEATURED STORIES
Projected to be worth over $38 billion in the global healthcare market by 2032, AI simulations have the potential to streamline clinical trials and help address inequities in underserved patient populations.
Emboldened by technological advances and a deeper knowledge of glioblastoma, Merck, Kazia Therapeutics, CorriXR Therapeutics and others are targeting the often-fatal brain tumor.
Eli Lilly topped the list of the 20 biggest pharmas by market cap with a more than 39% improvement year-to-date in its share price. Other companies have not been so lucky.
Currently, Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound (tirzepatide) are not on the FDA’s shortage list but compounded pharmacies are still making them. That’s unprecedented.
Sage Therapeutics discontinued development of its lead candidate dalzanemdor after a third clinical failure, leading analysts to question the biotech’s future profitability.
ADC Therapeutics, Sutro Biopharma and Zai Lab are among those developing antibody-drug conjugates to address payload and toxicity challenges of current ADCs—and rapidly grow the multibillion-dollar market.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
The 2025 Bioprocessing Summit revealed knowledge gaps and changing mindsets. As some companies look towards the future, others struggle with the present and past.
LATEST PODCASTS
This week Lori, Greg and Tyler discuss AbbVie: how longtime CEO Richard Gonzalez navigated Humira’s LOE, his victorious retirement announcement, and the future of biosimilars.
This week Lori, Greg and Tyler discuss the Accelerated Approval of Amtagvi, the first one-time cell therapy for solid tumors and the first TIL therapy; the FTC and HHS probe into generic drug shortages and some recent ADC-focused raises from ProfoundBio and Firefly Bio.
This week, Greg, Heather and Tyler discuss reaction to Novo Nordisk’s purchase of Catalent and speculate on what that means for existing manufacturing contracts, customers and consequences with regulators.
Job Trends
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in cellular metabolism and PK activation pioneering therapies for rare diseases, reported business highlights and financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
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.
BioSpace did a deep dive into executive pay, examining the highest compensation packages, pay ratios and golden parachutes—what a CEO would get paid to leave.
DEALS
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CEO Hervé Hoppenot said Tuesday on an investor call that Escient Pharmaceuticals’ two lead assets “address large populations with a clear medical need” with a potential multibillion-dollar market opportunity. -
Novartis on Thursday announced that it is making $150 million in upfront payments to protein degradation biotech Arvinas, while separately revealing that its tender offer for MorphoSys has begun. -
Vertex Pharmaceuticals on Wednesday announced it is acquiring clinical-stage immunotherapy company Alpine Immune Sciences for $4.9 billion in cash, the largest acquisition so far this year. -
AbbVie’s $10.1 billion takeover of ImmunoGen paces the cancer sector in early 2024, as ADCs and radiopharmaceuticals remain hot. -
As the antibody-drug conjugate space continues to heat up, Merck has acquired preclinical startup Abceutics—spun out of the University at Buffalo—and its novel platform that aims to make ADC therapeutics safer.
WEIGHT LOSS
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BioAge will use the proceeds from the initial public offering to move its oral apelin receptor agonist azelaprag past its Phase III STRIDES study and into a registrational Phase III trial. -
Eli Lilly offers weight loss drug Zepbound directly to consumers while Novo Nordisk continues to struggle with supply challenges for its own GLP-1s. Meanwhile, gene therapies for retinal diseases target competitive market, and layoffs persist. -
Novo Nordisk’s continuing supply problems for semaglutide come as the pharma tries to expand the drug’s indication, opening it up to more patients—and potentially to heavier production pressures. -
Eli Lilly this week announced plans to sell single-dose vials of its weight loss drug Zepbound directly to consumers. Novo Nordisk could adopt a similar strategy for Wegovy as its CEO is set to testify Sept. 24 before the Senate health committee.
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Siding With Novo and Lilly, Court Agrees to First Tackle ‘Cross Cutting Issues’ in GLP-1 LitigationsIn agreeing with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, Pennsylvania judge Karen Spencer Marston said the court should first settle questions of gastroparesis diagnosis and sufficient warnings for side effects.
POLICY
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The hammer came down on an unspecified number of FDA employees this weekend, days after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as HHS Secretary. -
Continuing our SCOPE 2025 coverage, Rohit Nambisan, CEO at Lokavant addresses not only current challenges, but the life sciences industry’s responsibility to maintain scientific integrity. -
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—whose history of anti-vaccine rhetoric has had the healthcare and biopharma industries on edge—was confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary in a Senate vote along party lines. -
Senator Bill Cassidy voted with fellow Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday morning to move forward the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for HHS secretary. -
Amid growing concern of the overuse and misuse of obesity drugs, the UK’s pharmacies regulator rolled out stricter guidelines for online pharmacies selling medicines including Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro.
Are you feeling that your productivity is decreasing at work? Here are some beneficial time management strategies to be mindful of to get work done efficiently.
Here are some of the best remote companies to work for this year. These companies can provide you with the right kind of exposure that will help you professionally.
What are the benefits of becoming a remote worker? Let’s explore together.
If you’re considering preparing for your next interview, know that you need to learn the art of drafting a perfect cover letter to show that you’re a great match for the position.
BioSpace recently interviewed Elizabeth Elting, founder and CEO of the Elizabeth Elting Foundation, to discuss her thoughts on how the pandemic has affected women in the workforce.
A well-designed career development program provides the right guidance and training for workers to improve their professional careers.
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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At the conference, AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo will present their case for Dato-DXd in NSCLC, while BioNTech and Merus will reveal promising mid-stage data for their respective cancer candidates. -
Truqap’s positive clinical data comes after it failed a late-stage study in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. It helps AstraZeneca position itself as a top player in the prostate cancer space, alongside its Big Pharma colleagues. -
The agreement will give Kura enough capital to support the development and launch of its menin inhibitor ziftomenib. -
Analysts are split on whether the positive trial results will help Merck stem future Keytruda losses as the mega-blockbuster goes off patent in 2028. -
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.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Results from TEMPO-1, which showed that tavapadon significantly improved motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease, will help AbbVie as it builds a regulatory case for the D1/D5 dopamine receptor agonist. -
Despite the settlement, the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday sued Cassava Sciences in the Western District Court of Texas, claiming that the company misled investors regarding the Phase IIb performance of its Alzheimer’s disease drug candidate. -
New research has found that MS patients treated with anti-CD20 antibodies, such as Roche’s Ocrevus, do not experience significantly slower progression of disability. -
New revelations from the showdown between Novo Nordisk’s CEO and Bernie Sanders’ Senate health committee Tuesday; PhRMA’s legal victory in IRA case; the federal interest rate cut and anticipated approval for schizophrenia.
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The FDA previously refused to review Biohaven’s candidate in the indication due to a failed late-stage trial. However, the company is now planning to file an NDA in the fourth quarter of 2024.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Exsilio Therapeutics emerged from stealth on Tuesday with a platform that leverages mRNA technology to develop redosable genomic medicines for a range of complex diseases. -
While Thursday’s label expansion and traditional approval for the gene therapy is an important milestone, many challenges still face the Duchenne muscular dystrophy community. -
On the heels of a Phase III flop for Pfizer’s Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy candidate, the FDA has green lighted the expanded use of Sarepta Therapeutics’ Elevidys. -
The next six months for the FDA are primed to be as groundbreaking as the first six, with Eli Lilly’s donanemab and Lykos Therapeutics’ MDMA-assisted PTSD therapy on the docket, among others. -
The FDA is facing four big target action dates in the final week of June, including one label expansion for a bispecific antibody and another for an investigational gene therapy.
