Although the company withheld detailed findings from the study of treatment-resistant depression, analysts at Stifel called COMP360’s efficacy “more than good enough” for registrational purposes.
While BMO Capital Markets said that zimislecel is “highly encouraging” for type 1 diabetes, questions regarding its target population and Vertex’s execution hang over the cell therapy’s commercial potential.
Looking for a biopharma job in San Diego? Check out the BioSpace list of eight companies hiring life sciences professionals like you.
Analysts at William Blair say dapiglutide’s 11.6% weight reduction at 28 weeks could still be better, given that Zealand’s study predominantly included men and enrolled patients with lower BMI at baseline.
Harliku is the only FDA-approved drug for alkaptonuria, a rare condition characterized by skin discoloration, arthritis and heightened risks of heart failure and stroke.
Exemptions to new export control policies have allowed companies to ship patients’ biological materials to foreign laboratories, including those in China and other adversarial nations, according to the FDA.
FEATURED STORIES
The insights AI affords can potentially boost sustainability, but it’s unclear whether these gains outweigh the technology’s environmental cost.
Following a series of clinical failures, optimism builds for the first disease-modifying treatment.
Since taking the helm in 2023, Anderson has embarked on a radical departure from the traditional structure of large pharma companies. Will getting rid of management layers fix Bayer?
While biopharma professionals cited age discrimination as an issue in a new BioSpace report, it’s not the only factor affecting older and younger people’s job searches.
The weight-loss drug bonanza continued in the first quarter of 2024 for Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, as Amgen also posted strong results, while Biogen and BMS struggled early in the financial year.
Applications of the technology range from data collection to drug design to raising the alarm on product safety, but its adoption is also creating some anxiety.
LATEST PODCASTS
In this episode presented by PII, BioSpace’s head of insights discusses with guests Oliver Eden and Travis Webb how autoinjectors offer opportunities to improve delivery systems, patient compliance and clinical trial processes.
M&A headlined for a second straight week as Genmab acquired Merus for $8 billion; Pfizer strikes most-favored-nation deal with White House; CDER Director George Tidmarsh caused a stir with a now-deleted LinkedIn post; GSK CEO Emma Walmsley will step down from her role; and uniQure’s gene therapy offers new hope for patients with Huntington’s disease.
The FDA is hoping to repurpose GSK’s Wellcovorin for cerebral folate deficiency; Pfizer acquired fast-moving weight-loss startup Metsera for nearly $5 billion after suffering a hat trick of R&D failures; psychedelics are primed for M&A action and Eli Lilly may be next in line; RFK Jr.’s revamped CDC advisory committee met last week with confounding results; and Stealth secured its Barth approval.
Job Trends
Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, has entered into a multi-year agreement with the Vector Institute in Toronto, an independent not-for-profit corporation dedicated to advancing the field of artificial intelligence (AI) through world-class research.
Subscribe to Genepool
Subscribe to BioSpace’s flagship publication including top headlines, special editions and life sciences’ most important breaking news
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
-
Merck finalized the acquisition of immune-focused Prometheus Biosciences for approximately $10.8 billion, picking up mid-stage ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s asset. -
BioNTech will pay Shanghai-based Duality Biologics $170 million upfront for rights to two of its topoisomerase-1 inhibitor-based antibody drug conjugates. -
There have already been several big biotech licensing deals in Q1. See inside for some of this quarter’s biggest licensing deals — from the surprising and pivotal to the lucrative and consequential. -
Jounce Therapeutics has received an unsolicited and non-binding acquisition proposal from Concentra Biosciences, looking to buy 100% of Jounce’s equity at a per-share price of $1.80 in cash. -
The SVB failure appears to have been caused by an underwritten public offering to raise $2.25 billion to cover security losses announced during SVB’s Q1 2023 mid-quarter update.
WEIGHT LOSS
-
A GLP-1-based drug from Structure Therapeutics shows clinical promise but not enough for some on Wall Street. -
The study found only 19% of nearly 2,000 patients were still taking their prescribed anti-obesity medication at 12 months, compared to 40% that continued with Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy. -
This week we discuss ups and downs in the weight loss and ADC markets - including Altimmune, Pfizer setbacks, AbbVie’s ImmunoGen buy and more. -
The acquisition will give Roche access to Carmot’s clinical portfolio of three GLP-1 receptor agonists, placing it squarely in the middle of the competition to treat overweight and obesity. -
AbbVie’s $10.1 billion ImmunoGen buy and Altimmune’s Phase II win demonstrate that the antibody-drug conjugate market is red hot in cancer and GLP-1 drugs for weight loss are an absolute craze.
POLICY
-
A federal judge ruled last week that the U.S. government can use its economic standing as a bulk purchaser to negotiate for better deals, handing Boehringer Ingelheim a loss in its legal challenge to the Inflation Reduction Act. -
President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders in a Tuesday op-ed in USA Today called on Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to “stop ripping off Americans” with “unconscionably high prices” for their GLP-1 medicines. -
Despite an uncertain legislative path to becoming law, the BIOSECURE Act has already impacted the biopharma industry’s confidence in Chinese service providers and prompted efforts to diversify manufacturing partners. -
As congressional pressure increases on WuXi AppTec and other China-based companies over alleged ties to the Chinese government, India’s contract development and manufacturing organization sector could benefit. -
This week on Denatured, Head of Insights Lori Ellis and guests discuss the implications of not addressing the DE&I data gaps for the future.
For young people looking to find a career path, the pharmaceutical industry is a good one to go into, especially if salary is a major concern.
As a valued member of our BioSpace community, we are eager to hear more from you and other readers in 2019. We want to know your ‘right opportunity’ to consider a new job.
We interviewed Gaius Augustus, a PhD candidate at the University of Arizona, who is a participant in their Cancer Biology Graduate Interdisciplinary Program. He is also a bioinformatician, who regularly incorporates epidemiological data into his work.
We all have stress, but sometimes the pressures of work tend to leach into other areas of our lives. This can cause an upheaval in your entire existence and may leave you feeling on-edge at the office and detached at home.
Are you fascinated with microbiology? Have you ever thought about how to integrate your passion for research and entrepreneurship? The field of microbiology is expanding and being significantly impacted by advancements in technology.
According to a recent BioSpace survey, 93% of respondents are open to a new job for the right opportunity. Are you one of the 93%? If so, keep your eyes open for those opportunities and don’t stop looking. You never know what may come your way!
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
-
The FDA will close out April with five target action dates around indications that include pediatric seizures and a neurological cancer in children. -
As its lead oral targeted protein degrader moves through Phase III in partnership with Pfizer, Arvinas signs a licensing deal handing over all rights and responsibilities to Novartis. -
Roche said Monday that its bispecific T cell engager Columvi improved survival in a Phase III lymphoma trial, clearing the drugmaker to seek a full, expanded label that could drive sales growth.
-
Data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting sparked hope that we could be getting closer to treating pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma and other particularly difficult tumors. -
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.
NEUROSCIENCE
-
Following the FDA’s full approval of the Alzheimer’s drug Thursday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services confirmed broader coverage of Leqembi and released more details on a registry. -
Thursday, Eisai and Biogen’s Leqembi also became the first disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s to win traditional approval. CMS coverage is expected to begin immediately. -
After a series of milestone approvals in the first half of 2023, the FDA is slated to decide on four more firsts before the year’s end. -
After an FDA advisory committee unanimously recommended Leqembi’s full approval, questions linger around amyloid-related imaging abnormalities and a potentially cumbersome patient registry. -
Neurologist David Weisman, with financial ties to the companies, was removed from the FDA’s upcoming advisory committee meeting slated to consider Leqembi’s traditional approval.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
-
Rocket Pharmaceuticals’ strategic realignment initiative in July pulled funding from fanca-cel, which the biotech was developing for Fanconi anemia. -
The centerpiece of the collaboration is the gene editor ABO-101, being developed for primary hyperoxaluria type 1, a rare disease that leads to severe kidney stones. -
As industry leaders gather at the annual event in Phoenix, the cell and gene therapy space remains in a state of flux, with M&A activity and regulatory support signaling momentum while commercialization challenges continue to hinder broader investor interest. -
Smarter design through targeted delivery and human-relevant testing can save the industry from costly safety failures. -
Following up on previous, dimly received issuances, a new set of ideas published by the FDA to streamline regulatory pathways for cell and gene therapies ‘for small populations’ is receiving a warmer welcome—but experts warn it will take more to turn the tide for the fraught therapeutic space.
