Jefferies analysts said on Tuesday that Ventyx could leverage its mid-stage data for VTX3232 to position the oral drug candidate as a treatment for other neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s.
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.
Venclexta, when combined with azacitidine, elicited an overall survival benefit below 10% in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.
District Judge William Young, a nominee of Republican President Ronald Reagan, blasted the Trump administration’s NIH cuts as discriminatory and “bearing down on people of color because of their color.”
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s actions in recent months have raised concerns that he is taking a heavy-handed and unilateral approach to vaccine policy in the U.S.
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.
FEATURED STORIES
In this special report, BioSpace examines how the biopharma industry is grappling with impending consequences of the Inflation Reduction Act.
LATEST PODCASTS
The U.S. government remains shut down, with the FDA closed for new drug applications until further notice; cell and gene therapy leaders gather for the annual meeting in Phoenix with the field in a state of flux; Pfizer and Amgen will make drugs available at a discount as President Donald Trump’s tariffs still loom; and new regulatory documents show how Pfizer beat out the competition for Metsera.
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.
Job Trends
Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. announced that interim results from the Phase 1 portion of the Phase 1/2 study of NTLA-2002 were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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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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If the letter of intent to acquire your company has been signed, you might be asking what happens next. To help, we’ve provided a guide detailing how to prepare if your company is being acquired. -
Stay on top of what’s happening at JPM. BioSpace is covering all the key announcements all week. -
In a presentation led by Robert J. Bradway, Amgen chairman and chief executive officer, the company covered recent acquisitions, Repatha and Lumakras updates, biosimilars and its broader financial outlook. -
Stay on top of what’s happening at JPM. BioSpace is covering all the key announcements all week. -
Tuesday, AbbVie partnered with Anima Biotech to discover and develop mRNA modulators in a collaboration of up to $582 million. The partnership will focus on three oncology and immunology targets.
WEIGHT LOSS
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The U.S. government remains shut down, with the FDA closed for new drug applications until further notice; cell and gene therapy leaders gather for the annual meeting in Phoenix with the field in a state of flux; Pfizer and Amgen will make drugs available at a discount as President Donald Trump’s tariffs still loom; and new regulatory documents show how Pfizer beat out the competition for Metsera. -
Skye Bioscience’s nimacimab fell short of investor and company expectations, but showed encouraging weight-loss results when combined with Wegovy, according to analysts at William Blair. -
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.
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MET-097i’s mid-stage performance “bodes well” for Pfizer’s proposed buyout of Metsera, according to BMO Capital Markets, a deal centered heavily on the investigational GLP-1 drug. -
The decision to stop the Phase IIb study was driven by “strategic business reasons,” according to a federal clinical trials database.
POLICY
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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 pharma industry is staring down the barrel of a widespread loss of exclusivity, with more than 190 products going off-patent between 2022 and 2030. Here are some strategies company are employing to manage the drop in revenue. -
PTC Therapeutics said Thursday the FDA has lifted a partial clinical hold on its Huntington’s disease candidate PTC518 after displaying favorable clinical trends in a mid-stage study. -
Eli Lilly on Thursday said it is again suing spas and clinics over compounded and counterfeit forms of tirzepatide, the active ingredient in blockbusters Mounjaro and Zepbound, which the pharma says can cause harmful side effects. -
The Federal Trade Commission is supporting the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s proposed new rules requiring parties to a patent dispute to disclose all settlement agreements, including pharmaceutical drug settlements.
Do you think you’re a good fit for a job? And want to demonstrate your capabilities but are unable to do that? Well here’s how you can do that effectively.
Being fired, while discouraging in the moment, is not a career killer. In fact, sometimes the jolt of getting that proverbial “pink slip” can actually inspire you take stock of your wider career path and goals as you put yourself back on the job market.
Perhaps you sense something just isn’t quite right, but you’re not sure what. Or, maybe you have a pretty good idea that your organization is slimming down and your role will be one of the first ones to go.
Final round interviews can be difficult, especially for those working in a competitive field. To help, here are five impressive final-round interview questions for life science professionals.
In essence, a good interview often comes down to “likeability” and if you’re able to establish a friendly rapport with the interviewer(s). Keep these 5 highly effective rapport-building techniques in mind as you interview.
An new innovative approach to the job interview, and one that could catch on in industries outside of tech.
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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Drugmakers are testing a variety of biologics and small molecules in conjunction with therapies aimed at modulating the immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. -
Keytruda, when used with AstraZeneca’s Lynparza, did not significantly improve overall and progression-free survival in specific patients with metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. -
Bristol Myers Squibb secured another late-phase immuno-oncology victory Wednesday, showing that the combination of Opdivo and Yervoy improved overall survival in a patient population served by rival checkpoint inhibitors from AstraZeneca and Roche. -
Following in the footsteps of Bristol Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca on Tuesday jumped into the radiopharmaceuticals space by acquiring Fusion Pharmaceuticals in a deal worth $2.4 billion. -
The Chinese biotechs are broadening their collaboration. Hansoh Pharma is licensing Biotheus’ anti-EGFR/cMet bispecific antibody to develop antibody-drug conjugates.
NEUROSCIENCE
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The FDA issued a complete response letter Thursday refusing accelerated approval for Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s disease candidate donanemab. -
The neurodegenerative drug development space saw incremental victories in 2022. Leaders from Eisai, Voyager and QurAlis discuss upcoming milestones. -
The FDA approved Eisai and Biogen’s lecanemab (Leqembi) Friday afternoon. It is the second anti-amyloid antibody to be approved for Alzheimer’s disease in two years. -
A letter published Wednesday in the NEJM links a stroke patient’s death to lecanemab. Eisai investigators respond. -
Two documents recently came to light: first, the results of a congressional investigation into the approval of Aduhelm; second, a revised clinical trial consent form for lecanemab.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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The $48 million award, granted through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, will help Kernal take its in vivo mRNA-encoded CAR T therapy forward. -
Takeda wanted to create something new in the cell therapy world by combining the technology with T cell engagers. A series of acquisitions in 2021 started the process. -
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.
