In the wake of multiple patient deaths from liver injuries related to Sarepta Therapeutics’ AAV gene therapy platform, some in the sector are looking for ways to improve the current technology, while others are eager to move on.
In this episode presented by Cresset, BioSpace’s head of insights Lori Ellis discusses clinical trial fail rates and AI’s potential to reduce preclinical costs with Mutlu Dogruel, VP of AI and Mark Mackey, CSO of Cresset.
Stealth BioTherapeutics originally submitted elamipretide for approval in January 2024, only to receive a rejection in May of this year. In addition to accepting the biotech’s resubmission, the FDA has promised to take action on the candidate by Sept. 26.
President Donald Trump first threatened pharma tariffs in February and recently said they were imminent. Johnson & Johnson’s new investment adds to a $55 billion pledge made by the company in March.
In an open letter, Health and Human Services employees asked the Secretary to stop and disavow the spread of health misinformation, particularly about vaccines, infectious diseases and federal health agencies.
The delays, first revealed in Regeneron’s Q2 report, were chalked up to manufacturing issues at Novo Nordisk-owned plants.
Looking for a biopharma job in Massachusetts? Check out the BioSpace list of nine companies hiring life sciences professionals like you.
FEATURED STORIES
Like they say about the weather in Iceland, if you don’t like an action taken by the new administration, wait five minutes; it’ll probably change. The markets, it seems, don’t react kindly to that kind of policymaking.
Analysts have had to throw out their assumptions for the biopharma industry’s recovery heading into the first quarter earnings period given the ongoing tariff drama.
Johnson & Johnson’s Joaquin Duato is no longer the highest paid CEO in pharma. Meanwhile, just two women make the top 10.
AI is enabling the development of a next generation of drugs that can more precisely target cancer cells while sparing healthy tissues.
FDA
After the gutting of the Department of Health and Human Services, fears mount about the future direction of the FDA—with regulatory experts predicting delays in drug approvals and greater influence of political appointees.
FDA
Lined up for the FDA in the coming weeks are a cell-based gene therapy for a rare skin disease and two product expansions for Regeneron, one with partner Sanofi.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
Get up to speed with BioSpace’s data with up-to-date info about retention, layoffs, “quiet quitting” and projections for 2023.
UPCOMING EVENTS
LATEST PODCASTS
A tale of two multi-billion schizophrenia deals, AstraZeneca touts strong sales while deflecting questions about an investigation into China exec, the Huntington’s pipeline builds momentum and layoffs continue with Sana Biotechnology and 23andMe.
In this episode of Denatured, BioSpace’s Head of Insights Lori and guests from Teva Pharmaceuticals and TOWER Capital discuss the opportunities, regulatory challenges and uncertainty surrounding AI.
In our anniversary episode, we discuss a rare earnings miss for Eli Lilly, a pivotal metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis victory for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, growing excitement about CAR Ts for autoimmune disease and the ongoing controversy over HeLa cells.
Job Trends
Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced the presentation of data across its diverse portfolio and pipeline at the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology’s (EULAR) 2024 Congress, June 12-15 in Vienna.
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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
  1. The Muna partnership will give GSK access to Muna’s MiND-MAP platform, which it will apply to postmortem brain samples to identify potential therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s disease.
  2. One year after a potential $1.7 billion deal with Hansoh Pharma, GSK goes back to China to forge another alliance with DualityBio for another deal that could be worth up to $1 billion as it continues to build up its ADC portfolio.
  3. The Danish startup, whose lead candidate has parallels to Amgen’s MariTide, launches on the heels of Amgen’s Phase II data release for the drug last week.
  4. Novartis, Gilead, Roche and Takeda commit to new partners in a spate of mid-sized collaborations this week. Meanwhile, Applied Therapeutics’ stock tanks 80% after govorestat is denied approval, Intra-Cellular Therapies seeks to expand Caplyta into major depressive disorder and the FDA investigates the safety of bluebird bio’s Skysona.
  5. The collaboration will see COUR and Roche’s Genentech leverage the biotech’s antigen-specific immune tolerance platform to develop and commercialize therapies for an undisclosed autoimmune disease.
WEIGHT LOSS
  1. From revenue to R&D investment, Novo and Lilly and their mega-blockbuster weight loss drugs Zepbound and Wegovy have moved into a new pharma stratosphere, far eclipsing their rivals.
  2. Compounding pharmacies aren’t the only makers of off-brand versions of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound. The situation is causing the FDA regulatory headaches and, more seriously, posing potential risks to the public.
  3. Novo Nordisk shares tumbled last year when obesity candidate CagriSema failed to clear a weight loss bar of 25%. Now, executives are taking another look at the data but steering clear of making hard bets.
  4. As Eli Lilly ends the year with Zepbound in good supply, TD Cowen analyst Steve Scala asked CEO David Ricks if the company has taken the GLP-1 supply chain too far.
  5. Wegovy sales increased by more than 100% over 2024. But that wasn’t enough to satiate analysts who want to know why Novo Nordisk can’t access more patients, particularly in the U.S.
POLICY
  1. In a letter to the Department of Commerce, Novo Nordisk argued that unsanctioned compounded semaglutide, mostly from China, constitutes a national security threat to the U.S.
  2. Leerink Partners previews the drugs likely to be subject to the Inflation Reduction Act’s next price negotiations as the program expands to Medicare Part B and smaller biotechs.
  3. A February executive order on pharmaceutical price transparency does nothing to change the incentives that keep costs opaque. But drug companies and other stakeholders would reap the benefits of such disclosures.
  4. In a video posted to social media on Tuesday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. claimed that there is a lack of clinical data to support the repeat COVID-19 booster strategy in children.
  5. Rouzbeh Haghighat was serving on the board of Chinook Therapeutics at the time of the Novartis acquisition and, according to the DOJ’s allegations, used confidential information to conduct insider trading.
CAREER HUB
Requesting disability accommodations is vital for your success in the workplace. You can find out everything about how to ask for accommodations in our guide.
The role of a clinical research nurse can be rewarding, but it’s not without challenges. Find out more about the role of a clinical research nurse and what it takes to become one in our guide.
Find out everything you need to know about research and development, including the skills it requires and what you should do if you’re ready to make the transition into R&D.
At the foundation of every clinical trial are the professionals who ensure its successful execution. Read on to find out more about how to know if clinical research is right for you.
Q1 is the time when many employers are actively recruiting new talent. Because it takes an average of 60 days to fill a job opening, Q4 might be the best time to apply for jobs in the life sciences.
Being laid off from your job can be difficult and confusing. To help you in your job search, we’ve explained how to address a layoff in your cover letter to help you land your dream job.
If you want to maximize your career earnings, it pays to consider which cities are the most affordable. Here are the top five most affordable cities for biopharma in the U.S.
HOTBEDS
Where are the Best Places to Work in life sciences? BioSpace’s annual Best Places to Work list demonstrates a company’s desirability in the recruitment marketplace - find out who made the list this year.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The autoimmune and inflammatory disease–focused company canceled plans to go public earlier this year as the IPO window slammed shut.
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
  1. Roche’s up to $1 billion investment will provide access to Oxford BioTherapeutics’ antibody-drug conjugate platform for undisclosed cancer targets.
  2. Monday was a busy day for AstraZeneca, which also paid up to $1 billion to acquire Belgian biotech EsoBiotec and its cell therapy pipeline and technology.
  3. Japan-based Taiho Pharmaceutical has worked with Araris Biotech since 2023 developing antibody-drug conjugates for the oncology space.
  4. Pfizer was studying PF-07820435, an orally available agonist of the STING protein, for solid tumors.
  5. While Houston isn’t yet on the same level as major life sciences hubs, it has plenty to offer and room to grow, according to CNS Pharmaceuticals, RadioMedix and Greater Houston Partnership executives.
NEUROSCIENCE
  1. The partnership splits the rights to Stoke’s epilepsy antisense oligonucleotide, with up to $385 million in potential payments due to Stoke.
  2. Helmed by Roche alums, Newleos Therapeutics is taking over four drugs dropped from the Swiss pharma’s pipeline in early 2024.
  3. Biogen and Eisai have spent much of Leqembi’s launch convincing physicians and patients that it’s safe to treat Alzheimer’s disease. With patients now hitting the 18-month mark of treatment, the conversation is finally shifting to efficacy.
  4. The approval comes days after Germany’s Merck KGaA confirmed it was in advanced talks to acquire SpringWorks.
  5. Leqembi’s sales in the U.S. continue to underwhelm, overshadowed by its growth in international markets.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
  1. Along with its gene editing therapy Casgevy, Vertex is offering fertility preservation support for its patients—a program that the HHS claims violates anti-kickback statutes.
  2. Biopharma executives were busy Monday, striking high-value deals and providing updates on cancer, obesity and vaccine pipelines.
  3. In exchange for its investigational gene therapies, Regenxbio will receive $110 million upfront and up to $700 million in milestones. After hitting an all-time low of $6.95 at close of business yesterday, the stock surged on the news by nearly 20% before markets opened Tuesday.
  4. Sarepta Therapeutics’ Duchenne muscular dystrophy therapy Elevidys handily beat analysts’ expectations in the fourth quarter of 2024, reflecting the biotech’s “world-class” execution, according to BMO Capital Markets analysts.
  5. FDA
    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.