The star of GSK’s Hengrui partnership is the COPD candidate HRS-9821, which will complement the pharma’s respiratory pipeline that’s anchored by the anti-asthma drug Nucala.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to remove all members of the USPSTF for being too “woke,” according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal. An HHS spokesperson, however, says no final decision has been made about the panel.
Brazilian authorities said the death was unlikely to have been caused by Elevidys and was instead more in line with severe infection exacerbated by immunosuppression.
Despite the failure of its Recognify-partnered inidascamine, Jefferies analysts do not expect a definitively negative stock impact on atai, given the company’s promising psychedelic pipeline.
The Commissioner’s National Priority Vouchers aim to offer accelerated pathways to drugs that meet certain criteria, perhaps including a low price-tag. But the policy is vaguely defined and was announced without public input, going against the FDA’s own published practices, experts say.
The collaboration focuses on ‘molecular gates,’ a class of molecules that the startup company Gate Bioscience says can stop pathogenic proteins from leaving the cell.
FEATURED STORIES
Emboldened by technological advances and a deeper knowledge of glioblastoma, Merck, Kazia Therapeutics, CorriXR Therapeutics and others are targeting the often-fatal brain tumor.
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.
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.
With two decisions originally scheduled for this week already announced, including BridgeBio’s approval in ATTR-CM, the regulator has just one PDUFA on its plate this holiday week.
LATEST PODCASTS
The team comes together to discuss the dominant themes of what was an incredibly busy week of events in San Francisco during JPM 2024.
The BioSpace team is recording from San Francisco as they bring you the the latest highlights from Day 3 at JPM2024.
The BioSpace team is recording from San Francisco as they bring you the the latest highlights from Day 2 at JPM2024.
Job Trends
Takeda (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) today announced that the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended the approval of fruquintinib, a selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR) -1, -2 and -3 for the treatment of adult patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).
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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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Just weeks after Wegovy won FDA approval for cardiovascular disease, Novo Nordisk has bought mid-stage biotech Cardior Pharmaceuticals and its miRNA-targeting candidate for heart failure. -
The contract manufacturer plans to expand its U.S. footprint with a former Roche facility in Vacaville, California, which Lonza contends is one of the largest biologics manufacturing facilities in the world by volume. -
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. -
Contineum Therapeutics joined the 2024 initial public offering class on Friday with an SEC filing. The biotech will use the IPO proceeds to complete a Phase II trial for its most mature candidate targeting multiple sclerosis. -
At the center of the deal is Amolyt Pharma’s late-stage candidate eneboparatide for the rare disease hypoparathyroidism. AstraZeneca also gains ownership of AZP-3813, which is being assessed for acromegaly in a Phase I trial.
WEIGHT LOSS
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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. -
Through its online pharmacy LillyDirect, Eli Lilly announced Tuesday it will allow patients to purchase single-dose vials of Zepbound—without the autoinjector—at a 50% discount or more versus other incretin obesity treatments. -
In this deep dive BioSpace dissects the global obesity and diabetes markets along with the growing pipelines that aim to serve them. -
Patients taking Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster GLP-1 drug appear to be more likely to harbor thoughts of suicide or self-harm, especially if they are already suffering from anxiety or depressive disorders, according to a new study.
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Experts say Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 drugs are unlikely to reach more countries in the near term, but Sanofi’s diabetes treatment has gained ground globally.
POLICY
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The postponed ACIP meeting comes barely a week after Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services, despite controversy regarding his anti-vaccine history. -
Morale is low at the FDA, which was hit with layoffs this week following RFK Jr.’s confirmation. Biopharma leaders and agency insiders fear further workforce cuts could delay new medicines. -
Despite expectations of dealmaking leniency, new FTC chairman Andrew Ferguson told staff that he will retain the current 2023 FTC and DOJ guidelines on mergers, upholding stricter anti-trust scrutiny on deals. -
Recently appointed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in 2018 helped bring several cases against vaccine maker Merck, alleging injury linked to its HPV shot Gardasil. -
The hammer came down on an unspecified number of FDA employees this weekend, days after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as HHS Secretary.
Learn these important leadership qualities. The first five on the list are emotional and attitudinal. The other five concern intellectual abilities and learned skills.
Here are four questions to think about when considering a career change during the pandemic.
A career in regulatory affairs combines knowledge of law, science, economics and more. Those who follow this biotech career path aren’t necessarily scientists, but they do need to understand the science behind the products that they need to regulate.
Are you currently working full time and in school earning a master’s degree? If so, do learn these time management skills to balance your personal and professional life.
Establishing boundaries between your personal and professional lives is the key to maintaining fulfilling versions of each.
Is your job is slowly starting to make you feel unmotivated or unproductive? Are you unable to work properly? Use these motivation tips to rejuvenate yourself.
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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With the Phase III failure, Syros will discontinue the study of tamibarotene for myelodysplastic syndrome and will default on its loan from Oxford Finance LLC. -
With $70 million upfront and more than $1.8 billion on the line, Roche will gain access to Flare’s drug discovery engine to bolster its oncology pipeline. -
Truist Securities analyst Asthika Goonewardene in an investor note said data for anito-cel—particularly its safety profile—will help differentiate the CAR T therapy from Legend Biotech and J&J’s entrenched Carvykti in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. -
In a tough fundraising space, cell therapy biotechs pursuing autoimmune indications review staffing to ensure the right expertise is in place to tackle the new disease area. -
Despite the PDUFA date being extended by three months for Merus’ zenocutuzumab, Truist Securities analyst Asthika Goonewardene in a Tuesday note to investors said the delay is not a cause for concern with an approval expected.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Days after Sanofi reported back-to-back failures for its BTK inhibitor, Roche’s fenebrutinib on Wednesday scored a mid-stage win in relapsing multiple sclerosis, demonstrating near-total elimination of disease activity. -
The investigational injection fosgonimeton appeared to have better efficacy in patients with more severe disease, according to post-hoc subgroup analyses, though none resulted in statistically significant effects. -
Recursion’s oral drug candidate for cerebral cavernous malformation showed no improvements in patient- or physician-reported outcomes at 12 months. The biotech will engage with the FDA to determine the need for an additional study. -
The BTK inhibitor showed promise in non-relapsing secondary progressive multiple sclerosis but not relapsing MS. The company said it plans to apply for approval for the former “as soon as possible.” -
The FDA has three regulatory milestones in the next two weeks, including a decision on a subcutaneous formulation of an effective multiple sclerosis therapy.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Belgian biotech Galapagos is teaming with Blood Centers of America to help deploy its decentralized CAR-T therapy manufacturing platform closer to treatment centers across the U.S. -
Following back-to-back approvals in lymphocytic leukemia, Bristol Myers Squibb’s CAR-T therapy Breyanzi on Wednesday won the FDA’s green light for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma. -
While these technologies are now a therapeutic reality, the ASGCT 2024 annual meeting this week was a reminder of just how far we are from widespread use. -
With 15 patients started across its three gene therapies, bluebird bio claims a 138% year-over-year revenue growth and aims to initiate up to around 100 new patients in the current year. -
At a Thursday ASGCT 2024 session, CBER Director Peter Marks made the case for a better, “more convergent” global framework on cell and gene therapies, especially for rare diseases.
