The all-cash buyout, which gives AbbVie access to Capstan Therapeutics’ in vivo edited CAR T therapy for B cell–mediated autoimmune diseases, adds to a growing sense of momentum in M&A, according to BMO Capital Markets.
BMS is letting go of 68 employees in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The pharma has now cut over 1,000 employees there since April 2024 as part of its cost-cutting measures.
The rise of monoclonal antibodies brought back hope for stalling or reversing the devastating neurodegenerative disease. Big Pharma has taken notice with a handful of high-value deals, GlobalData reports.
Digging into a prespecified analysis for the mid-stage study, INmune Bio identified some clinical and biological benefits of its TNF inhibitor in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease who have at least two biomarkers of inflammation.
In an open letter addressing the Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts to HHS, the executives urged Congress to continue “robust federal funding” for scientific research, which they say will help maintain U.S. biotech leadership globally.
In adults 50 and older, Moderna’s flu shot was more than 26% better than an unspecified commercial vaccine. In May, the company pulled its application for a combo flu/COVID-19 shot, saying it would refile following data from this Phase III trial.
FEATURED STORIES
After the FDA declined to approve Lykos Therapeutics’ MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, companies are pivoting away from or delaying similar therapeutics targeting the psychiatric disease.
Women are already underrepresented in clinical trials; the new abortion and IVF laws could make it worse.
Pfizer’s sudden market withdrawal of sickle cell therapy Oxbryta, which some analysts predicted would reach $750 million in sales by the end of the decade, has left patients and healthcare providers with few options, while investors question the pharma giant’s dealmaking prowess.
BMS’ KarXT targets muscarinic receptors and “is at least 2-3 years ahead of the competition” including AbbVie and Neurocrine Biosciences, Truist Securities wrote in a note to investors.
Sen. Bernie Sanders’ aggressive targeting of Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy pricing, and not Eli Lilly’s rival drugs, is not fair.
Many Big Pharma companies including Pfizer, Merck and BMS make the drugs that some researchers expect to be selected by CMS for next year’s Medicare price negotiations alongside analysts’ top pick, Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
Establishing trust through thought leadership is no longer optional in today’s cautious biopharma market. This webinar will show leaders how strategic insights and targeted outreach can turn awareness into high-converting leads. Watch now.
LATEST PODCASTS
This week’s release of the Make America Health Again report revealed continued emphasis on vaccine safety; Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s faceoff with senators last week amounted to political theater; the FDA promises complete response letters in real time and shares details on a new rare disease framework; and Summit disappoints at the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Barcelona.
In this episode presented by Taconic Biosciences, BioSpace’s head of insights Lori Ellis discusses how preclinical research companies are helping drug developers navigate the current challenging funding environment with Mike Garrett, CEO.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will appear before the Senate Finance Committee Thursday, ahead of a vaccine advisory committee meeting later in September. Meanwhile, deal-making appetite appears healthy, and the weight loss space continues generating clinical data and other news.
Job Trends
PixCell Medical is pleased to announce a strategic distribution partnership with Medline, adding to the partnership agreements with Henry Schein and Thermo Fisher Scientific signed in recent months.
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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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The bladder cancer-focused biotech is looking to be one of the first companies out of the gate with an initial public offering in 2024. -
Taiwanese contract development and manufacturing organization Bora will purchase Minnesota-based Upsher-Smith Laboratories, expanding operations into the U.S. for the first time. -
Alto Neuroscience and Kyverna Therapeutics are following in the footsteps of CG Oncology, Metagenomi and Arrivent in seeking initial public offerings this year. -
Following the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference and other parallel meetings in San Francisco, it’s time to reflect on some of the significant deals secured last week. -
Panelists at JPM’s Biotech Showcase gave positive projections as the year begins and offered advice to those in the space.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Zealand Pharma’s petrelintide cut body weight by more than 8% on average, with a good overall safety and tolerability profile. -
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. -
Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Jørgensen has agreed to appear before the Senate health committee in a hearing on the prices of its blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. -
While GLP-1 drugs remain wildly popular and are a highly lucrative sector, data analytics firm GlobalData contends manufacturing and cost will remain overhangs on the obesity market. -
The plethora of genes involved in obesity presents an intriguing opportunity for both gene silencing and ex vivo gene therapy approaches.
POLICY
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Suggestions that the U.S. should emulate other countries on drug price controls or patents obscure how our present policies have allowed drug development to flourish.
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Analyst reactions to Donald Trump’s election victory were mixed Wednesday, with potential positives including an FTC that is likely to be more friendly to M&A, and negatives including concerns about what role Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. might play in healthcare. -
The Big Pharma companies made a last-ditch effort asking a U.S. appeals court to reconsider their lawsuits against the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare drug price negotiations, which they contend infringe on their constitutional rights. -
While some analysts say Donald Trump is a wild card when it comes to drug pricing, many argue his presidency would be more positive for the industry overall, as Kamala Harris has her price-cutting sights squarely on Big Pharma. -
The CDC’s vaccine advisors on Thursday maintained that respiratory syncytial virus immunization is only recommended for adults aged 75 and older, and in seniors 60 to 74 years who are at risk of severe disease.
Here are some of the top questions you should consider asking during an interview regarding COVID-19.
If you’re struggling to figure out how, exactly, to back up your accomplishments with facts, think about your impact, and then ask yourself some of these questions.
If you’ve never worked from home or had a flexible schedule, how do you portray to a recruiter or hiring manager that you have what it takes to be productive outside of the traditional office?
While you don’t want to be the person that survived mass layoffs only to turn around and ask for a salary bump for reasons you can probably guess, you also don’t want to be severely underpaid or underappreciated.
What factors do you think affect burnout? Do you think some industries are more prone to burnout than others?
Many people stepping into middle age feel that they’re too old to make a career change, but we live in times when an average person changes up to 12 jobs in a lifetime.
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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Bristol Myers Squibb presented the positive Phase III results on its already approved Opdivo-Yervoy combo at ESMO over the weekend, while separately announcing that it was returning Immatics’ bispecific T cell engager. -
The result comes months after an FDA advisory committee flagged the risk of potential overtreatment with perioperative regimens.
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High response rates reported by GSK and iTeos at the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress offer a ray of light for anti-TIGIT therapies after a string of failures. -
The FDA has six target action dates ahead to round out September as drugs for gastroparesis, Niemann-Pick disease type C and more await decisions. -
Tecentriq Hybreza, which combines Roche’s Tecentriq with Halozyme Therapeutics’ Enhanze drug delivery technology, is being touted as the first and only subcutaneous anti-PD-(L)1 cancer immunotherapy.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday reported late-stage trial data showing its first-in-class orexin receptor antagonist reduced major depressive disorder symptoms as an adjunctive treatment in patients with insomnia. -
Recent M&A activity indicates a potential resurgence in the appetites of larger companies for psychiatric drug development, but experts say the space may not offer a sufficient risk-reward proposition for R&D. -
Otsuka Pharmaceuticals announced Wednesday it is ending development of drug candidate AVP-786 after failing to improve agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. -
Approaches and targets for depression and other mental health illnesses have remained stagnant for decades. With several readouts for novel therapies on the horizon, that could be changing. -
Following a series of clinical failures, optimism builds for the first disease-modifying treatment.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Two days after winning FDA approval, Orchard Therapeutics on Wednesday provided its U.S. launch plans for metachromatic leukodystrophy gene therapy Lenmeldy, which has a wholesale acquisition cost of $4.25 million for the one-time treatment. -
The FDA took center stage last week as it approved the first-ever MASH therapy and considered additional approvals for CAR-T therapies, whose safety the agency has been investigating since last year. -
To help support the launch of Lyfgenia, bluebird bio on Monday entered into a five-year term loan deal with Hercules Capital that will extend the biotech’s cash runway through the first quarter of 2026. -
Orchard Therapeutics on Monday secured the FDA’s first approval for an autologous gene therapy to treat the rare metabolic disease metachromatic leukodystrophy in children. -
By votes of 11-0 and 8-3, respectively, an FDA advisory committee Friday deemed the risks of early death for both Johnson & Johnson’s Carvykti and Bristol Myers Squibb’s Abecma acceptable.
