Roche and Zealand plan to study petrelintide as a monotherapy and in combination with CT-388, a dual agonist of the GLP-1 and GIP receptors that Roche picked up in its recent acquisition of Carmot Therapeutics.
Ionis will receive $280 million upfront and could get up to $660 million in future milestone payments. Ono will take charge of late-stage development as well as regulatory and commercialization activities.
BioSpace remembers COVID-19 five years after the pandemic was declared, Novo Nordisk’s CagriSema again misses expectations as the company joins a lawsuit filed by drug compounders against the FDA, Viking secures ample supply of its investigational obesity medication, J&J strikes out in depression, and Makary and Bhattacharya near confirmation.
Analysts acknowledged the long-term manufacturing deal could dull Viking’s takeout prospects but hailed it as a smart move to ensure supply.
Vepdegestrant did not improve progression-free survival broadly but saw improvements in one specific patient cohort. Arvinas’ stock took a 43% tumble on the news, and analysts are downcast on the drug’s prospects.
Roche acquired Spark Therapeutics in 2019 for $4.8 billion.
FEATURED STORIES
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.
A suit against Novartis and Vitaris by Henrietta Lacks’ estate hinges on questions about the morality and legality of using the line for biopharmaceutical research.
Multiple players are exploring whether modalities designed to combat B cell malignancies can be repurposed against lupus, myasthenia gravis and other conditions traced to misdirected immune response.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
In a year when eradicated diseases are on the uptick in America, how will American children survive RFK Jr.’s vaccine scrutiny and inconsistency? Two experts call on pharma and regulatory bodies to rebuild trust.
LATEST PODCASTS
In this episode of Denatured, presented by IQVIA, BioSpace’s head of insights Lori Ellis discusses how AI transformation can help organizations navigate a rapidly evolving regulatory environment with senior director of regulatory innovation and technology, Michelle Gyzen.
Sanofi and BMS paid big money for rare disease and cancer assets, while Regeneron got in the obesity game; AstraZeneca, Gilead and Amgen shone at ASCO; RFK Jr. and the CDC appeared to disagree over COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and several news outlets are questioning the validity of the White House’s Make America Healthy Again report.
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. removes the COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for healthy kids and pregnant women—the latest in a string of changes to vaccine policies; judge issues an order to halt HHS’ reorganization and mass layoff plans; Rocket Pharmaceuticals’ pivotal Danon disease trial is on hold after a patient death; and President Trump has named Mehmet Oz to spearhead his Most Favored Nation drug pricing policy.
Job Trends
AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Priority Review of the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for epcoritamab-bysp, a subcutaneously administered T-cell engaging bispecific antibody for the treatment of adult relapsed or refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL) after two or more lines of therapy.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
A new generation of checkpoint inhibitors is emerging, with some showing more promise than others. From recent TIGIT failures to high-potential targets like VEGF, BioSpace explores what’s on the horizon in immuno-oncology.
Peter Marks, the venerable head of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, has been forced out. In this special edition of BioPharm Executive, BioSpace takes a deep dive into the instability of the HHS.
Year-over-year BioSpace data show biopharma professionals faced increased competition for fewer employment opportunities during the first quarter of 2025.
DEALS
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The acquisition provides the Swedish company with an approved JAK inhibitor for myelofibrosis, a rare bone marrow cancer that disrupts the body’s normal production of blood cells. -
The biopharma company scored two major wins on Tuesday: a court victory over HIV patent claims and an acquisition deal to expand its pipeline in cancer and inflammatory diseases. -
Novel therapies often pass through several owners on their way to the market. Here’s a look at some of the drugs that got dropped before they hit primetime. -
Japanese biopharma scoops up Iveric’s investigational drug for age-related blindness disease. The drug, which trails Apellis’ Syfovre, is awaiting FDA approval with a decision expected by August. -
The acquisition of Bellus Health will give GSK access to camlipixant, a potentially best-in-class P2X3 antagonist for chronic cough.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Given the evidence, the committee has recommended that the labels for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic be updated to include the “very rare” risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. -
Eli Lilly joins up with Camurus to make long-acting versions of the pharma’s obesity and diabetes drugs, joining the industry’s growing pipeline of programs that are differentiated by the frequency of dosing. -
Sanofi and BMS paid big money for rare disease and cancer assets, while Regeneron got in the obesity game; AstraZeneca, Gilead and Amgen shone at ASCO; RFK Jr. and the CDC appeared to disagree over COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and several news outlets are questioning the validity of the White House’s Make America Healthy Again report. -
Regeneron’s shares have declined nearly 17% following the failure of the company’s Dupixent follow-up itepekimab. -
The overturning of the FDA’s lab-developed tests rule is just the tip of the iceberg. With the loss of Chevron deference, power has shifted from federal agencies to the courts, with potential implications for everything from the FDA shortage list to CMS drug price negotiations.
POLICY
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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. -
Launched in 2021, the public-private consortium on Wednesday updated ASGCT attendees on its efforts to bring adeno-associated virus gene therapies to more rare disease patients. -
On this episode of Denatured, Lori Ellis and guests discuss President Biden’s Executive Order on Advancing Women’s Health Research and Innovation and the outlook of investment in women’s health. -
In a fireside chat at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy conference, CBER Director Peter Marks spoke with Takeda’s Kristin Van Goor about how the regulator is approaching the exploding gene therapy space. -
Amylyx’s recent decision to withdraw its ALS drug Relyvrio from the market highlights an important business decision for companies: when to continue marketing or investigating a drug that has failed a pivotal or confirmatory study.
No matter how much you justify ghosting, it’s likely to be seen as an unprofessional reputation-killer you may never recover from. Here are some situations in which you might be tempted to ghost and what to do instead.
Most of the interview process is out of your hands, for better or for worse. But what you can control are your actions.
Besides making sure you don’t accidentally reply all to that company-wide notice, here are some words to reserve for your texts with friends.
The words and phrases you choose in your resume and cover letter can have a surprisingly powerful impact.
How do you leave your nerves behind and show your interviewer the real you? Here are a few tips for mastering interview small talk.
For the third part of a six-part series examining the six most in-demand biotech careers, we take a detailed look at the rising career of an operations research analyst.
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 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. -
The PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda significantly improved overall survival in a late-stage trial when used with chemoradiotherapy to treat patients with newly diagnosed advanced cervical cancer. -
After several delays, BeiGene on Thursday finally secured the FDA’s approval for its PD-1 inhibitor Tevimbra for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
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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In a roundtable event on Thursday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his office will work to eliminate barriers that keep cell and gene therapies from the market. -
Interim results from a small group of children in a Phase I/II trial are essentially in line with that of Elevidys, according to BMO Capital Markets analysts. -
The Platform Technology Designation, which predates the current FDA leadership, is designed to streamline the drug development and review process, particularly for rare diseases. -
J&J has a multi-year head start, but Gilead believes it can win market share by delivering a drug with better safety and at least as good efficacy. -
While an adverse event reported in Intellia’s gene therapy trial was a “non-concern” for analysts, it follows a handful of patient deaths in other trials for the modality and sent the company’s stock tumbling in pre-market trading.
