FDA vouchers are normally a coveted prize for biopharma companies, but a surprise rejection for Disc Medicine’s rare disease drug has biopharma reconsidering.
Korsana’s lead program uses a next-generation shuttling technology to improve delivery into the brain and lower the incidence of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities.
Arbutus alleges that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine infringes on patents protecting its lipid nanoparticle delivery technology.
CSL is advancing clazakizumab for the treatment of cardiovascular events in end-stage kidney disease and will retain rights over the asset in this indication. Lilly will explore other conditions.
Follow along as BioSpace tracks job cuts and restructuring initiatives.
The FDA outright refuses to review Moderna’s mRNA-based flu vaccine as CBER director Vinay Prasad’s conduct is scrutinized; Disc Medicine receives an unexpected rejection, which Prasad may also have had a hand in; Compass Pathways posts new late-stage data on its psilocybin-based depression drug; CDC is once again leaderless.
Disc Medicine’s leadership tried to express optimism that its rare disease therapy bitopertin can be approved based on a Phase 3 trial set to begin shortly. However, analysts are worried that the protocol was developed with former FDA leaders.
FEATURED STORIES
PitchBook’s 2025 biopharma VC analysis clocked $33.8 billion in capital dispatched in 2025, mainly to companies with later-stage programs ready to roll into the clinic.
Long an R&D company that partnered off assets, RNAi biotech Ionis Pharmaceuticals shifted in 2025 to bring two medicines to market alone. Analysts are already impressed—and there’s more to come in 2026.
Through its AI Consortium and global forums, DIA is translating high‑level AI guidance into concrete workflows that match oversight to risk, from low‑stakes automation to decision‑critical regulatory analyses.
Regulatory uncertainty is no longer background noise. It is a material investment risk that reshapes how capital is deployed and pipelines are prioritized.
An analysis finds that pharmas frequently file multiple similar patents on drugs, then use them as the basis for questionable litigation against would-be competitors.
Evidence of durability of psilocybin-based COMP360 is a key point for the FDA, according to Compass Pathways Chief Medical Officer Guy Goodwin. By providing 26 weeks’ worth of such data instead of the requested 12, the company is delivering “in spades,” he said.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
As next-generation antibody-drug conjugates reshape cancer care, digital pathology and artificial intelligence are transforming how HER2 is measured. The advances aim to help clinicians identify low and ultra-low expressors, match patients to the right therapies and make more precise treatment decisions.
UPCOMING EVENTS
LATEST PODCASTS
Pfizer, Sanofi and others report Q3 beats; AbbVie, Roche and Novartis strike big deals; the 2024 presidential election looms; and BioSpace takes a look back at 10 years of NextGen, our annual pick of young biotechs to watch.
In this episode of Denatured, Lori and guests from Teva Pharmaceuticals and TOWER Capital review the investment landscape this year and the policies influencing investment heading into 2025.
Yet another therapy with FDA accelerated approval suffers a setback; Sage’s tough year continues; Sanofi drops $326 million in radiopharma while selling its consumer health unit; Novo Nordisk’s positive Rybelsus results in cardiovascular disease; and more.
Job Trends
Follow along as BioSpace tracks job cuts and restructuring initiatives.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
Recent breakthroughs and three decades of progress in treating Huntington’s disease
In this deep dive, BioSpace investigates China’s rise as a biotech powerhouse.
In this deep dive, BioSpace explores the next big thing in obesity.
DEALS
  1. The pact between Madrigal Pharmaceuticals and Ruzhou Ribo Life Sciences could complement the former’s Rezdiffra, the first FDA-approved therapy for MASH. That drug made $287.3 million in the third quarter of 2025.
  2. The deal gets Lilly access to Orna’s in vivo CAR T technology. The biotech’s lead asset, which has yet to start clinical testing, is focused on B cell–driven autoimmune diseases.
  3. In this episode of Denatured, Jennifer C. Smith-Parker speaks to Erik Digman Wiklund, CEO of Circio and Jacob Becraft, Co-founder and CEO of Strand Therapeutics. They discuss how post-COVID, emerging platforms like circular and logic circuit RNA are expanding the field’s therapeutic horizons.
  4. The alliance will add to Roche’s RNAi efforts, which include the hypertension candidate zilbesiran, partnered with Alnylam under a July 2023 agreement.
  5. Moderna will continue to lead clinical development and manufacturing of the asset, while Recordati will handle commercialization of mRNA-3927, which is under development for the rare metabolic disorder propionic acidemia.
WEIGHT LOSS
  1. Eli Lilly has long been gearing up for the launch of orforglipron, announcing as early as February 2024 that it was ramping up manufacturing investments for the weight-loss pill.
  2. The oral version of Wegovy has made GLP-1 medicines more accessible and acceptable to many patients who had steered clear of injectable versions, healthcare analytics firm Truveta suggests.
  3. A lawsuit and FDA warning ensued after Hims & Hers launched a compounded version of Novo Nordisk’s new obesity pill, more Big Pharma report earnings—including from weight loss rivals Novo and Eli Lilly—and the gene therapy space sees another rejection.
  4. Kailera will launch a global Phase 2 study of ribupatide this year, while Hengrui will push the asset into Phase 3 in China.
  5. AstraZeneca will push the pill, elecoglipron, into a comprehensive late-stage program that will test the drug as a monotherapy, as part of a combination regimen and for several indications.
POLICY
  1. CDC
    Jim O’Neill was deputy secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services and also acting director of the CDC after the abrupt ouster of Susan Monarez in August 2025.
  2. The current state of political affairs in the U.S. does not bode well for the direction of that turn. The country is at real risk of losing its long-held lead in biotech innovation.
  3. An unnamed FDA official also told reporters that it would be good for Moderna to “show some humility” and admit that it didn’t follow the regulator’s recommendations in testing its mRNA flu vaccine.
  4. AbbVie contends that Botox should have been excluded from the IRA drug price negotiation program because it is a plasma-derived product.
  5. The FDA underwent significant changes during the first year of the second Trump administration, directly affecting business risk and opportunity. Understanding key 2025 trends will be critical to developing regulatory strategies and maximizing opportunities for success.
CAREER HUB
With leaner teams and tighter budgets, senior leaders can face tremendous strain as they juggle increased workloads and leadership responsibilities. In this column, Kaye/Bassman’s Michael Pietrack discusses how pressure builds and what can ease it.
Looking for a biopharma job? Check out the BioSpace list of 12 top companies hiring life sciences professionals like you.
If workloads aren’t adjusted as needed, the company’s priorities are already compromised. Executive coach Angela Justice explores what happens when goals move forward without removing unnecessary work and what to do about it.
At some point in your research career, you may find yourself transitioning from academia to industry or vice versa. To best set yourself up for success, adapt your approach to the specific scientific culture where you work.
Venture funds attending the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference said mounting funding pressures and Chinese competition have sharpened their focus on leadership qualities, from regulatory expertise and industry experience to the ability to scale—or step aside—as companies mature.
Clarity on employment terms is essential to protect careers. In this column, Kaye/Bassman’s Michael Pietrack speaks to employment attorney Howard Matalon, JD, partner at OlenderFeldman, on how to evaluate the fine print of an employment agreement.
Looking for a new opportunity in New Jersey? These nine companies have open roles that could be a great fit for you.
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
Moderna will not commit to previous 2028 breakeven guidance as the ripple effects of the FDA’s refusal-to-file decision spread through its pipeline.
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. Suppliers are investing in production to support deals with AstraZeneca, Bayer and other drugmakers that are advancing radioisotope-based cancer therapies.
  2. In this episode of Denatured, Jennifer C. Smith-Parker speaks with Dr. Rob Monroe and Jennifer Fakish at Danaher Corporation. They discuss how antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) are transforming cancer care. With AI-powered pathology, doctors can now measure HER2 more precisely to match patients with the best treatments.
  3. Despite the Phase 1 cull, CEO Vas Narasimhan on Wednesday maintained that Novartis continues to invest in its early-stage pipeline, looking for deals in the “sub-$2-billion range.”
  4. On its fourth quarter earnings call Wednesday, AbbVie CEO Robert Michael called oncology and neuroscience “underappreciated” areas of focus for the pharma.
  5. In its 2025 full year and fourth-quarter earnings call, Merck executives touted the merits of recent deals and what CEO Robert Davis called “probably the broadest and widest pipeline we’ve had in years.”
NEUROSCIENCE
  1. Analysts, investors and scientists are eager for Biogen’s 2026 BIIB080 readout. Even if successful, executives warn that there are many more steps before the Alzheimer’s therapy could reach the market.
  2. The FDA in July last year declined to approve UX111 for Sanfilippo syndrome, a rare neurodegenerative disorder, citing manufacturing issues. Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical resubmitted its application ten days ago, expecting a six month review time.
  3. Sales of Johnson & Johnson’s esketamine-based nasal spray jumped in the fourth quarter last year, priming the pump for a suite of other pharmas, including AbbVie, champing at the bit with their own psychedelics.
  4. With Biogen’s multiple sclerosis portfolio facing more generic pressure than ever, the company is eyeing a busy late-stage pipeline and hunting for deals to build its return to growth.
  5. Bristol Myers Squibb delivered better than expected fourth quarter earnings, but Eliquis missed expectations while Cobenfy continues to struggle with uptake.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
  1. The FDA’s refusal to review Moderna’s mRNA-based flu vaccine is “part of a disturbing pattern” of moving regulatory goalposts, according to Clay Alspach, executive director of the Alliance for mRNA Medicines. Meanwhile, streamlined communications with regulators in other countries pave the way for rapid uptake of novel modalities.
  2. FDA
    The FDA’s refusal to review Moderna’s mRNA-based flu vaccine is part of a larger communications crisis unfolding at the agency over the past nine months that has also ensnarled Sarepta, Capricor, uniQure and many more.
  3. The rare disease drugmaker is facing potential competitors for achondroplasia drug Voxzogo. Is a big M&A deal with two approved assets enough to maintain investor interest?
  4. A recurring theme Tuesday morning at Phacilitate’s Advanced Therapies Week was the quickly emerging potential of in vivo approaches to cell and gene therapy—a trend also reflected in recent investments by Eli Lilly and Regeneron.
  5. The FDA recommended that REGENXBIO run a new study, treat more patients and include a placebo arm to support a resubmission for the gene therapy RGX-121.