At the heart of the deal is the drug candidate dordaviprone, which is months away from a regulatory verdict for its use in H3 K27M-mutated diffuse glioma.
Merck’s new formulation of the mega-blockbuster Keytruda, made in collaboration with Alteogen, could help to keep the drug’s patent cliff at bay.
Deloitte urged pharma executives to “be bold” in a new report tracking the top 20 pharmaceutical companies’ R&D performance.
The announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services highlighted a flurry of moves, which include the shifting of departments. Also this week, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tapped fellow vaccine critic David Geier to investigate vaccine safety within the CDC.
In this episode presented by DIA, BioSpace’s head of insights Lori Ellis discusses the evolution of women’s inclusion in clinical trials with Martin Hodosi, partner at Kearney and Melissa Laitner, director of strategic initiatives at the National Academy of Medicine.
Looking for a biopharma job in Indiana? Check out the BioSpace list of seven companies hiring life sciences professionals like you.
Biopharma employees reporting a positive business outlook for their companies dropped month over month but increased year over year in February, according to the Glassdoor Employee Confidence Index. Glassdoor’s findings align with recent BioSpace data.
FEATURED STORIES
With incoming president Donald Trump threatening a trade war with China, experts told BioSpace that the new administration will likely understand why medicines should be treated differently.
Annemarie Hanekamp has overseen some of the most transformative changes in oncology over her years in Big Pharma. Now, she will oversee BioNTech’s transition from a COVID-19 vaccine maker to an “end-to-end organizational oncology powerhouse.”
While investors and analysts push for a deal, Biogen CEO Chris Viehbacher and Head of Development Priya Singhal refuse to make one out of desperation.
LATEST PODCASTS
In this episode, hear from senior leaders at Microsoft and IQVIA to get their take on how generative AI is impacting productivity, employee engagement and how to mitigate risks.
This week we discuss ups and downs in the weight loss and ADC markets - including Altimmune, Pfizer setbacks, AbbVie’s ImmunoGen buy and more.
In this third episode of Denatured’s series on AI in drug discovery, we discuss patient behavior and its influence on clinical trials and AI models with guests from GSK, IQVIA, Exelixis and DataHow.
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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
  1. Shares of preclinical genetic medicines company Metagenomi tanked more than 30% on Friday afternoon in a disappointing debut for its initial public offering, bucking the trend of positive IPOs so far this year.
  2. Despite not having a single candidate in the clinical stage, the Moderna-backed biotech is offering 6.25 million shares for $15 apiece in an initial public offering. Shares are expected to begin trading Friday.
  3. Investors drove up the price of Kyverna Therapeutics’ stock by 59% in its initial public offering on Thursday afternoon, the first day of trading, reaching a peak per-share price of $35.01.
  4. On Thursday, Kyverna Therapeutics is debuting on the Nasdaq with an upsized initial public offering which the biotech will use to support its pipeline of anti-CD19 CAR T therapy candidates.
  5. While analysts are bullish on Novo Holdings’ $16.5 billion acquisition of Catalent, they say it raises questions for companies that have contracted the CDMO for manufacturing.
WEIGHT LOSS
  1. GLP-1 receptor agonists could reduce the risk of 10 obesity-associated cancers, such as meningioma, multiple myeloma and colorectal cancer, according to an analysis of electronic health records.
  2. Eli Lilly, Rivus Pharmaceuticals and more target different biological processes in hopes of generating higher-quality weight loss and avoiding metabolic issues.
  3. President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders in a Tuesday op-ed in USA Today called on Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to “stop ripping off Americans” with “unconscionably high prices” for their GLP-1 medicines.
  4. Eli Lilly, Rivus Pharmaceuticals and more target different biological processes in hopes of generating higher-quality weight loss and avoiding metabolic issues.
  5. Zealand Pharma is looking to build on last week’s positive Phase Ib trial results by raising around $1 billion in a public offering, with the proceeds being used to advance its obesity candidates.
POLICY
  1. At a private event held amid the fallout from the CrowdStrike incident, cybersecurity issues took a front seat, with the consequences of the evolving EU AI Act and the Loper Bright and Corner Post decisions also raising concerns for quality assurance and regulatory affairs professionals.
  2. With Medicare expenditures on Stelara increasing nearly tenfold, a new report from the HHS Office of Inspector General has found major differences in drug payment amounts under Part B versus Part D.
  3. In the latest setback for the pharma industry and its allies, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio dismissed a U.S. Chamber of Commerce lawsuit on the grounds of improper venue.
  4. Lobbying groups and individuals connected with the industry are supporting candidates from both parties, with a particular focus on the future of the 340B discount program and pharmacy benefit managers.
  5. IRA
    Reiterating his ruling in a prior Inflation Reduction Act case, New Jersey District Court Judge Zahid Quraishi ruled that Novo Nordisk’s participation in the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program is of its own free will.
CAREER HUB
Here are some of the key areas to research when preparing for an interview. You can use the tips mentioned here to carry out interview background research.
While imposter syndrome can be caused by external factors, there are several things you can start doing today to combat it at work. Here are some tips for overcoming imposter syndrome.
The informational interviews are one-on-one conversations with a professional who is doing something or working somewhere that seems interesting to you.
What is the culture like at your company? Are employees motivated to do their best work? Is your company using employee engagement strategies to improve productivity?
Discover the pros and cons before you hire an independent contractor (IC). These include freelancers, consultants, seasonal workers, and other temporary professionals.
Getting job-hunting and career advice is hard, especially when you get it from those who have worked for decades. Some advice is still helpful today, like making a good impression, but others are considered counter-productive.
The salary expectation question is one of the most difficult questions asked during a job interview. Here’s how you can answer the question perfectly.
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 transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2025. With the deal, Merck KGaA is adding to its rare disease and oncology pipelines.
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. Proceeds from the oversubscribed financing will be used to advance ArsenalBio’s lead programs, which include a handful of solid tumor cell therapy candidates.
  2. NuCana’s chemotherapy replacement has failed to improve progression-free survival in a Phase II test, sending the biotech’s shares down by 50%.
  3. The pharma continued its clinical losing streak on Thursday with the announcement that it is discontinuing late-stage studies of the anti-PD-1 therapy in non-small cell lung cancer and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
  4. With the FDA’s rejection of Ordspono in March, Monday’s green light from the European Commission marks the first approval worldwide and the first regulatory victory for Regeneron’s bispecific antibody platform.
  5. The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee in a Sept. 26 meeting will discuss whether the regulator should restrict approval of checkpoint inhibitors based on PD-L1 expression levels.
NEUROSCIENCE
  1. While Sage Therapeutics’ drug candidate showed a slight difference compared to placebo in a mid-stage Huntington’s disease trial, William Blair analysts in a Tuesday note to investors said they “remain cautious” on dalzanemdor and “do not view the small numerical changes as definitive.”
  2. Despite concerns raised in FDA briefing documents about Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s treatment, donanemab, the committee concluded that the benefits outweighed the risks.
  3. In advance of an advisory committee meeting on Monday, the FDA’s internal reviewers have raised issues regarding Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s disease candidate donanemab, flagging problems with its study design and safety outcomes.
  4. In this deep dive BioSpace analyzes the neuropsychedelic therapeutics pipeline, which grabbed headlines in February when the FDA accepted the New Drug Application for Lykos Therapeutics’ MDMA capsules for PTSD.
  5. While more programs now involve candidates with different targets, experts say anti-amyloid therapies will remain a primary player in treating the memory-robbing disease.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
  1. While Bristol Myers Squibb did not explicitly mention China as the company expands and diversifies its manufacturing capacity, Cellares said the BIOSECURE Act would be a boon to its own growth.
  2. The regulator on Monday slapped Abeona Therapeutics with a Complete Response Letter for its investigational cell therapy pz-cel due to chemistry, manufacturing and controls issues.
  3. Bristol Myers Squibb will be using Cellares’ Cell Shuttles, an automated production system capable of producing multiple cell therapies simultaneously, to potentially improve turnaround time to support the pharma’s CAR T cell therapies.
  4. Following a months-long safety review, the regulator on Thursday said it is now requiring updated black box warnings for all commercially available CAR-T therapies to reflect the risk of secondary malignancies.
  5. A one-time treatment for Parkinson’s disease could be a ‘market changer,’ experts told BioSpace, adding that cell therapies could limit the adverse effects seen with current drugs.