The Eylea franchise was in need of a win after an appellate court last week denied the pharma’s bid to block Amgen’s biosimilar from the U.S.
Jefferies analysts predict Annexon’s tanruprubart could be approved by mid-2026.
Leerink analysts noted, however, that Uplizna’s slow onset of therapeutic efficacy compares unfavorably to would-be competitors in generalized myasthenia gravis.
The Fourth Circuit’s ruling follows a Supreme Court verdict that also allowed the Trump administration to move forward with its mass layoffs at federal agencies.
Known as the home of big-name companies including Johnson & Johnson, New Jersey has become a destination for more and more small and midsize life sciences businesses. Choose New Jersey, Grace Therapeutics and Onyx Equities executives discuss the state’s life sciences scene.
Analysts suggested that the tariffs will have little effect on reshoring manufacturing and will likely decrease patient drug access and increase costs.
The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology recommends at least a $15 billion investment into biotech over the next five years.
FEATURED STORIES
AbbVie launched a revamped version of its Allē loyalty program, which ultimately was not adopted by providers. The marketing misstep comes as the company’s aesthetics franchise faces broader pressures.
Several companies—including JCR Pharmaceuticals, Denali Therapeutics and Regenxbio—have products in the pipeline that could improve treatment options for this rare disease.
FDA
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.—Trump’s pick for HHS secretary who endured confirmation hearings last week—has repeatedly criticized industry ties to the FDA, particularly financial links between the two, which could indicate trouble for the user-fee model.
LATEST PODCASTS
This week Lori, Greg and Tyler discuss the ⁠Accelerated Approval of Amtagvi⁠, the first one-time cell therapy for solid tumors and the first TIL therapy; the ⁠FTC and HHS probe⁠ into generic drug shortages and some recent ADC-focused raises from ⁠ProfoundBio⁠ and ⁠Firefly Bio⁠.
This week, Greg, Heather and Tyler discuss reaction to ⁠Novo Nordisk’s purchase of Catalent⁠ and speculate on what that means for existing manufacturing contracts, customers and consequences with ⁠regulators⁠.
This week Lori, Greg and Tyler discuss ⁠drug pricing reforms⁠. CMS sent offers to manufacturers of the 10 drugs that have been selected for Medicare price negotiations. What’s the best way forward that benefits patients while still supporting the innovation that makes these drugs possible? How will the election impact negotia
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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. As the antibody-drug conjugate space continues to heat up, Merck has acquired preclinical startup Abceutics—spun out of the University at Buffalo—and its novel platform that aims to make ADC therapeutics safer.
  2. The FTC and the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division will have another 30 days to examine Novo Nordisk Foundation’s acquisition of contract manufacturer Catalent, according to an SEC filing.
  3. Contineum Therapeutics priced its initial public offering Friday, scaling back its expectations for gross proceeds of $110 million for clinical trials of a challenger to Boehringer Ingelheim and Roche.
  4. Acorda Therapeutics becomes the latest biotechnology company in 2024 to go bankrupt and shutter its business, following years of financial difficulty. Merz Therapeutics will acquire two commercial medicines from Acorda for $185 million.
  5. Genmab announced Wednesday it is buying ProfoundBio and its pipeline of next-generation antibody-drug conjugates being developed for gynecologic cancers and other solid tumors.
WEIGHT LOSS
  1. While some biopharma companies beat expectations, others fell short for various reasons, with some deciding to return or axe assets.
  2. By the end of the year, Novo Nordisk intends to make a regulatory filing for the combination of its icodec and semaglutide, keeping its once-weekly insulin program afloat.
  3. Hundreds of companies are currently running clinical trials in the increasingly lucrative obesity space. BioSpace looks at five candidates with data expected before the end of the year.
  4. This week, Q2 earnings from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly revealed that the competition between the pharma giants’ weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Zepbound is getting closer.
  5. Eli Lilly comfortably cleared analyst estimates in the second quarter after improving supply of its blockbuster tirzepatide brands Mounjaro and Zepbound, which together generated more than $4 billion in sales.
POLICY
  1. If Johnson & Johnson refuses to scrap its proposed changes to the 340B drug pricing for hospitals, it risks the termination of participation in the program and monetary fines, the Health Resources and Services Administration warned.
  2. It’s time for Congress to step up and fund America’s supply chain independence from Chinese companies by bolstering our domestic manufacturing capabilities.
  3. Healthcare players are pointing fingers amid regulatory crackdowns on pharmacy benefit managers, but proposed reforms wouldn’t address a dearth of competition in the larger market.
  4. A recent study estimated that Wegovy’s label expansion beyond obesity could push Medicare spending to $145 billion annually, but analysts remain dubious of the estimate.
  5. The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan bill, which targets WuXi AppTec, WuXi Biologics and other Chinese biotech companies as potential national security risks.
CAREER HUB
Now that a majority of us are working remotely, and it may stay like that for the foreseeable future, one thing we’ve left behind is the commute to the office.
Working from home can cause burnout and stress. The stress caused leads to low performance sometimes. Here are nine ways to prevent work from home burnout.
It’s no secret that employers ask tricky interview questions. But what do you do if you find yourself fumbling for words to answer these tricky questions?
Following up after an interview can be essential to help you gain peace of mind and reinforce your interest. Here’s how to improve follow up after interview.
Instead of letting LinkedIn slide to the bottom of your to-do list day after day, dedicate some time to it. Here’s what you need to add to your LinkedIn post.
Deciding on when to switch your job can be a difficult decision to make.
The pharmaceutical industry is full of job opportunities for people in various fields. Read on to find out more information about high-paying pharma industry jobs.
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
According to CEO Daniel Vitt, clinical and disability-related outcomes are more relevant than brain volume change for drug development in multiple sclerosis.
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. FDA
    Since its inception in 1992, the FDA’s accelerated approval pathway has helped shepherd nearly 300 new drugs to the market. However, recent years have seen a number of high-profile market withdrawals and failed confirmatory trials.
  2. With the regulatory approval for advanced breast cancer, Roche’s inavolisib is a potential challenger to Novartis’ PI3K inhibitor Piqray, which last year generated $505 million in revenue.
  3. The overall survival data from the late-stage trial will help Pfizer in its bid to expand the label for Talzenna and Xtandi, potentially covering all patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer regardless of biomarker status.
  4. The pediatric patients, with a rare neurodegenerative disease, were treated with bluebird bio’s Skysona to slow the progression of neurologic dysfunction. Six patients developed myelodysplastic syndrome and one patient developed acute myeloid leukemia.
  5. After several high-profile failures, including BMS’ $1.5B breakup with Agenus, anti-TIGIT therapies are generating cautious optimism.
NEUROSCIENCE
  1. Second-quarter earnings season continues with Big Pharma beating Wall Street expectations, the author of an encrypted email sent to BioSpace has a proposal for Moderna and Merck, Roche and Viking seek quicker entry to the obesity market, and AAIC is in full swing.
  2. Sangamo and Pfizer’s hemophilia A gene therapy candidate scored a Phase III victory last week. However, with the genomic medicine company soon to run out of cash, Sangamo’s short-term prospects look bleak but not unsalvageable, analysts say.
  3. Cognitive function in the liraglutide cohort declined 18% slower than in the placebo arm over one year of treatment, researchers announced Tuesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.
  4. The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use found that Leqembi’s benefits do not outweigh the risks of severe side effects associated with the treatment.
  5. Biogen and Sage Therapeutics’ investigational neuroactive steroid did not significantly improve upper limb tremors in patients with essential tremor, the companies announced Wednesday.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. An autologous and personalized regulatory T cell therapy is safe in patients with type 1 diabetes, but does not help preserve β-cell function.
  5. 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.