The biotech’s Huntingtin-targeting molecule lowered blood levels of the protein and elicited functional improvements in earlier-stage patients, but results were not as robust in other biomarkers or with patients at later stages of the disease.
Bristol Myers Squibb has made significant cuts to its workforce since last year as part of a strategic reorganization aimed at saving $3.5 billion through 2027. The latest cuts in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, bring that area’s total number of disclosed cuts this year to 806.
BNT327, a PD-L1/VEGF therapy, is still currently being manufactured in China, but BioNTech is working to establish a diversified supply chain, executives said during the company’s Q1 investor call.
The cell and gene therapy space in recent months has hit several speedbumps, including layoffs, dropped drugs and discontinued partnerships.
The FDA accepted Novo Nordisk’s NDA for an oral formulation of Wegovy. The agency is expected to release its verdict on the drug in the fourth quarter of this year.
The FDA’s user free programs account for just under half of the agency’s budget—money that could be imperiled by the recent staffing exodus.
FEATURED STORIES
Long considered resistant to economic downturns, the pharmaceutical industry may face a greater challenge this time around as GLP-1s dominate and the population grows older.
Researchers in pharma and beyond have historically glommed onto a limited number of disease targets, limiting innovation. AI could change that.
Akero Therapeutics, 89bio, Boston Pharmaceuticals and more are working to bring novel treatment options for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis to a market that could reach $16 billion by 2033.
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.
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Job Trends
Cellares Announces Agreement with Kite to Evaluate Its Cell Shuttle Automated Manufacturing Platform
Cellares today announced that Kite , a Gilead Company, will evaluate Cellares’ automated manufacturing platform, the Cell Shuttle.
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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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High profile failures and long timeframes for revenue have shifted investment away from Phase I, as VCs seek to mitigate risk, Pitchbook said in its 2025 outlook.
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BioArctic received $100 million upfront with another $1.25 billion in potential milestone payments on the line for two pyroglutamate-amyloid-beta antibodies.
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Photys is eligible for up to $186 million from Novo Nordisk for its PHICS small molecules that pair a kinase to a disease-causing protein for phosphorylation.
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BioSpace Senior Editor Annalee Armstrong reflects on the year that was, and what’s to come in 2025.
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The Novo-Catalent deal now moving ahead highlights unprecedented investment in manufacturing, while also standing out as an exception to the unspoken rule of keeping M&As to less than $5 billion this year.
WEIGHT LOSS
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The readout comes on the heels of CagriSema’s disappointing Phase III performance, where it missed Novo’s projection of 25% weight reduction.
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The San Diego–based company’s molecules avoid the well-trod GLP-1 pathway in favor of an alternate route in the gut.
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Biopharma executives shared their thoughts on the potential impacts of the new administration; Annalee Armstrong recaps JPM and her talks with Biogen, Gilead, Novavax and more; Wegovy’s higher dose induces more weight loss; AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s Dato-DXd scores its first FDA approval.
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Computational research conducted by scientists from Washington University in St. Louis shows that GLP-1 agonists can have mental and cognitive health benefits but may also harm the kidneys and pancreas.
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As the year gets underway, analysts and biotech executives highlight cell therapy’s pivot from oncology to autoimmune diseases, a continued appetite for next-generation obesity drugs and an increased focus on neuromuscular, kidney and cardiovascular diseases.
POLICY
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If confirmed, Susan Monarez will have her work cut out for her, facing a measles outbreak that has already killed two people—the first measles-related deaths in the U.S. since 2015.
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After withdrawing its nomination for Dave Weldon last week, the Trump administration is now reportedly considering Texas Republican Michael Burgess to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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A group of medical experts expressed concern about growing “disinformation” and “misinformation,” calling for adherence to recommended vaccine schedules.
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Democratic senators from Georgia, Oregon, Maryland and New Mexico called the Trump administration’s decision to terminate hundreds of CDC staffers reckless and unfair.
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The CDC budget cuts could pose headwinds for HIV drugmakers like Gilead and Merck but are unlikely to severely cripple their HIV divisions, according to analysts.
By incorporating soft skills in your resume, you showcase your ability to work well with others, which is important to employers.
It’s important to quit your job the right way so you can exit on a positive note, which could benefit you in the future.
The FTC’s final rule banning most new noncompetes should go into effect later this year, although it faces opposition from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
By understanding the different types of difficult bosses, you can shift your perspective and approach the situation from a less stressful, more effective angle.
Despite the benefits of hiring foreign-born STEM employees, some companies avoid it largely due to unfamiliarity with the visa process, according to two recruitment experts.
Plus, what to expect in a phone screen and how to handle an impending layoff.
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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Merck’s Keytruda may be the most talked about drug facing loss of exclusivity but it’s far from the only one, as several of the industry’s top-performers are losing key market protections. Some companies are more prepared than others.
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Casdatifan’s progression-free survival benefits could help differentiate it from Merck’s Welireg in the kidney cancer arena, according to analysts at Truist Securities.
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Ono picked up Romvimza—previously known by its active ingredient vimseltinib—from its $2.4 billion acquisition of Deciphera Pharmaceuticals in April 2024.
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The failure in adjuvant melanoma could cause BMS and Opdualag to miss out on a market opportunity that is nearly twice as large as its current approved indication, according to analysts.
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Amgen will continue to advance half of the combo, PRMT5 inhibitor AMG 193, for which it is running a mid-stage trial in MTAP-null advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Biogen’s effort to buy Sage reveals its “desire to expand its pipeline at a discount,” according to analysts from BMO Capital Markets.
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Boehringer Ingelheim’s trio of late-stage schizophrenia failures on Thursday came a day after the Department of Health and Human Services hit back on the pharma’s legal challenge to the IRA’s drug price negotiation program.
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AbbVie and Gilead are going back to their roots and leaning on their established areas of expertise to set themselves up for sustainable success in 2025.
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Amidst a “renaissance” of interest in neuropsychiatry, Seaport’s executive team is taking nothing for granted.
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J&J, GSK, Eli Lilly and others struck high-value transactions in the early days of biopharma’s annual kickoff conference. Meanwhile, Biogen proposes to acquire struggling neuro partner Sage, and obesity dominates discussions as Pfizer goes “all in.”
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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By mid-2025, the biotech will split into two entities: a new, as-yet-unnamed innovative medicines specialist and a cell therapy company, the latter of which will inherit the Galapagos name.
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BioSpace presents 25 noteworthy biopharma startups in ’25; analysts forecast stronger M&A as the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference kicks off next week; GLP-1s continue to expand their reach as Novo, Lilly fight against compounders; and a look ahead to five key FDA decisions in Q1.
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From ADCs and radiopharmaceuticals to cell and gene therapies, eager young startups are betting on advances in biopharma’s most competitive therapeutic spaces—and attracting dollars from Big Pharma.
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Sangamo is on course to run out of money within months and has now lost access to up to $220 million in milestone payments from Pfizer.
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The approval concludes what has been a difficult regulatory path for Ryoncil, which suffered FDA rejections in 2020 and 2023.