In combination with Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide, marketed as Zepbound for obesity, Scholar Rock’s monolonal antibody helped patients lose the same amount of weight as patients on tirzepatide alone while preserving more muscle mass.
The U.K.-based biotech is set to enter mid-stage studies for its depression drug this year, while two other GABAA modulators are poised for clinical trials in 2026.
Speaking at BIO2025, Makary bemoaned what he called “unnecessary steps” and “avoidable delays” in the U.S. regulatory landscape.
The new version of the bill will still need to go through the entire House and Senate.
Andembry is the first monthly Factor XIIa inhibitor for the prevention of HAE attacks and will be available to patients “before the end of June,” CSL announced.
Another patient has died from acute liver failure after receiving Sarepta’s gene therapy for DMD ; After a quiet start to the year, M&A is back with one deal for a gene editing biotech reinvigorating that sector; and RFK Jr. installs a suite of new vaccine board members who share his skeptical views on vaccines.
FEATURED STORIES
Clinical trial concerns and a negative advisory committee vote ultimately sunk the treatment.
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.
After Merck noted the issue in its Q2 earnings call without providing specifics, analysts are left in the dark about the HPV vaccine’s future in China.
Experts say the time is now to develop and provide widespread access to genetic medicines for the rarest diseases. What’s more, they say it is a moral imperative.
Longeveron and Lexeo Therapeutics are working on CGT therapies to treat Alzheimer’s disease, but it’s not clear whether they have a better chance of success than traditional approaches.
Active immune therapies hold promise for preventing or slowing disease onset, but some experts warn of potential safety risks.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
Establishing trust through thought leadership is no longer optional in today’s cautious biopharma market. This webinar will show leaders how strategic insights and targeted outreach can turn awareness into high-converting leads. Watch now.
LATEST PODCASTS
This week’s release of the Make America Health Again report revealed continued emphasis on vaccine safety; Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s faceoff with senators last week amounted to political theater; the FDA promises complete response letters in real time and shares details on a new rare disease framework; and Summit disappoints at the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Barcelona.
In this episode presented by Taconic Biosciences, BioSpace’s head of insights Lori Ellis discusses how preclinical research companies are helping drug developers navigate the current challenging funding environment with Mike Garrett, CEO.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will appear before the Senate Finance Committee Thursday, ahead of a vaccine advisory committee meeting later in September. Meanwhile, deal-making appetite appears healthy, and the weight loss space continues generating clinical data and other news.
Job Trends
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the launch of the Family Health History Road Trip, its program designed to encourage conversations between family members about their health history so they can discuss with their doctor to better understand their risk for developing an inherited disease like hereditary ATTR amyloidosis.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
BioSpace did a deep dive into biopharma female executives who navigated difficult markets to lead their companies to high-value exits.
BioSpace data show biopharma professionals faced increased competition for fewer employment opportunities during the second quarter of 2025, with increased pressure from further layoffs.
BioSpace did a deep dive into executive pay, examining the highest compensation packages, pay ratios and golden parachutes—what a CEO would get paid to leave.
DEALS
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The New York-based genetic medicine company, which expects gross proceeds of approximately $100 million, joins a small group of biotechs that have launched initial public offerings this year. -
The Swiss drugmaker gains rights to RVT-3101 in the U.S. and Japan. Telavant was formed in late 2022 by Roivant and Pfizer, which had a 25% stake in the venture and retains rights to the antibody in other countries. -
While Merck lost out to Pfizer earlier this year in snapping up Seagen, this week the company closed a deal worth a potential $22 billion with Daiichi Sankyo—further evidence of the industry’s insatiable appetite for ADC technology. -
Despite increasing antitrust scrutiny across the biopharma industry, the European Commission on Thursday said it found no competitive issues with Pfizer’s buyout of the antibody-drug conjugate company. -
Sail Biomedicines combines Laronde’s circular eRNA platform with Senda’s nanoparticle delivery technology in the pursuit of a new class of programmable medicines across therapeutic areas.
WEIGHT LOSS
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With Wednesday’s readout showing symptom improvements in obstructive sleep apnea patients, Eli Lilly is preparing to file for a label expansion for its blockbuster weight-loss drug Zepbound. -
The German biopharma company on Tuesday announced ambitious pipeline plans that include starting 10 new Phase II and III trials over the next 12 to 18 months. -
The European Medicines Agency on Friday said it found no evidence linking GLP-1 receptor agonists with suicidal thoughts and actions, following a review of patients taking Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide and liraglutide, and Eli Lilly’s dulaglutide and AstraZeneca’s exenatide. -
Florida District Judge Roy Altman earlier this week ruled against Eli Lilly, finding that the drugmaker cannot use state law to block reformulated versions of its blockbuster weight-loss and diabetes medication tirzepatide.
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The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists has released statistics showing the number of active and ongoing U.S. drug shortages has reached 323, the highest number since it began tracking the data.
POLICY
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Eli Lilly this week announced plans to sell single-dose vials of its weight loss drug Zepbound directly to consumers. Novo Nordisk could adopt a similar strategy for Wegovy as its CEO is set to testify Sept. 24 before the Senate health committee.
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Siding With Novo and Lilly, Court Agrees to First Tackle ‘Cross Cutting Issues’ in GLP-1 LitigationsIn agreeing with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, Pennsylvania judge Karen Spencer Marston said the court should first settle questions of gastroparesis diagnosis and sufficient warnings for side effects. -
The chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability wants the CEOs of CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and Optum Rx to fix statements they made in a hearing last month that contradicted the committee’s and Federal Trade Commission’s findings. -
Congress, the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are all targeting Big Pharma’s practice of filing multiple, overlapping patents that stifle generic and biosimilar competition. -
Well-financed startup Tome is winding down operations just as two new companies, Borealis Biosciences and GondolaBio, are launching. Meanwhile, in the midst of already tense relations with China, House lawmakers raise the alarm about U.S. companies working with the country’s military on trials.
When using the STAR Method, be sure to discuss the who, what, where, when and how of an experience.
While early January can still be a slow time for hiring as people get organized, once the middle of the month hits, it’s go time.
Behavioral interviewing is probably the most popular interviewing style utilized today. Keeping this in mind we have listed some behavioral interview questions for you.
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.
Behavioral interviewing is touted as providing a more objective set of facts to make employment decisions than other interviewing methods. Read to learn more.
If you’ve been on the hunt for a job for longer than you’d like, you might need to change your method. Here are tips, tricks and common mistakes to avoid to make your job search more productive.
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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Despite having an impressive roster of high-profile supporters, including AbbVie, BMS, J&J, Novartis and Pfizer, PARP-focused Ribon has called it quits after nearly a decade in business. -
Approved under the regulator’s accelerated pathway, Tecelra is also the first new synovial sarcoma therapy in more than a decade, according to Adaptimmune Therapeutics. -
In pursuit of Merck’s blockbuster Keytruda, GSK’s Jemperli scored its own broad FDA label expansion, allowing its use in first-line endometrial cancer regardless of biomarker status. -
As part of a major reorganization, Vir Biotechnology has discontinued the bulk of its virology work and pivoted to cancer in an exclusive licensing deal with Sanofi. -
Incyte announced Tuesday it is realigning its research and development priorities to focus on dermatology and inflammatory assets obtained from the $750 million acquisition of Escient Pharmaceuticals.
NEUROSCIENCE
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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. -
A federal appeals court Monday backed Teva and Viatris’ challenge to a lower court ruling, finding that the companies can again make their case against Johnson & Johnson’s patent covering its schizophrenia drug Invega Sustenna. -
The filing of a Biologics License Application for a subcutaneous version of Biogen and Eisai’s Leqembi (lecanemab) has been delayed due to procedural reasons, the companies announced Monday. -
While disease-modifying therapies largely steal the spotlight in Alzheimer’s drug development, several companies are working to solve this less-discussed but disruptive facet of the illness. -
Imagine testing a really good drug for HER2+ breast cancer in someone with liver cancer. Would it be any surprise when that drug fails?
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Capsida has yet to disclose the exact cause of death. The patient had received the gene therapy CAP-002 for a type of epilepsy. -
Ori Biotech’s CEO said the prioritization of review by FDA, coupled to the impact of the technology, could shave up to three years off development timelines. -
As AAV9 and CRISPR programs navigate safety, delivery and scalability hurdles, small molecules offer a deployable, scalable bridge, complementing genetic approaches and accelerating meaningful impact for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. -
It can cure deadly diseases, save long-term healthcare costs and transform lives. But the U.S. insurance system still isn’t ready to pay for it. -
Vertex Pharmaceuticals commits $45 million upfront to leverage Enlaza Therapeutics’ War-Lock platform to create drug conjugates and T cell engagers for autoimmune diseases and gentler conditioning for sickle cell/beta thalassemia gene-editing therapy Casgevy.
