Big Pharma executives have not been shy about their desire for deals, but companies have been battling macro headwinds alongside Trump’s policies on drug pricing and tariff threats.
Looking for a biopharma job in California? Check out the BioSpace list of 11 companies hiring life sciences professionals like you.
Dispatch seeks to address two main challenges of immunotherapies in solid tumors: the lack of a target and the immunosuppressive tumor environment.
The FDA will select at most five companies that align with national priorities, including lower drug prices and increased domestic investment.
The voluntary pauses follow two patient deaths associated with the Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy.
A retrospective cohort study found that semaglutide and tirzepatide are linked with significantly lower risks of dementia and stroke, hinting at potential neuroprotective effects of GLP-1 therapies.
Sarepta Therapeutics faces serious FDA action after news broke of a third patient death, the FDA gets a new top drug regulator in George Tidmarsh, a handful of new drugs get turned away from the market and pharma companies continue to commit billions to reshoring manufacturing.
FEATURED STORIES
Both Eli Lilly and the partnered companies Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma have mid-stage data readouts this week, fueling the race in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.
There are multiple ways biopharmas create inclusive workplaces for LGBTQ+ employees, and they go beyond employee resource groups and benefits.
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.
While San Diego remains a top biotech hub behind Boston and San Francisco, the city—which hosts this week’s BIO International Convention—has seen employment drop amid economic headwinds.
Experts say approval of Lykos Therapeutics’ MDMA capsules for post-traumatic stress disorder would open the door to further research into psychedelic-assisted therapies.
AstraZeneca last week set another ambitious goal, this time with plans to nearly double its total revenue by the end of the decade. However, it’s easier said than done, according to analysts.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
BioSpace’s Q3 2025 U.S. Life Sciences Job Market Report reveals a turbulent quarter for biopharma hiring, with record declines in job postings, rising layoffs, and cautious employer sentiment shaping the industry’s employment landscape.
UPCOMING EVENTS
LATEST PODCASTS
In this episode presented by PII, BioSpace’s head of insights discusses how to relieve clinical trial patients of technological burden to improve compliance with guests Oliver Eden and Travis Webb.
Pfizer and Novo Nordisk continue to fight for ownership of obesity startup Metsera; CDER Director George Tidmarsh leaves his position amid an ongoing probe into his “personal conduct”; FDA reverses course on approval requirements for uniQure’s Huntington’s gene therapy; Sarepta’s exon-skipping Duchenne muscular dystrophy drugs fail confirmatory study.
In this episode presented by Element Materials Technology, BioSpace’s head of insights discusses how China, historically focused on manufacturing, is increasingly becoming an innovation leader, particularly in pharmaceuticals, with guests Dr. Jihye Jang-Lee and Dr. Khanh Courtney. Ultimately, balanced strategies involve domestic capacity investments coupled with global collaboration.
Job Trends
MorphoSys AG announced the company entered into a Business Combination Agreement with Novartis data42 AG and Novartis AG based on Novartis’ intention to submit a voluntary public takeover offer for all outstanding MorphoSys no-par value bearer shares at an offer price of € 68.00 per share in cash.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
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.
BioSpace did a deep dive into biopharma female executives who navigated difficult markets to lead their companies to high-value exits.
DEALS
  1. The initial public offering on the Nasdaq is a last-ditch effort by the biotech as there is “substantial doubt” as to the company’s “ability to continue as a going concern” without the IPO, according to its SEC filing.
  2. The company is paying $3.2 billion upfront in cash for Chinook’s two immunoglobulin A nephropathy candidates, atrasentan and zigakibart, which will complement its own IgAN hopeful iptacopan.
  3. The Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit takes an unusual strategy, according to legal experts, raising concerns and uncertainties in the biopharma industry.
  4. Roger Perlmutter’s company announced the addition Thursday of myriad early- to mid-stage assets in the cancer and neurodegenerative disease spaces.
  5. Data from a Phase III trial of apraglutide for a type of short bowel syndrome with intestinal failure is expected by the end of the year. It is also in a Phase II study for acute graft-versus-host disease.
WEIGHT LOSS
  1. The persistent shortage of genuine glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist products has led to an increase in fake versions, the World Health Organization warned on Monday.
  2. More than 3,000 people in the U.S. suffered from side effects of Ozempic in 2023, according to exclusive reporting on Wednesday from Reuters citing data from America’s Poison Centers.
  3. The Danish pharma has signed a collaboration and license agreement with Swiss biotech EraCal Therapeutics to access a novel candidate for controlling appetite and body weight.
  4. The team comes together to discuss the dominant themes of what was an incredibly busy week of events in San Francisco during JPM 2024.
  5. The agency nevertheless said that it could not definitively rule out a small risk of suicidal ideation associated with GLP-1 receptor agonists, and that it will continue evaluating the evidence.
POLICY
  1. As congressional pressure increases on WuXi AppTec and other China-based companies over alleged ties to the Chinese government, India’s contract development and manufacturing organization sector could benefit.
  2. DEI
    This week on Denatured, Head of Insights Lori Ellis and guests discuss the implications of not addressing the DE&I data gaps for the future.
  3. The Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating two senior employees of Cassava Sciences in connection with allegations of data manipulation for its Alzheimer’s disease candidate simufilam.
  4. The Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into Teva Pharmaceuticals after the company allegedly ignored directives to withdraw or amend contentious patent listings on the FDA’s Orange Book.
  5. The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned the long-standing Chevron doctrine, which required courts to defer to federal agencies and their interpretation of statutes, putting potential limits on the FDA’s regulatory decisions.
According to a recent BioSpace survey, 69% of employers indicated “finding quality talent” will be a significant challenge in 2019. Are you the quality talent life science employers are looking for? Don’t delay, apply now and show these employers you possess the quality skills they need!
There are many common misbeliefs around chronic procrastinators. they don’t care about work; they are lazy, etc. Here are some steps for overcoming procrastination.
Are you familiar with the medical writing profession? If not, you could be missing out on one of the most flexible and rewarding careers in life sciences.
The demand for professionals is increasing exponentially. Recruitments are happening at a rapid pace. Here is everything about bioinformatics careers.
You should always add an executive summary for resumes because they show what you bring to the table. Here’s what you can add to your executive summary.
Afraid of writing a cover letter for a job application? Learn how to overcome your fears, and write the best letter possible for your next job opportunity.
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 centerpiece of the acquisition is petosemtamab, Merus’ bispecific antibody targeting EGFR and LGR5, which in May demonstrated best-in-class potential for head-and-neck cancer.
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. The FDA will close out April with five target action dates around indications that include pediatric seizures and a neurological cancer in children.
  2. As its lead oral targeted protein degrader moves through Phase III in partnership with Pfizer, Arvinas signs a licensing deal handing over all rights and responsibilities to Novartis.
  3. Roche said Monday that its bispecific T cell engager Columvi improved survival in a Phase III lymphoma trial, clearing the drugmaker to seek a full, expanded label that could drive sales growth.
  4. Data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting sparked hope that we could be getting closer to treating pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma and other particularly difficult tumors.
  5. Novartis on Thursday announced that it is making $150 million in upfront payments to protein degradation biotech Arvinas, while separately revealing that its tender offer for MorphoSys has begun.
NEUROSCIENCE
  1. Following the FDA’s full approval of the Alzheimer’s drug Thursday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services confirmed broader coverage of Leqembi and released more details on a registry.
  2. FDA
    Thursday, Eisai and Biogen’s Leqembi also became the first disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s to win traditional approval. CMS coverage is expected to begin immediately.
  3. After a series of milestone approvals in the first half of 2023, the FDA is slated to decide on four more firsts before the year’s end.
  4. After an FDA advisory committee unanimously recommended Leqembi’s full approval, questions linger around amyloid-related imaging abnormalities and a potentially cumbersome patient registry.
  5. Neurologist David Weisman, with financial ties to the companies, was removed from the FDA’s upcoming advisory committee meeting slated to consider Leqembi’s traditional approval.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
  1. The FDA previously placed two clinical studies on hold, including the Phase III trial in which the liver toxicity occurred. Intellia is working with experts to create a risk management program for nex-z.
  2. Pfizer and Novo Nordisk continue to fight for ownership of obesity startup Metsera; CDER Director George Tidmarsh leaves his position amid an ongoing probe into his “personal conduct”; FDA reverses course on approval requirements for uniQure’s Huntington’s gene therapy; Sarepta’s exon-skipping Duchenne muscular dystrophy drugs fail confirmatory study.
  3. The potential approval of Vertex’s IgAN therapy povetacicept in 2026 comes amid launch headwinds for the company’s non-opioid pain medicine Journavx and gene therapy Casgevy.
  4. With a 100% response rate in a Phase II study, KYV-101 sets a new efficacy bar in generalized myasthenia gravis, according to analysts at William Blair.
  5. The clinical hold comes days after Intellia voluntarily paused enrollment and dosing in the same two studies.