Pfizer insists that the discontinuation of the Phase II study was due to recruitment difficulties and was not linked to maplirpacept’s safety or efficacy.
In a detail-thin announcement, Amgen said that adding bemarituzumab to chemotherapy improved overall survival, though analysts pledged to wait for more data on safety and tolerability before assessing the drug.
The all-cash buyout, which gives AbbVie access to Capstan Therapeutics’ in vivo edited CAR T therapy for B cell–mediated autoimmune diseases, adds to a growing sense of momentum in M&A, according to BMO Capital Markets.
BMS is letting go of 68 employees in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The pharma has now cut over 1,000 employees there since April 2024 as part of its cost-cutting measures.
The rise of monoclonal antibodies brought back hope for stalling or reversing the devastating neurodegenerative disease. Big Pharma has taken notice with a handful of high-value deals, GlobalData reports.
Digging into a prespecified analysis for the mid-stage study, INmune Bio identified some clinical and biological benefits of its TNF inhibitor in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease who have at least two biomarkers of inflammation.
FEATURED STORIES
BMS’ KarXT targets muscarinic receptors and “is at least 2-3 years ahead of the competition” including AbbVie and Neurocrine Biosciences, Truist Securities wrote in a note to investors.
Sen. Bernie Sanders’ aggressive targeting of Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy pricing, and not Eli Lilly’s rival drugs, is not fair.
Many Big Pharma companies including Pfizer, Merck and BMS make the drugs that some researchers expect to be selected by CMS for next year’s Medicare price negotiations alongside analysts’ top pick, Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic.
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are expected to rule the obesity market for a few more years without much challenge. To ensure they stay there as competition enters, the companies are spending billions in licensing and M&A deals.
Clinical trial results shared by Boehringer Ingelheim and Insilico Medicine showed improvement in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an intractable lung disease for which current treatment options fail to stop progression, but the data were limited, leaving experts wanting.
Before companies and investors look towards the future, they must first understand the opportunities and challenges AI presents to them. From the benefits included in advancing processes to cybersecurity hazards, AI innovation is a balanced scale of oppportunities and 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
The White House is clamping down on pharma’s ability to buy new molecules from Chinese biotechs; Sanofi, Merck and others abandon the U.K. after the introduction of a sizeable levy; Novo CEO Maziar Mike Doustdar lays off 9,000 while the company presents new data at EASD; Capsida loses a patient in a gene therapy trial; and CDER Director George Tidmarsh walks back comments on FDA adcomms.
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.
Job Trends
Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca’s Biologics License Application for datopotamab deruxtecan has been accepted in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative breast cancer who have received prior systemic therapy for unresectable or metastatic disease.
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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 BioSpace team is recording from San Francisco as they bring you the the latest highlights from Day 3 at JPM2024. -
All assets of the regenerative medicine and cell therapy company are being divested to its research partner to the tune of $2 million in the form of a credit bid. -
Following in the footsteps of Novartis, J&J and Merck, GSK jumped into the J.P. Morgan dealmaking frenzy Tuesday, picking up respiratory and inflammation-focused Aiolos Bio. -
From the rising trend of royalty financing to other adaptive funding strategies, firms think outside the box in responding to unprecedented challenges. -
Harpoon has several antibodies in its pipeline that are engineered to redirect a patient’s T cells to recognize and kill cancer cells.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Jørgensen has agreed to appear before the Senate health committee in a hearing on the prices of its blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. -
While GLP-1 drugs remain wildly popular and are a highly lucrative sector, data analytics firm GlobalData contends manufacturing and cost will remain overhangs on the obesity market. -
The plethora of genes involved in obesity presents an intriguing opportunity for both gene silencing and ex vivo gene therapy approaches. -
Building on last year’s potential $7 billion partnership with Flagship Pioneering, Pfizer and Flagship-founded ProFound Therapeutics will work on discovering new obesity candidates. -
Seeking to target the lucrative obesity market, Merck is focusing its R&D efforts on next-generation GLP-1 therapies that offer additional benefits beyond weight loss, according to company executives.
POLICY
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Analyst reactions to Donald Trump’s election victory were mixed Wednesday, with potential positives including an FTC that is likely to be more friendly to M&A, and negatives including concerns about what role Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. might play in healthcare. -
The Big Pharma companies made a last-ditch effort asking a U.S. appeals court to reconsider their lawsuits against the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare drug price negotiations, which they contend infringe on their constitutional rights. -
While some analysts say Donald Trump is a wild card when it comes to drug pricing, many argue his presidency would be more positive for the industry overall, as Kamala Harris has her price-cutting sights squarely on Big Pharma. -
The CDC’s vaccine advisors on Thursday maintained that respiratory syncytial virus immunization is only recommended for adults aged 75 and older, and in seniors 60 to 74 years who are at risk of severe disease. -
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Wednesday backed the use of Merck’s Capvaxive and Pfizer’s Prevnar 20 in adults between 50-64 years of age, opening a bigger market for the respective companies.
If you’ve been furloughed, it’s normal to feel some apprehension, fear and/or doubt about your employment. These are four ways to stay productive if you’ve been furloughed.
Most job applicants don’t know about questions that they should ask at the end of an interview. Here are some not-so-common interview questions that you must remember to ask.
Once you do land your next job interview, you’ll want to address your layoff in the right way. Here’s how.
Finding common ground and making small talk are both skills that help you build that rapport with someone.
Of the resumes submitted to employers that use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), 75% are never seen by human eyes.
The global COVID-19 pandemic may not seem like the best time to accelerate your career, but some characteristics of this unusual time actually lend themselves to career-boosting activities. Whether you are still working from home or are back in your workplace, this article offers suggestions for pumping up your career.
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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Tecentriq Hybreza, which combines Roche’s Tecentriq with Halozyme Therapeutics’ Enhanze drug delivery technology, is being touted as the first and only subcutaneous anti-PD-(L)1 cancer immunotherapy. -
In an effort to build its commercial capacity, Moderna on Thursday announced it is lowering research and development spending, while pushing back its target for breaking even by two years to 2028. -
BioMarin’s new business strategy leaves investors with questions; Lykos CEO steps down; Terns releases compelling data on oral weight loss candidate; and more. -
Despite the disappointing late-stage results in non-small cell lung cancer, Jefferies analyst Stephen Barker contends the likelihood of FDA approval “remains high” for the experimental antibody-drug conjugate, though the regulator is now more likely to convene an advisory committee. -
Set to start in 2025, Relay Therapeutics is moving toward a pivotal study of experimental treatment RLY-2608 in heavily pretreated locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Otsuka Pharmaceuticals announced Wednesday it is ending development of drug candidate AVP-786 after failing to improve agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. -
Approaches and targets for depression and other mental health illnesses have remained stagnant for decades. With several readouts for novel therapies on the horizon, that could be changing. -
Following a series of clinical failures, optimism builds for the first disease-modifying treatment. -
Disappointed with Phase I/II results for two Ionis-partnered programs, one for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and another for Angelman syndrome, Biogen has opted to not proceed with their development. -
After missing their initial target in March 2024, Eisai and Biogen have initiated a rolling BLA for a subcutaneous maintenance formulation of Leqembi, which could offer a more convenient dosing schedule for Alzheimer’s disease patients.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Orchard Therapeutics on Monday secured the FDA’s first approval for an autologous gene therapy to treat the rare metabolic disease metachromatic leukodystrophy in children. -
By votes of 11-0 and 8-3, respectively, an FDA advisory committee Friday deemed the risks of early death for both Johnson & Johnson’s Carvykti and Bristol Myers Squibb’s Abecma acceptable. -
Asgard Therapeutics, a Swedish gene therapy biotech, has closed a $32 million Series A round with help from prominent pharma players as it prepares for a 2026 IND. -
The FDA approved Bristol Myers Squibb’s Breyanzi for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic leukemia prior to Friday’s adcomm for the company’s other CAR-T therapy, Abecma. -
With an advisory committee meeting slated for Friday, the regulator has posted briefing documents in which it has raised concerns about early deaths in patients treated with Bristol Myers Squibb’s Abecma and Johnson & Johnson’s Carvykti.
