In May, Revolution Medicines projected its cash and equivalents of $2.1 billion would last into the second half of 2027. With new funding from Royalty Pharma, the biotech has withdrawn that runway end date.
The star of Monday’s deal is gusacitinib, a small-molecule drug that Formation is developing for chronic hand eczema. Sanofi will explore additional indications for gusacitinib in a Phase I study.
Eli Lilly’s bimagrumab led to weight loss that was due almost entirely to fat reduction when combined with semaglutide, marketed by rival Novo Nordisk as Wegovy. BMO Capital Markets called the data “impressive” while raising concerns about the antibody’s safety profile.
Speaking at BIO2025, rare disease leaders from Ultragenyx, Amylyx and Yale questioned the need for the new regulatory pathway proposed by FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. They acknowledged, however, that creative thinking is required to enable more treatments for patients with ultrarare diseases.
Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, who stepped into the role as the agency’s top drug regulator in January, is departing in July, according to an email sent to agency staff.
While Eli Lilly brushed off concerns about gastrointestinal side effects for oral weight loss candidate orforglipron, analysts from William Blair worried that adverse events are not tapering off as expected.
FEATURED STORIES
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.
Ultracompact CRISPR systems, which are in some cases one-third the size of Cas9, are being designed to be more specific and enable in vivo gene editing in difficult to reach tissues.
The BIOSECURE Act’s prohibition on doing business with China-based companies may have implications for biotech and biopharma markets on both sides of the Pacific.
After a long and challenging journey for its stem cell therapy NurOwn, BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics has aligned with the FDA on the parameters of a Phase IIIb ALS trial that is expected to begin by the end of 2024.
With GLP-1 receptor agonists expected to dominate the weight loss market in the near term, several young companies are building on this mechanism, while others are taking a completely different approach.
LATEST PODCASTS
In this episode of Denatured, BioSpace’s head of insights Lori Ellis and Colin Zick, partner at Foley Hoag LLP, spend time discussing some of the points brought up in the Bioprocessing Summit last month. They explore the connections between hammers, AI, The Planet of the Apes and monoliths.
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.
Job Trends
GenScript is excited to announce that Dr. David R. Liu, a prominent figure in the field of genome editing, has been appointed to the company’s scientific advisory board (SAB).
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
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.
BioSpace data show biopharma professionals faced increased competition for fewer employment opportunities during the second quarter of 2025, with increased pressure from further layoffs.
DEALS
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From Statera Biopharma and Sorrento Therapeutics to Aceragen and Infinity Pharmaceuticals, 2023 has seen a record high 28 bankruptcies in the biotech space so far. Here’s why. -
Following rumors last week of a potential acquisition by Sanofi, Bristol Myers Squibb on Sunday announced that it paid $4.8 billion to gain access to Mirati Therapeutics’ oncology-focused portfolio. -
Though data became an issue in two separate meetings, the FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee made a potentially precedent-setting decision by voting in favor of US WorldMeds’ neuroblastoma treatment. -
Following a Phase III failure and the departure of its CEO, Mirati Therapeutics is rumored to be engaged in acquisition discussions with French pharma giant Sanofi, according to Bloomberg. -
After finally getting the green light from the Federal Trade Commission last month, Amgen has completed the buyout and expects to provide updated fiscal year 2023 guidance during its third-quarter earnings call.
WEIGHT LOSS
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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. -
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. -
GLP-1 treatments are all the rage in this space, but they aren’t the only approach in development. The pipeline assets highlighted here offer a differentiated approach, potentially increasing efficacy or reducing side effects. -
A new Scandinavian study published Wednesday found no conclusive evidence to support the link between GLP-1 receptor agonists and an increased risk of thyroid cancer.
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.
If you’re planning on looking for a new job at the beginning of the year, now is the time to start your job search prep.
Interview practice will help you reduce interview anxiety, improve your interview skills, and in many cases, gain important feedback about how you interview.
While many job seekers are unnerved by the “Tell me about yourself” request, it’s actually an opportunity to shine and take control of the interview.
What will it take to motivate the employer to hire you, or at least invite you back for a second interview?
Experts differ on how direct job seekers should be in closing the sale. Some say candidates miss opportunities if they don’t come right out and ask for the job. Others say a hard sell doesn’t work in this situation.
Here are a few ways to amplify your job search that can help you make significant progress.
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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Under the deal announced Monday with the California biotech, German pharma Boehringer Ingelheim is gaining access to novel immune checkpoint inhibitors designed to activate the immune system to fight cancer cells. -
The combination therapy is one step closer to becoming a potential new first-line standard of care for patients with unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in Europe.
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The FDA has four big events in the coming two weeks, including an advisory panel meeting for an ultra-rare disease. -
The FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee on Thursday strongly supported changing clinical trials for non-small cell lung cancer drugs given in the perioperative setting, pointing out the need for a more nuanced approached to treatments before and after surgery. -
Novartis continues its dealmaking spree with a bet on Dren Bio’s Targeted Myeloid Engager and Phagocytosis platform to develop bispecific antibodies in oncology.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Heather, Greg and Tyler discuss a busy news week including Wegovy’s label expansion, biosimilars, surprise donanemab delays for Eli Lilly and speculate on election impact. -
The FDA plans to convene an advisory committee meeting to discuss the safety profile and efficacy of Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s candidate, the company announced Friday. -
The regulator’s new draft guidance, released on Monday, provides additional details regarding the use of surrogate and biomarker endpoints to support accelerated approvals. -
In Monday’s neurology update for investors, Roche touted data from a small Ib/IIa trial for trontinemab, an investigational therapy for Alzheimer’s disease which demonstrated “rapid and robust” amyloid plaque reduction. -
Acadia Pharmaceuticals is terminating development of its antipsychotic drug pimavanserin, which did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement over placebo in the late-stage study’s primary endpoint.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Bluebird bio has re-emerged after a private equity buyout as Genetix Biotherapeutics, marking a return to its roots and a new path forward for manufacturing. -
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.
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A new analyst survey suggests that doctors are still prescribing Sarepta’s Elevidys, even after a series of deaths in certain populations marred the gene therapy’s record. -
The patient-specific nature of autologous cell therapies presents unique challenges that can best be addressed by a middle path between on-site and centralized manufacturing. -
Capsida has yet to disclose the exact cause of death. The patient had received the gene therapy CAP-002 for a type of epilepsy.
