BioSpace remembers COVID-19 five years after the pandemic was declared, Novo Nordisk’s CagriSema again misses expectations as the company joins a lawsuit filed by drug compounders against the FDA, Viking secures ample supply of its investigational obesity medication, J&J strikes out in depression, and Makary and Bhattacharya near confirmation.
While Vaxart can proceed with its study, fellow COVID-19 vaccine developers GeoVax and Novavax continue to be hamstrung by various regulatory roadblocks.
Biohaven will use the money to bankroll commercial preparations for the spinocerebellar ataxia drug candidate troriluzole, which is currently under FDA review with a decision expected in the third quarter.
The company’s $3 billion in earnings for the first quarter missed on both top and bottom line, according to BMO Capital Markets. Adding insult to injury, the FDA declined to approve a prefilled syringe of its ophthalmology cornerstone.
Pfizer’s R&D organization has been in flux for almost two years now, since the $43 billion acquisition of ADC specialist Seagen. The new cuts were revealed in the company’s Q1 earnings report.
Spruce Biosciences is cutting over half of its employees as it looks to secure accelerated approval of a Sanfilippo syndrome therapy it recently acquired from BioMarin.
Pfizer’s sasanlimab, when used with standard of care, reduced the likelihood of disease recurrence or progression, death due to any cause or persistence of cancer cells by 32% in patients with high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
FEATURED STORIES
As Novo Nordisk cuts 9,000 people from its organization in a restructuring effort, BioSpace looks back on the Danish pharma company’s rise.
Suddenly one obesity asset has come to define Amgen but executives see a fuller portfolio that will bring the big biotech into the future.
The vaginal microbiome plays a critical role in women’s health, from infection resistance to fertility, yet it continues to remain underexplored. With DNA Genotek™’s OMNIgene™•VAGINAL collection kit, researchers and innovators are empowered to collect stablized samples with precision to support women’s healthcare research and development of healthcare for women.
Contingent value rights are rising in a down market, helping to close the gap between buyer and seller expectations in biotech transactions.
Executives at Novartis have not been shy about a desire to buy more companies, with cardiovascular a big focus. In total, the Swiss pharma has put $17.23 billion on the line in M&A and licensing deals this year.
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.
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
Bristol Myers Squibb announced updated results from the primary analysis of the Phase 3 COMMANDS trial, comparing Reblozyl® versus epoetin alfa for the treatment of anemia in erythropoiesis stimulating agent -naïve patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes who may require red blood cell transfusions.
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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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Ligand will spin off its antibody discovery business into a new entity known as OmniAb, Inc., which will then merge with Avista Capital Partners and head to The Nasdaq Stock Market. -
Shenandoah Biotechnology is a Warminster, Pennsylvania-based firm that manufactures recombinant proteins, including growth factors and cytokines. -
California-based Apexigen and two other companies are planning to move to the Nasdaq Stock Exchange following their mergers with SPACs. -
Tokyo-based Eisai Inc. and Biogen announced modifications to their existing collaboration on developing the drug Aduhelm (aducanumab). -
The drop in value has prompted MorphoSys to make drastic changes, such as discontinuing its U.S. operations and abandoning several pipeline projects.
WEIGHT LOSS
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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. -
While a win for consumers, the regulatory action did nothing to stem the manufacture of compounded versions of the popular obesity drugs that are made by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. In fact, the FDA seems to be signaling that “some level of compounded product is acceptable,” according to BMO Capital Markets. -
The World Health Organization’s Essential Medicines list guides high-level procurement and coverage decisions for over 150 countries. -
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.
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Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy has been on a winning streak as of late, with a metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis approval last month and prime position in the oral obesity race.
POLICY
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The pharmaceutical industry is facing critical attention, particularly around drug pricing and development costs. Drug development cost is about 10% of the total healthcare spend in the United States. Broader issues such as local monopolies, utilization, unit, and costs and local monopolies, politics and a fragmented payer system contribute to the increasingly high costs to patients. -
As the Biden administration calls for more-expansive drug pricing controls, it’s important to reflect on how we’re arriving at expected outcomes. -
Keytruda can now be used in the European Union for patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer at high risk of recurrence in combination with platinum chemotherapy, then continued as a monotherapy afterwards. -
April kicks off with three FDA target action dates, including one that could potentially set the stage to move CAR-T therapies into earlier lines of treatment. -
After an initial rejection due to safety issues, followed by a dispute and deferred actions, Akebia Therapeutics on Wednesday finally won the FDA’s nod for vadadustat as a treatment for anemia caused by chronic kidney disease.
“Prioritize the value of what you’re making over wealth.”
Let’s take a look at one of the top international pharmaceutical companies in the world, Novartis.
Meet Joe. Or Alice. Either one. Joe and/or Alice has been unemployed for several months. Despite sending out dozens—maybe even hundreds— of resumes, Joe and/or Alice isn’t getting very many interviews. Assuming for a moment that Joe and/or Alice are qualified for the jobs they’re applying for, and assuming that there aren’t possible issues of ageism, sexism or something else outside the scope of this article, here are some tips for Joe and/or Alice to get the interview requests coming in.
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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Cullinan Therapeutics and Taiho Oncology’s zipalertinib elicited promising response rates in two mid-stage studies of non-small cell lung cancer patients with typical and uncommon EGFR mutations. -
Truist Securities called pumitamig’s data on Monday “very reassuring,” given the consistency between its performance in Chinese and global patient populations. -
Ivonescimab elicited better overall survival in Asian patients with non-small cell lung cancer than in those from North America and European countries, in Western countries narrowly missing the statistical significance threshold the FDA is seeking. -
According to analysts, the new data could present a path to accelerated approval for ifinatamab deruxtecan, a product of Merck and Daiichi Sankyo’s troubled ADC partnership.
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Some of the biggest SPACs from the industry’s pandemic-fueled heyday are no longer on the market.
NEUROSCIENCE
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The company could lay off as many as 1,000 employees as it continues to deal with the controversial treatment.
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Researchers are working to develop new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and improve the already existing ones. Find out more here. -
In what is sure to create widespread skepticism — or enthusiasm, a study published in Nature Aging found that use of erectile dysfunction medication Viagra was associated with a 69% lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. -
Researchers studied the behavior of protein cells in the brain and found a significant difference in those who have had dementia and those who have not, particularly in their ability to clean themselves. -
Every week there are numerous scientific studies published. Here’s a look at some of the more interesting ones.
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. -
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. -
Appia Bio’s shutdown continues an unfortunate trend this year that has seen biotech closures nearly every month.
