The regulatory greenlight was backed by two Phase III trials that showed normalized growth hormone levels in patients with the rare pituitary condition. It’s the first approval for Crinetics Pharmaceuticals and something CEO Scott Struthers predicted “will transform people’s lives.”
Looking for a biopharma job in Pennsylvania? Check out the BioSpace list of six companies hiring life sciences professionals like you.
The Trump administration’s recently announced fee for new H-1B visa petitions is “completely unreasonable,” an immigration attorney told BioSpace. Attorneys and talent acquisition experts discuss how the fee could impact biopharma and confusion around the proclamation.
Truist analysts called the results “encouraging” while pointing out certain unknowns in the data. Immuneering plans to kick off a registrational trial for atebimetinib later this year.
The decision to stop the Phase IIb study was driven by “strategic business reasons,” according to a federal clinical trials database.
Three draft recommendation documents published on Wednesday are intended to guide drug sponsors and accelerate the development of cell and gene therapies.
FEATURED STORIES
The Inflation Reduction Act includes an exemption for orphan drugs for a single indication, but experts say this is far from sufficient to maintain momentum in the rare disease space.
In advance of this week’s CDC vaccine advisory meeting, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. restacked the committee, claiming problematic industry ties within the previous group. Experts say ACIP had long navigated COIs appropriately and that the new appointees risk the apolitical nature of membership.
On the sidelines of BIO2025, Julie Gilmore, head of Lilly Gateway Labs, shares her thoughts on the $1.3 billion Verve Therapeutics buy, where Lilly’s therapeutic puck is potentially going and how the company is leveraging its unprecedented success in obesity to support young biotechs.
EY’s 2025 Biotech Beyond Borders report provides a sobering snapshot of the industry’s financial health, with more and more companies facing cash runways of less than one year. The analyst firm’s leaders urge a return to basics for biotech.
Industry watchers responded mostly positively to the commissioner’s new voucher program, but worries remain over staffing cuts at the agency.
Findings that U.S. companies can sue foreign rivals despite limited business operations in the country could dissuade drug developers from targeting the U.S. market, potentially benefiting domestic producers of biosimilars.
LATEST PODCASTS
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s HHS nomination moves to a full Senate vote; Donald Trump’s tariff war sparks China-related concerns for biopharma; Pfizer, Merck and more announce Q4 and 2024 earnings; and the non-opioid painkiller space heats up as FDA approves Vertex’s Jounavx.
In this episode, presented by the Genscript Biotech Global Forum 2025, BioSpace’s Head of Insights Lori Ellis talks to Tom Whitehead, co-founder of the Emily Whitehead Foundation, about how standard care, cell and gene therapies and their impact on patients.
Donald Trump continues to make waves in biopharma; Sage rejects Biogen’s unsolicited takeover offer; the obesity space sees more action with new company launches, IPOs and fresh data; and experts get ready for an important era in the Duchenne muscular dystrophy space.
Job Trends
Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) today announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has validated the extension application to introduce a new route of administration (subcutaneous use) for Opdivo®.
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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
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The J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference started off with a flurry of deals that reinvigorated excitement across the biopharma industry. Johnson & Johnson moved to acquire Intra-Cellular Therapies for $14.6 billion, breaking a dealmaking barrier that kept Big Pharma’s 2024 biotech buyouts to under $5 billion.
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Donald Trump continues to make waves in biopharma; Sage rejects Biogen’s unsolicited takeover offer; the obesity space sees more action with new company launches, IPOs and fresh data; and experts get ready for an important era in the Duchenne muscular dystrophy space.
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Following a lawsuit filed last week, Sage has officially rejected Biogen’s unsolicited buyout offer, which valued the embattled biotech at just $469 million.
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Protein degradation–focused Neomorph nabs its third Big Pharma deal of around $1.5 billion in less than a year.
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The deal follows a $1.06 billion U.S. contract in July 2024 and a $1.24 billion agreement with an Asia-based pharma a few months later.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are in a global battle for dominance in the weight loss space. BioSpace takes a look at the territory covered and what’s to come.
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With crucial lessons learned from the manufacturing shortages of injectable GLP-1s, experts say securing adequate supply of the upcoming oral options will be the sector’s next great challenge.
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Novo will license UTB251, a triple hormone receptor agonist that in mid-2023 achieved 24% weight reduction at 48 weeks in a mid-stage study.
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The explosion of GLP-1 weight loss drugs is reminiscent of the early days of PD-1 inhibitors, but key market differences suggest history may not repeat itself.
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Under the terms of the agreement, OPKO will accept 60% of the development costs, while Entera will shoulder 40%.
POLICY
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An open letter signed by more than 50 industry executives blasts a “fundamentally, fatally flawed” report that urges greater restrictions on the abortion pill.
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As an office of the executive branch, the Department of Health and Human Services “does not have the authority” to implement sweeping changes to the structure of the agency as created by Congress, a judge wrote.
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Kennedy wants to expand the injury compensation program to include COVID-19 vaccines, while also stretching the “statute of limitations” to more than three years.
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In an open letter addressing the Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts to HHS, the executives urged Congress to continue “robust federal funding” for scientific research, which they say will help maintain U.S. biotech leadership globally.
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The revamped and “more anti-vax skewed ACIP committee” at the CDC “has a bone to pick with mRNA vaccines,” according to Truist Securities analysts. Meanwhile, the FDA moves forward on having Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna update labels for their COVID vaccines.
In this job market report we’re reviewing life sciences job market movement in Q3 and what to expect for Q4 and beyond.
With 88% of life sciences organizations using or planning to use AI in recruitment and/or hiring, AI regulation is a priority for the industry.
Despite a government report showing that hiring slowed over the month of June, job postings on BioSpace’s life sciences-focused job board saw a marked increase.
Here are 10 career paths to consider that don’t include bench work, along with role descriptions and links to jobs available now on BioSpace’s job board.
Here are the top biotech companies in California hiring now on BioSpace’s life sciences–focused job board.
To be self-employed in the life sciences, you must have a strong network and background and experience in a relevant area.
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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At the intersection of radiation and precision, Novartis, Bayer, AstraZeneca and more hope to cash in on a radiopharmaceuticals market that could top $16 billion by 2033.
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After losing its powerhouse partner, IGM Biosciences closed “most” of its labs and offices and initiated a strategic review of potential strategic alternatives and options for the business.
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The cell engineering company, co-founded by oncologist and writer Siddhartha Mukherjee, does not see a path forward for its pipeline of early-stage cell therapies for two different types of cancer.
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The Massachusetts biotech will focus its efforts and resources into cemsidomide, an oral drug candidate being trialed for multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
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Keytruda is set to lose exclusivity in 2028, meaning Summit may face competition from cheaper biosimilars. Meanwhile, other branded drugmakers are also seeking to improve on the blockbuster checkpoint inhibitor.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Wegovy and Zepbound are just the latest drug dyads to face-off in the competitive pharma market, continuing a legacy of rivalry that includes blockbuster drugs Keytruda, Humira and Eliquis.
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Stifel analysts were bullish on the data, which showed a 16.5% drop in body-mass index among patients with damage to the hypothalamus taking Rhythm Pharmaceuticals’ Imcivree.
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GSK is paying to access ABL Bio’s Grabody-B platform, which potentially enables therapies to cross the blood-brain barrier.
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Analysts at BMO Capital Markets said Centessa’s orexin receptor agonist has “best-in-class” potential for narcolepsy, putting the company in a strong position in the $15 billion market.
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Sangamo, which has been having cash problems, will receive $18 million upfront in licensing fees for its AAV capsid that in preclinical studies has shown the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Adaptimmune is rolling out its T cell therapy Tecelra for synovial sarcoma, recording $1.2 million in sales since its approval in August 2024. Nevertheless, it is pausing development of two oncology assets to save money.
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After Sarepta reported the death of a patient who had recently taken the gene therapy Elevidys, patient advocacy group Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy stepped up—as they always do.
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The biotech is exploring opportunities for a reverse merger or other business combinations. CFO and now interim CEO Anup Radhakrishnan will take charge of these negotiations.
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After a patient taking the Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy Elevydis died of liver injury, Sarepta will update the label to reflect the safety signal.
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The gene therapy world is in turmoil, but Arbor, armed with more than $1 billion in partnerships and raises, is going forward.