Vinay Prasad, chief of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, is planning to publish a paper this month to outline his office’s thinking on accelerating gene editing reviews.
Novo Nordisk, under new CEO Maziar Mike Doustdar, has a new attitude. It’s making Pfizer livid.
Skyrizi and Rinvoq made nearly $7 billion combined, almost half of the company’s income for the quarter alone.
Otsuka Pharmaceuticals could shell out over $400 million in total for the Asia-Pacific rights to 4D-150, which combines a VEGF-C inhibitory RNAi with Regeneron’s Eylea into a single ocular injection.
Before being discontinued, the P2X7 receptor blocker had cleared a master protocol study in chronic pain, though Eli Lilly said that results were not sufficient for advancement of the Asahi Kasei–partnered asset.
Gilead is actively looking for late-stage and de-risked assets for potential deals across various therapeutic spaces, including liver disease, cancer and immunology.
FEATURED STORIES
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.
BioNTech said in 2022 that it faced “threats of a groundless patent infringement suit” from a company that was “unable to bring to market any product to help in the fight against COVID-19.” Now, the mRNA biotech is buying that very company.
Sanofi paid a more than 300% premium on its acquisition of Vigil Neuroscience, suggesting a fierce battle to seal the deal. Across biopharma, companies are sometimes willing to put it all on the line for the right buyout. Novartis’ recent acquisition of Regulus for $800 million upfront provides a case study.
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A tale of two multi-billion schizophrenia deals, AstraZeneca touts strong sales while deflecting questions about an investigation into China exec, the Huntington’s pipeline builds momentum and layoffs continue with Sana Biotechnology and 23andMe.
In this episode of Denatured, BioSpace’s Head of Insights Lori and guests from Teva Pharmaceuticals and TOWER Capital discuss the opportunities, regulatory challenges and uncertainty surrounding AI.
Job Trends
The Thermo Scientific™ Stellar™ mass spectrometer combines speed and sensitivity to advance precision medicine.
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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 Biotech Ecosystem Venture Fund will combine the sourcing capabilities of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) with Eli Lilly’s expertise in R&D—plus half a billion in capital from the Big Pharma. -
Initial rounds of VC financing totaled $7.7 billion over 137 deals for biopharma in 2024, compared to $3.8 billion over 156 deals in 2023. -
J.P. Morgan releases its quarterly look-ahead days before the entire biopharma industry descends on San Francisco for the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. -
BioSpace presents 25 noteworthy biopharma startups in ’25; analysts forecast stronger M&A as the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference kicks off next week; GLP-1s continue to expand their reach as Novo, Lilly fight against compounders; and a look ahead to five key FDA decisions in Q1. -
Licensing deals have risen in prominence in a restrained market environment. Is it desperation, or an important part of the biotech ecosystem? Experts weigh in.
WEIGHT LOSS
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The company unveiled plans last week to test its GLP-1/glucagon dual receptor agonist in alcohol use disorder and alcohol-related liver disease. -
As obesity drug developers compete for the highest weight-loss efficacy, experts contend that overall health outcomes—evidenced by successful studies in therapeutic areas like cardiovascular and sleep apnea—may prove a greater market advantage. -
The Maryland-based biopharma joins Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk in trialing a GLP-1 agonist for alcohol- and liver-related conditions. -
Roche and Zealand plan to study petrelintide as a monotherapy and in combination with CT-388, a dual agonist of the GLP-1 and GIP receptors that Roche picked up in its recent acquisition of Carmot Therapeutics. -
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.
POLICY
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The lawsuit alleges that HHS leadership knew the records they used to guide their layoff decisions were inaccurate and contained errors. -
In comments posted in response to the Trump administration’s pharma tariff investigation, companies and industry groups offered solutions to ease the impacts if the plan must go ahead. -
The overturning of the FDA’s lab-developed tests rule is just the tip of the iceberg. With the loss of Chevron deference, power has shifted from federal agencies to the courts, with potential implications for everything from the FDA shortage list to CMS drug price negotiations. -
According to the nonprofit news outlet NOTUS, at least seven studies cited in the Make America Healthy Again report released last week are nonexistent. The White House shrugged off questions about the errors. -
In a letter to the Department of Commerce, Novo Nordisk argued that unsanctioned compounded semaglutide, mostly from China, constitutes a national security threat to the U.S.
BioSpace sat down with Maritza Gamboa, the associate director of talent acquisition at Intellia Therapeutics, to find out how to identify and avoid scam job offers.
BioSpace sat down with Axogen’s Chief Human Resources Officer Maria Martinez to understand why now is the best time to make the switch to pharma and biotech.
If you’re ready to start earning the salary you deserve, here are some tips to help you recognize your worth and negotiate pay as a remote employee.
BioSpace spoke with industry experts to find out the differences between working in pharma and biotech and how to know if a pharma company is right for you.
According to a survey by CareerBuilder, 23% of hiring managers spend less than 30 seconds reading a resume. Make the most of those seconds with these five tips to make your resume stand out.
We spoke with Alison Senkovich O’Sullivan, Senior Director of Human Resources at Athersys, about how to ace an interview and what candidates can do to prepare.
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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According to Tempest, its options include a partnership or licensing deal, as well as a merger or an acquisition. -
The FDA approved the use of Opdivo with Yervoy in front-line colorectal cancer, while a Manhattan court junked a class action complaint over the blood cancer drug Pomalyst. -
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. -
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. -
An independent data monitoring board found that BeiGene’s ociperlimab was unlikely to significantly boost overall survival in patients with untreated NSCLC.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Analysts do not believe the Phase III stumble for aticaprant will derail J&J’s broader neuroscience strategy, particularly given its recent $14.6 billion acquisition of Intra-Cellular Therapeutics and the success of Spravato for treatment-resistant depression. -
The new formulation of Keytruda, currently under FDA review, is sparking conflict with Halozyme, which makes enzymes that convert intravenous drugs into injectable versions. -
Biohaven in recent months has reported a clinical stumble in spinal muscular atrophy, alongside a Phase I readout for its protein degrader candidate that investors found underwhelming. -
After failing to hit the primary endpoint in a Phase III trial, Neumora is remixing study parameters in two replicate trials, with data expected in the first half of 2026. -
Despite not differentiating itself from placebo, the Texas-based company said it plans to push pilavapadin into Phase III trials before long.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Gilead beat consensus estimates in Q4 with $7.6 billion in revenue, driven largely by its HIV drug Biktarvy and CAR T therapies Trodelvy and Yescarta. -
Vertex expects to make the newly approved non-opioid pain medicine Journavx available by the end of February. -
Adding a new indication for the CAR T cell therapy could help BMS offset the loss-of-exclusivity headwinds it faces in the coming years.
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Faced with the encroaching threats of patent expirations and generics, biopharma companies in 2024 invested 33% more in licensing deals, on average, than in 2023 with an eye toward enriching their pipelines with novel and potentially more effective therapies. -
Several companies—including JCR Pharmaceuticals, Denali Therapeutics and Regenxbio—have products in the pipeline that could improve treatment options for this rare disease.
