Phase 2 data from PTC Therapeutics showed that the Novartis-partnered Huntington’s disease asset slowed progression by more than 50%. Analysts say the decision to initiate a last-stage trial reflects a lack of confidence in an accelerated FDA nod.
Sanofi and Novartis kick off the heart of earnings season; Lilly strikes its fourth pact in as many weeks; Regeneron earns landmark approval for a gene therapy for a type of genetic deafness, and also strikes a White House deal; FDA asks Amgen to withdraw Tavneos and, separately, issues Commissioner’s National Priority Vouches to three unnamed psychedelics companies.
Angel investors are raising the bar with tighter criteria, backing strong teams, realistic markets and clear paths to exit while applying deeper, domain-specific diligence to early stage bets.
AbbVie is setting up a shot to buy Kestrel Therapeutics down the line, as the biotech doses patients in a Phase 1 trial for the oral pan-KRAS inhibitor KST-6051 in solid tumors.
Topline Phase 3 results of survodutide—licensed to Boehringer Ingelheim from Zealand Pharma—are more comparable to Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy than to Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, William Blair analysts said on Tuesday.
Follow along as BioSpace tracks job cuts and restructuring initiatives.
FEATURED STORIES
As it did during the COVID-19 pandemic, mRNA technology offers an efficient way forward in developing products for diseases that lack approved treatments.
As communication gaps in the US healthcare market widen, the emphasis on the need for credible information and patient empowerment is paramount.
As high prices and supply issues drive consumers to alternative markets for GLP-1s, physicians aren’t too interested in using these therapies to treat conditions like heart disease risk that have existing cheap standards of care.
SpringWorks Therapeutics sprung out of Pfizer’s storeroom, when a rare disease advocacy group pushed to keep a program for neurofibromatosis alive. This method could work for “every rare disease under the sun,” advocates say.
SpringWorks Therapeutics is the perfect case study for rescuing a discontinued assets. It’s time to repeat the process for every rare disease, experts say.
The industry remains unwavering in the commitment to increased clinical trial accessibility and representation.
LATEST PODCASTS
Sanofi and Novartis kick off the heart of earnings season; Lilly strikes its fourth pact in as many weeks; Regeneron earns landmark approval for a gene therapy for a type of genetic deafness, and also strikes a White House deal; FDA asks Amgen to withdraw Tavneos and, separately, issues Commissioner’s National Priority Vouches to three unnamed psychedelics companies.
In this episode of Denatured, you’ll be hearing from Dr. Sarah Howell, CEO at Arecor Therapeutics and Dr. Wendy S. Lane, clinical endocrinologist and diabetologist. We examine how increasingly connected and tailored diabetes technologies are reframing the field’s central opportunity around minimizing the day-to-day demands of managing the condition.
The deals keep rolling in, with Lilly penning a $7 billion pact for gene delivery biotech Kelonia Therapeutics and UCB taking over cell therapy-focused Neurona Therapeutics; President Trump signed a new executive order supporting the development of psychedelic therapies, sparking fanfare and concern alike; and the FDA’s recent Replimune decision has triggered broader debate about the agency’s flexibility.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
BioSpace looks back at 2025 and where the FDA is going in 2026.
The BioSpace team hit the ground running at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference earlier this month to bring you the news from the streets of San Francisco.
BioSpace data show job postings live increased quarter over quarter, while layoffs fell year over year.
DEALS
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With six acquisitions already this year, Eli Lilly’s business development shows no signs of stopping as executives make good on a promise to spend their GLP-1 gains. -
Weight loss giant Eli Lilly has penned a DNA editing deal with Profluent Bio, continuing its dealmaking spree as well as its commitment to artificial intelligence. -
Sun Pharmaceutical is bringing Merck spinoff Organon into the fold, paying $11.75 billion in hopes of becoming a top global biosimilar player. -
Eli Lilly is picking up Ajax Therapeutics and its once-daily oral blood cancer candidate. The deal follows the pharma’s buyouts of ADC specialist CrossBridge Bio and in vivo CAR T company Kelonia Therapeutics. -
The takeover will give Amneal control of four facilities to manufacture biosimilars for a planned wave of launches in the coming years.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Roche and Zealand Pharma announced last month that their amylin analog petrelintide elicited a 9% placebo-controlled weight reduction at 42 weeks—falling far below analyst and investor expectations. -
Two of the biggest insurance providers have expressed reluctance to participate in the government’s BALANCE program that would have made GLP-1 drugs more affordable to patients. -
While Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill reached more than 3,000 patients in its first week on the market, analysts at RBC Capital Markets said a direct comparison of the two figures could be misleading given the shorter data collection time for Foundayo. -
Obesity-focused Kailera Therapeutics debuted on the Nasdaq Friday after raising a record $625 million, beating Moderna’s $600 million from 2018. -
More patients on Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide lost over 5% of their lean mass versus those on Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, according to a study that has yet to be peer reviewed.
POLICY
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Of the 17 companies that were implored by the White House last July to apply Most Favored Nation pricing to their drugs, Regeneron is the last to agree—the same day the FDA greenlit its gene therapy for hearing loss in kids. -
The FDA in July 2025 made publicly available over 200 complete response letters—an initiative that the investment community sees as “unanimously positive,” analysts told BioSpace. -
A year of significant policy change at the FDA brought momentum and scrutiny into the new year. As 2026 gets underway, biopharma companies are responding to sweeping vaccine changes while concerns surface about the politicization of the agency. -
A new executive order could usher in psychedelics as the “key next wave” of mental health therapies, according to analysts at RBC Capital Markets. -
The pharma industry “own Congress, they own the media,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. told lawmakers by way of explaining the bad press against FDA Commissioner Marty Makary following the second rejection of Replimune’s advanced melanoma drug.
Some bosses stretch you. Others make work more bearable. Both can earn your loyalty. Only one is building your future. Leadership coach Angela Justice explains how to tell the difference.
Looking for a biopharma job? Check out the BioSpace list of 12 top companies hiring life sciences professionals like you.
As AI reshapes deeply specialized scientific work, R&D professionals must learn to navigate the shift to a skills-centered market. The key is knowing which skills to develop and how to leverage AI as scientific modalities evolve, technologies advance and regulatory complexity increases.
Recruiters can play a significant role in biopharma professionals getting hired, especially in an employer-driven job market. However, when working with them, candidates need to avoid making six key mistakes, from waiting too long to ask for help to prematurely contacting hiring companies.
While you should never rely solely on AI tools when applying for jobs, they can greatly benefit the application process. Recruiting expert Bryan Blair discusses how using large language models can set you apart from the competition and includes a prompt framework to get you started.
In a competitive job market, how applicants present themselves in interviews is critical. Asking about promotions and expressing dislike for the work they’d be doing are just a few reasons hiring managers don’t extend job offers.
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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Cancer cocktails pairing Moderna’s mRNA-4359 with Merck’s Keytruda and Marengo’s invikafusp alfa with Gilead Sciences’ Trodelvy showed promising results, while a complex combination by Agenus and MiNK Therapeutics failed to elicit an overall response. -
Executives insist Novartis will return to growth in the second half, but for Q1 2026, generic erosion drove a 5% drop in revenue, including a 46% nosedive for blockbuster heart failure drug Entresto. -
Fresh off a major clinical win, Revolution Medicines alleges that Erasca’s pancreatic cancer drug infringes on key patent protections and that the rival has “improperly compared” the companies’ assets publicly. -
While tovecimig met the main goal of progression-free survival in a Phase 2/3 trial, it did not improve overall survival. -
Pfizer’s decision to cut its early-stage cancer asset was due to “strategic business reasons” and not driven by safety or efficacy concerns.
NEUROSCIENCE
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This year’s American Academy of Neurology meeting included a presentation that could one day set a new treatment standard for myasthenia gravis. -
With a greenlight for ibogaine to enter clinical testing and three unnamed products set to receive Commissioner’s National Priority Vouchers this week, it’s full speed ahead for psychedelics. But will sidestepping normal regulatory protocols actually be a net negative for the field? -
The pivotal study of zilganersen in Alexander disease missed a secondary endpoint, but analysts expect the FDA to approve the asset given the unmet need and overall data. -
After receiving the FDA’s greenlight for Hunter syndrome drug Avlayah, Denali Therapeutics CEO Ryan Watts saw the culmination of 20 years of hard work unraveling the mysteries of the blood-brain barrier. -
With programs from Eisai and Hansoh Pharmaceutical in hand, Tortugas Neuroscience has emerged with hopes of delivering daily oral treatments to patients with central nervous system conditions.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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George Church’s Rejuvenate Bio is turning to social networks to help fund its work on one-time gene therapies targeting chronic diseases and root causes of aging. -
As cell and gene therapy leaders gathered in Maryland to discuss accelerating clinical trials in children, one “cutting edge” session focused on the need to expedite more bespoke gene editing treatments like the one that saved young KJ Muldoon. -
Approved Thursday via the FDA’s Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher program, Otarmeni is the first gene therapy for hearing loss—and the first treatment to target an underlying cause of the condition. -
At Sarepta Therapeutics, we’ve seen it all. Here are the questions I believe we should be asking to move forward in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. -
After entering the CAR T space in February, Eli Lilly is “jumping into in vivo CAR-T with both feet” with the acquisition of Kelonia Therapeutics and its gene delivery technology.
