Empaveli reduced proteinuria by 68% versus placebo in glomerulopathy and glomerulonephritis, an effect that was sustained through one year of follow-up.
Atopic dermatitis manifests differently in patients with darker skin color, according to the companies, including subtler presentations and more severe and prolonged lesions compared to patients with lighter skin.
The Seattle-based company came to ASCO25 with new data on its neuroendocrine tumor–treating lead therapy, with big vibes and speedy speech.
Given the evidence, the committee has recommended that the labels for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic be updated to include the “very rare” risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.
Otsuka’s investigational antibody sibeprenlimab approximately halved levels of this key biomarker in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy.
In a roundtable event on Thursday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his office will work to eliminate barriers that keep cell and gene therapies from the market.
FEATURED STORIES
The group of like-named companies that include Novo Holdings and Novo Nordisk—the two tied to a multibillion-dollar buyout of Catalent currently under FTC review—ultimately send proceeds to the Novo Nordisk Foundation, one of the world’s largest charitable foundations.
Pharmaceutical companies are combining antibodies with radioisotopes in a bid to more precisely deliver radiation to cancers and tumors.
Massachusetts residents voted Tuesday against the Natural Psychedelic Substances Act, which would have seen some psychedelics, including psilocybin and dimethyltryptamine, legalized in the state.
In the wake of Pfizer’s voluntary market withdrawal of the popular sickle cell disease therapy, BioSpace looks at five investigational drugs currently making their way through the pipeline.
This week marked the start of the third-quarter earnings season, with Johnson & Johnson exceeding Wall Street’s expectations. Pfizer is projected to have a strong quarter, while Eli Lilly could pull ahead of Novo Nordisk in the obesity space. Moderna, by contrast, has a decidedly negative outlook.
Artificial intelligence won’t replace people in biopharma, but it is infiltrating every step of drug development, including in some ways that aren’t so obvious.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
While FDA Commissioner Marty Makary emphasizes learning and humility, the FDA has systematically removed the very experience that would make change possible.
LATEST PODCASTS
The team comes together to discuss the dominant themes of what was an incredibly busy week of events in San Francisco during JPM 2024.
The BioSpace team is recording from San Francisco as they bring you the the latest highlights from Day 3 at JPM2024.
The BioSpace team is recording from San Francisco as they bring you the the latest highlights from Day 2 at JPM2024.
Job Trends
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in cellular metabolism and PK activation pioneering therapies for rare diseases, reported business highlights and financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
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.
A new generation of checkpoint inhibitors is emerging, with some showing more promise than others. From recent TIGIT failures to high-potential targets like VEGF, BioSpace explores what’s on the horizon in immuno-oncology.
Peter Marks, the venerable head of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, has been forced out. In this special edition of BioPharm Executive, BioSpace takes a deep dive into the instability of the HHS.
DEALS
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Acorda Therapeutics becomes the latest biotechnology company in 2024 to go bankrupt and shutter its business, following years of financial difficulty. Merz Therapeutics will acquire two commercial medicines from Acorda for $185 million.
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Genmab announced Wednesday it is buying ProfoundBio and its pipeline of next-generation antibody-drug conjugates being developed for gynecologic cancers and other solid tumors.
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Following a series of rejections and clinical failures, Eiger BioPharmaceuticals has declared bankruptcy and will sell all its assets as the company winds down operations.
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Avalo Therapeutics rolled the dice on a big pivot Wednesday, acquiring AlmataBio and focusing on the biotech’s ex-Eli Lilly hidradenitis suppurativa candidate over its existing assets.
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Gamida Cell, whose cell therapy for blood cancer was approved last year by the FDA, is being taken private and restructuring due to liquidity constraints.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Encouraged by the potential of the weight-loss candidates acquired from Carmot Therapeutics, Roche will speed up the development of its obesity programs, seeking to differentiate itself in the market.
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With promising Phase II data in hand, Viking Therapeutics is pushing its subcutaneous GLP-1/GIP receptor dual agonist into late-stage development, the company announced on Wednesday.
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Despite early 2024 optimism, BioSpace’s Job Market Trends report outlines a still sluggish situation in the biopharma industry, Novartis and J&J announce Q2 earnings, GLP-1 market leaders expand into China and the Cassava Sciences saga continues.
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Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide, which has previously been approved in China for diabetes, can now also be used for chronic weight management in the world’s second most populated country.
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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.
POLICY
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RFK Jr. as HHS head is perhaps President-elect Donald Trump’s most controversial Cabinet pick now that Matt Gaetz has withdrawn as nominee for Attorney General. With Dr. Oz tapped to lead CMS and maybe Marty Makary at the FDA, it’s going to be quite the show.
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Makary is a pancreatic surgeon at Johns Hopkins who became known for battling medical mistakes and in recent years has been an outspoken critic of COVID-19 policies.
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The selection of controversial TV personality Mehmet Oz to run the agency overseeing Medicare and Medicaid follows Trump’s pick of RFK Jr. to run its parent department, HHS.
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While the full impact of the Supreme Court decision remains unknown, the new regulatory landscape could be a net positive for drug developers.
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Trump’s HHS pick, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is an anti-vaccine campaigner who has previously said that he plans to gut the FDA on allegations of corruption and reduce the NIH’s headcount.
Most people don’t know that asking questions can help with an application. Here are some unique questions for interviewer that you should remember to ask next time.
If you’re questioning which types of leaders you get along with the best, or you’re just wondering what types of leaders exist, you’re in the right place. Here’s a quick breakdown.
Just like first impressions, the first 30 days at your new job can set the tone for a new position.
Providing interview feedback to the candidate after an interview is very crucial if you want to pick out only the best. This article will help you do that efficiently.
Are you feeling that your productivity is decreasing at work? Here are some beneficial time management strategies to be mindful of to get work done efficiently.
Here are some of the best remote companies to work for this year. These companies can provide you with the right kind of exposure that will help you professionally.
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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The move is a blow to Gilead’s cancer portfolio. Trodelvy, an antibody-drug conjugate granted accelerated approval for bladder cancer in 2021, failed its confirmatory trial earlier this year.
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The regulator has delayed its respective decision dates on whether to grant full approval to Amgen’s Lumakras in metastatic colorectal cancer and Intercept Pharmaceuticals’ Ocaliva for primary biliary cholangitis.
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Opdivo showed a 52% progression-free survival advantage over Adcetris in newly diagnosed Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to a Phase III study that combined either therapy with doxorubicin, vinblastine and dacarbazine.
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Thursday’s agreement with Orano Med is the second in as many months. Sanofi in September made its first foray into the radioligand space with a $110 million licensing deal with Orano Med and Texas biotech RadioMedix.
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Jazz Pharmaceuticals contends that its alkylating agent Zepzelca significantly improved both overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, when used as a front-line maintenance therapy with Roche’s Tecentriq.
NEUROSCIENCE
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The FDA has three regulatory milestones in the next two weeks, including a decision on a subcutaneous formulation of an effective multiple sclerosis therapy.
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Neurocrine Biosciences’ potential competitor to Bristol Myers Squibb’s KarXT improved symptoms of schizophrenia in a Phase II trial, but only at the low dose tested.
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While approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Alzheimer’s drug failed to win the backing of the U.K.’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which said that its benefits were “too small to justify the cost.”
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Psychedelic drug developers are undeterred by the FDA’s Complete Response Letter for the company’s MDMA therapy for PTSD, and experts expect Lykos will ultimately obtain approval.
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On the heels of last week’s FDA rejection of Lykos’ MDMA-assisted PTSD therapy, Atai announced Tuesday positive preliminary results for its DMT-based treatment for depression from a Phase Ib study.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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While NK cell therapies can potentially avoid the serious side effects sometimes seen with CAR T cell therapies, experts say durability may stall their path to the market.
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BioSpace’s Lori Ellis discusses the risks and challenges of cell and gene therapy combination products with DIA speakers James Wabby, AbbVie and Rob Schulz, Suttons Creek, Inc.
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Belgian biotech Galapagos is teaming with Blood Centers of America to help deploy its decentralized CAR-T therapy manufacturing platform closer to treatment centers across the U.S.
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Following back-to-back approvals in lymphocytic leukemia, Bristol Myers Squibb’s CAR-T therapy Breyanzi on Wednesday won the FDA’s green light for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma.
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While these technologies are now a therapeutic reality, the ASGCT 2024 annual meeting this week was a reminder of just how far we are from widespread use.