The layoffs will affect employees at Pfizer’s Bothell, Washington site, which previously served as the headquarters for Seagen before being acquired by the pharma for $43 billion.
Eli Lilly drops a second Phase III readout for orforglipron; AbbVie committed to the psychedelic therapeutics space with the $1.2 billion acquisition of Gilgamesh’s depression asset; the CDC taps vaccine skeptic Retsef Levi to lead its COVID-19 immunization working group; and the FDA prioritizes overall survival in cancer drug development.
While Truist Securities analysts said the results from the ATTAIN-2 trial leave “room for competition,” they also pointed to a manufacturing advantage that could unlock a “double-digit billion dollar opportunity” for Eli Lilly.
The MIT professor of management, who already sits on the CDC’s revamped immunization advisory committee, is a known skeptic of vaccines, particularly mRNA technology.
Based on new data, argenx expects to file for the expansion of Vyvgart’s label into patients with generalized myasthenia gravis who are negative for antibodies against the AChR marker—an indication William Blair analysts called the broadest option in this disease space.
The White House has denied reports that the government could soon ban COVID-19 vaccines, noting that in the absence of an official announcement, “any discussion about HHS policy should be dismissed as baseless speculation.”
FEATURED STORIES
President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming administration are unlikely to attempt a wholesale restructuring of U.S. healthcare and could promote M&A activity, but controversial picks like Robert F. Kennedy could impact vaccine sales, experts say.
Not exactly known for its dealmaking, Sarepta Therapeutics has thrown down a massive wad of cash to work with Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals on RNAi-based medicines.
Intra-Cellular submitted its application to the FDA for Caplyta’s approval in major depressive disorder, potentially opening up an additional $1 billion in sales. Still, the stock remains “cheap,” according to Jefferies analysts.
Despite hotly debated biomarkers and failed or delayed confirmatory trials, the accelerated approval program has a track record of propelling R&D for some of medicine’s most challenging illnesses.
Emboldened by technological advances and a deeper knowledge of glioblastoma, Merck, Kazia Therapeutics, CorriXR Therapeutics and others are targeting the often-fatal brain tumor.
Projected to be worth over $38 billion in the global healthcare market by 2032, AI simulations have the potential to streamline clinical trials and help address inequities in underserved patient populations.
LATEST PODCASTS
On this episode of the Weekly: Biden administration puts pressure on the biopharma industry; renewed interest in psychedelics after MindMed announces LSD-based candidate meets primary endpoint; bluebird changes its tune.
How can startup leaders support long-term sustainable growth and investment? BioSpace’s Lori Ellis speaks with venture capital guests Ansbert Gadicke, Martin Gershon and Mike Goguen for their advice and recommendations on how biopharma startups should approach funding.
What needs to happen for funding in biopharma to bounce back? BioSpace’s Lori Ellis discusses the macroeconomic environment and biopharma funding outlook with venture capital guests Ansbert Gadicke, Martin Gershon and Mike Goguen.
Job Trends
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, has introduced the Gibco™ CTS™ OpTmizer™ One Serum-Free Medium *, a novel animal origin-free formulation designed specifically for clinical and commercial cell therapy manufacturing to deliver increased scalability and performance of T cell expansion.
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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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Big Pharma’s appetite for safe and effective oral IBD drugs with novel mechanisms of action continues to grow, with my former company just the latest in a string of acquisitions in the space. -
Monday’s announced buyout of Virginia-based Landos Biopharma adds a mid-stage, oral NLRX1 agonist for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease to AbbVie’s growing portfolio. -
Just weeks after Wegovy won FDA approval for cardiovascular disease, Novo Nordisk has bought mid-stage biotech Cardior Pharmaceuticals and its miRNA-targeting candidate for heart failure. -
The contract manufacturer plans to expand its U.S. footprint with a former Roche facility in Vacaville, California, which Lonza contends is one of the largest biologics manufacturing facilities in the world by volume. -
Following in the footsteps of Bristol Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca on Tuesday jumped into the radiopharmaceuticals space by acquiring Fusion Pharmaceuticals in a deal worth $2.4 billion.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Eli Lilly’s new research and development facility in Boston’s Seaport district will focus on DNA- and RNA-based therapies, as well as other priority areas such as diabetes and obesity. -
Rivus Pharmaceuticals will push HU6 into Phase III development and is looking to engage with regulatory authorities and launch a late-stage study next year in obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. -
Lykos Therapeutics will ask the FDA to reconsider its rejection of the company’s MDMA-assisted PTSD therapy, Pfizer scores positive Phase III results for its RSV vaccine, a roundup of Q2 earnings season and more. -
While some biopharma companies beat expectations, others fell short for various reasons, with some deciding to return or axe assets. -
By the end of the year, Novo Nordisk intends to make a regulatory filing for the combination of its icodec and semaglutide, keeping its once-weekly insulin program afloat.
POLICY
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Kennedy’s confirmation hearing on Wednesday became heated as Democratic senators grilled the nominee for HHS Secretary on his previous statements about vaccine safety. -
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has named Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus as part of the second round of the IRA drug price negotiation program, even as the pharma challenges the program. -
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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Ahead of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearings, experts—and RFK’s own family—expressed concerns about his vaccine-related views, though the same experts are largely unfazed by the level of power he and Marty Makary could ultimately wield over the FDA. -
From March 2020 through September 2022, Biohaven wielded meals at high-end restaurants and paid speaking opportunities to induce healthcare providers to prescribe its migraine therapy Nurtec ODT, according to the Department of Justice.
Keep these tips for virtual meetings in mind the next time you’re getting ready to log on to a video conference and want to keep your attention span in check.
You can use a time management tool In order to exceed your office productivity while working from home. Here’s one such tool that you can use and boost performance.
BioSpace interviewed Dr. Heike Blockus, an associate research scientist at Columbia University. Blockus shared her thoughts on the neuroscience career path.
Now that a majority of us are working remotely, and it may stay like that for the foreseeable future, one thing we’ve left behind is the commute to the office.
Writing a interview follow up email that expresses your enthusiasm and competence for the available role can help you stand out. Let’s check how to write one.
Whether you’re an experienced professional in the field or just embarking on your new career, it’s time to look at your qualifications and career plans from an entirely different perspective.
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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Jefferies analyst Kelly Shi in a Sunday note to investors said that both data drops for Revolution Medicines’ experimental RAS inhibitors are positive and could be “synergistic” in the first-line setting for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. -
Bank of America analysts said prior to Thursday’s readout that Tyra Biosciences’ TYRA-300 could rival Johnson & Johnson’s kinase inhibitor Balversa, which has suffered from safety concerns and poor tolerability. -
The regulator’s approval on Friday of Vyloy for gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer makes it the first and only claudin 18.2–targeted therapy approved in the U.S. for these indications, according to Astellas. -
Pharmaceutical companies are combining antibodies with radioisotopes in a bid to more precisely deliver radiation to cancers and tumors. -
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.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Active immune therapies hold promise for preventing or slowing disease onset, but some experts warn of potential safety risks. -
Eisai presented a plethora of data on the drug at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, including a study showing the consequences of pausing treatment. -
Second-quarter earnings season continues with Big Pharma beating Wall Street expectations, the author of an encrypted email sent to BioSpace has a proposal for Moderna and Merck, Roche and Viking seek quicker entry to the obesity market, and AAIC is in full swing. -
Sangamo and Pfizer’s hemophilia A gene therapy candidate scored a Phase III victory last week. However, with the genomic medicine company soon to run out of cash, Sangamo’s short-term prospects look bleak but not unsalvageable, analysts say.
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Cognitive function in the liraglutide cohort declined 18% slower than in the placebo arm over one year of treatment, researchers announced Tuesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
With 15 patients started across its three gene therapies, bluebird bio claims a 138% year-over-year revenue growth and aims to initiate up to around 100 new patients in the current year.
