The label expansion could help Novo Nordisk “help shift the momentum” for Wegovy, after a difficult start to 2025, according to analysts at BMO Capital Markets.
Papzimeos is the first immunotherapy approved for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, a rare lung disorder involving the development of benign tumors in the airways.
The move comes after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received pressure from the Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine non-profit that he co-founded, which last month sued him over his failure to run the “statutorily required Task Force on childhood vaccine,” according to the lawsuit.
The Department of Health and Human Services’ mRNA pullback only applies to their use in upper respiratory disease, according to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
As Trump has pressured drugmakers to lower the cost of medicines in the U.S., the pharma industry has coalesced behind a message of rebalancing what nations pay to better reflect the innovation and value of drugmaking.
The Boston-based AI/ML startup focuses on endocrine and cardiometabolic diseases and will use that expertise to generate new small molecule obesity medications for Lilly.
FEATURED STORIES
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla is in a tough spot as activist investor Starboard Value continues to call for a change in the company’s leadership. However, analysts are supportive of the embattled executive.
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.
LATEST PODCASTS
In this episode presented by PII, BioSpace’s head of insights discusses how to relieve clinical trial patients of technological burden to improve compliance with guests Oliver Eden and Travis Webb.
Pfizer and Novo Nordisk continue to fight for ownership of obesity startup Metsera; CDER Director George Tidmarsh leaves his position amid an ongoing probe into his “personal conduct”; FDA reverses course on approval requirements for uniQure’s Huntington’s gene therapy; Sarepta’s exon-skipping Duchenne muscular dystrophy drugs fail confirmatory study.
In this episode presented by Element Materials Technology, BioSpace’s head of insights discusses how China, historically focused on manufacturing, is increasingly becoming an innovation leader, particularly in pharmaceuticals, with guests Dr. Jihye Jang-Lee and Dr. Khanh Courtney. Ultimately, balanced strategies involve domestic capacity investments coupled with global collaboration.
Job Trends
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced the completion of the previously announced transaction to acquire CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBAY) for approximately $4.3 billion in total equity value.
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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 French drugmaker is buying California-based biotech Inhibrx to gain access to its clinical-stage drug candidate for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, as it tries winning over investors with potential blockbusters. -
As with any new year, 2024 presents new possibilities; though new and existing challenges are also poised to shape its trajectory. BioSpace reflects on the recent JP Morgan Healthcare Conference and future outlook with key opinion leaders who share their thoughts on the economic climate. -
With initial public offering activity continuing to gain momentum in early 2024, ArriVent Biopharma in a Monday SEC filing laid out the company’s plans to go public. -
The blank check company Thursday filed with the SEC for the initial public offering. While a specific business for Helix Acquisition Corp. II has not yet been identified, the fund will target biotech. -
Nearly two decades in the making, the companies expect to close the deal in the first half of 2024, after which Taro Pharmaceutical will become a privately held entity and will no longer trade on the New York Stock Exchange.
WEIGHT LOSS
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Novo Nordisk on Monday announced it is boosting its manufacturing capabilities with a $4.1 billion commitment to construct a second fill and finishing facility in Clayton, North Carolina. -
Data showed that Eli Lilly’s Zepbound could resolve obstructive sleep apnea in at least 43% of patients, solidifying the pharma’s case for label expansion. -
Altimmune’s obesity candidate pemvidutide strongly preserved lean muscle mass, with fat accounting for more than 78% of weight lost by participants in a Phase II study. -
Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy elicited greater weight loss in women than in men with heart failure, according to data presented Sunday at the American Diabetes Association’s 2024 Scientific Sessions. -
Zealand Pharma’s petrelintide cut body weight by more than 8% on average, with a good overall safety and tolerability profile.
POLICY
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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. -
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. -
While the full impact of the Supreme Court decision remains unknown, the new regulatory landscape could be a net positive for drug developers. -
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. -
Suggestions that the U.S. should emulate other countries on drug price controls or patents obscure how our present policies have allowed drug development to flourish.
Before you even begin researching, prioritize which aspects of the job offer are most important to you.
First, prioritize these criteria according to your own desires and needs. Which aspects of the offer do you most value?
When you’re ready for a new job, contacting employers is a no-brainer. But the same kind of clear-cut call to action doesn’t necessarily apply to contacting recruiters.
As you enter the job market (or a new industry) the salary range of positions you’re qualified for is likely top of mind. But how do you figure out what a realistic range is for what you’re after?
Remember, though it may be a tad uncomfortable in the moment, being gracious and polite while you decline a job offer can build good karma for the future.
Ask yourself these questions to get an idea of whether a new job should be in your near future.
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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High response rates reported by GSK and iTeos at the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress offer a ray of light for anti-TIGIT therapies after a string of failures. -
The FDA has six target action dates ahead to round out September as drugs for gastroparesis, Niemann-Pick disease type C and more await decisions. -
Tecentriq Hybreza, which combines Roche’s Tecentriq with Halozyme Therapeutics’ Enhanze drug delivery technology, is being touted as the first and only subcutaneous anti-PD-(L)1 cancer immunotherapy. -
In an effort to build its commercial capacity, Moderna on Thursday announced it is lowering research and development spending, while pushing back its target for breaking even by two years to 2028. -
BioMarin’s new business strategy leaves investors with questions; Lykos CEO steps down; Terns releases compelling data on oral weight loss candidate; and more.
NEUROSCIENCE
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While more programs now involve candidates with different targets, experts say anti-amyloid therapies will remain a primary player in treating the memory-robbing disease. -
In the next two weeks, the FDA is scheduled to decide on four drug applications and hold two highly anticipated advisory committee meetings. -
Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday reported late-stage trial data showing its first-in-class orexin receptor antagonist reduced major depressive disorder symptoms as an adjunctive treatment in patients with insomnia. -
Recent M&A activity indicates a potential resurgence in the appetites of larger companies for psychiatric drug development, but experts say the space may not offer a sufficient risk-reward proposition for R&D. -
Otsuka Pharmaceuticals announced Wednesday it is ending development of drug candidate AVP-786 after failing to improve agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Following a months-long safety review, the regulator on Thursday said it is now requiring updated black box warnings for all commercially available CAR-T therapies to reflect the risk of secondary malignancies. -
A one-time treatment for Parkinson’s disease could be a ‘market changer,’ experts told BioSpace, adding that cell therapies could limit the adverse effects seen with current drugs. -
From gene-corrected cell therapies to a new CAR-T, the cell and gene therapy space looks to expand its reach into the market. -
Cullinan Oncology, now renamed Cullinan Therapeutics, is riding the growing wave of interest in autoimmune disorders by refocusing its bispecific T cell-engager CLN-978 for systemic lupus erythematosus. -
Roche’s Genentech subsidiary is terminating for undisclosed reasons its 2021 contract with Adaptimmune for the development of allogeneic T-cell therapeutics.
