The news comes on the heels of promising Phase I/Ib data, which point to the potential of casdatifan as a more effective alternative to Merck’s Welireg in renal cell carcinoma.
Exelixis’ next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor zanzalintinib is being tested for colorectal cancer, renal cell carcinoma and head-and-neck cancer, with several readouts slated for the second half of 2025.
Recently appointed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in 2018 helped bring several cases against vaccine maker Merck, alleging injury linked to its HPV shot Gardasil.
Merck’s Keytruda may be the most talked about drug facing loss of exclusivity but it’s far from the only one, as several of the industry’s top-performers are losing key market protections. Some companies are more prepared than others.
The FDA is mired in uncertainty with some staffers losing their jobs over the weekend and more potentially to come, vaccines and psychedelic therapies could be facing very different futures under newly confirmed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Moderna continues its downward revenue slide and Merck, Regeneron, BMS and more face strong patent headwinds.
The partnership splits the rights to Stoke’s epilepsy antisense oligonucleotide, with up to $385 million in potential payments due to Stoke.
FEATURED STORIES
After several high-profile failures, including BMS’ $1.5B breakup with Agenus, anti-TIGIT therapies are generating cautious optimism.
Stephen Majors from the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, which hosts the conference, spoke with BioSpace about what the more than 2,000 attendees can expect to learn next week in Phoenix about the pressing issues confronting the industry.
To say that 2seventy bio’s short two years of existence have been dramatic is an understatement. CEO Chip Baird told BioSpace transparency and a committed staff have kept the biotech going through thick and thin.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
In a year when eradicated diseases are on the uptick in America, how will American children survive RFK Jr.’s vaccine scrutiny and inconsistency? Two experts call on pharma and regulatory bodies to rebuild trust.
LATEST PODCASTS
China continues to be a source of innovation as Pfizer strikes biggest pact yet; HHS provides more info on Trump’s Most Favored Nation executive order; FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and CBER director Vinay Prasad reveal new COVID-19 vaccine strategy following Novavax approval; ODAC underway after chaotic planning; more.
President Donald Trump unwrapped a massive drug pricing policy as CMS prepares for the next round of Medicare drug price negotiations; Vinay Prasad to take the helm at the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research; Bayer cuts 2,000 more employees; Eli Lilly’s Zepbound scores again; and the Galapagos story turns again.
In this episode of Denatured BioSpace’s head of insights Lori Ellis discusses the public health consequences of vaccine hesitancy and the critical distinction between skepticism and cynicism with Paul Offit, MD, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Job Trends
AIM ImmunoTech Inc. today announced the first subject has been dosed at Erasmus Medical Center (“Erasmus MC”) in a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial combining AIM’s Ampligen® (rintatolimod) with AstraZeneca’s anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor Imfinzi® (durvalumab) for the treatment of late-stage pancreatic cancer (the “DURIPANC Study”).
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
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.
Year-over-year BioSpace data show biopharma professionals faced increased competition for fewer employment opportunities during the first quarter of 2025.
DEALS
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In a presentation led by Robert J. Bradway, Amgen chairman and chief executive officer, the company covered recent acquisitions, Repatha and Lumakras updates, biosimilars and its broader financial outlook. -
Stay on top of what’s happening at JPM. BioSpace is covering all the key announcements all week. -
Tuesday, AbbVie partnered with Anima Biotech to discover and develop mRNA modulators in a collaboration of up to $582 million. The partnership will focus on three oncology and immunology targets. -
Italian biopharma Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA announced Sunday it was acquiring rare disease-focused Amryt Pharma in a deal that could reach up to $1.48 billion in value. -
The pharma titan adds an intriguing blood pressure medication to its line up with a buyout of CinCor.
WEIGHT LOSS
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China continues to be a source of innovation as Pfizer strikes biggest pact yet; HHS provides more info on Trump’s Most Favored Nation executive order; FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and CBER director Vinay Prasad reveal new COVID-19 vaccine strategy following Novavax approval; ODAC underway after chaotic planning; more. -
Currently trailing Eli Lilly and Structure Therapeutics in the oral weight loss space, Novo Nordisk strikes a deal with Septerna to put new discovery-stage programs into play. -
President Donald Trump unwrapped a massive drug pricing policy as CMS prepares for the next round of Medicare drug price negotiations; Vinay Prasad to take the helm at the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research; Bayer cuts 2,000 more employees; Eli Lilly’s Zepbound scores again; and the Galapagos story turns again.
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In addition to eliciting greater weight loss than Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, Eli Lilly’s Zepbound does not come at the expense of safety, according to newly released comprehensive tolerability data—findings that Leerink analysts say confirm the GLP-1 drug’s edge in the closely watched market race. -
Following a similar decision in case the trade group Outsourcing Facilities Association brought against FDA over its decision to declare the end of the shortage of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, Judge Mark Pittman agreed that Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide is in sufficient supply, meaning compounding pharmacies can no longer sell the lucrative weight loss drugs.
POLICY
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Following cases of convulsions in rabbits in a preclinical study, the FDA has placed a clinical hold on Neumora Therapeutics’ Phase I schizophrenia drug candidate NMRA-266. -
AbbVie’s small molecule drug Qulipta has durable benefits and can reduce migraine frequency through 48 weeks of follow-up, according to interim Phase III data released on Friday. -
An FDA advisory committee on Friday agreed that using minimal residual disease could be a viable surrogate endpoint for accelerated approval for drug development in multiple myeloma. -
After a years-long antitrust battle, the European Commission on Friday approved Illumina’s plans to divest Grail. However, Illumina said while there is “an agreement with the EC on specific divestment options” that “does not mean the method of divestment has been finalized.” -
The European Medicines Agency on Friday said it found no evidence linking GLP-1 receptor agonists with suicidal thoughts and actions, following a review of patients taking Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide and liraglutide, and Eli Lilly’s dulaglutide and AstraZeneca’s exenatide.
Frustrated by your job search? Does your dream employer rarely have openings? A little-known technique – the job proposal approach – can open doors for you.
Learn about the top resume buzzwords you need to include in your resume. Includes tips for branding yourself, positioning yourself as a leader, and more!
Curious to know how you can tailor your resume? This blog post will give you some tips on tailoring your resume so it stands out from the rest of the pile!
Here are the keys to a smooth long distance job search. Follow these simple guidelines to avoid many of the stresses of job hunting from a distance.
Are you worried about your first phone interview? Don’t worry, everyone gets through that phase. Follow these phone interview tips to nail your telephonic interview.
Why should you research prospective employers as you approach your life sciences job search?
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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Roche, along with Bristol Myers Squibb, Novo Nordisk, AbbVie, Eli Lilly and others, is making inroads into molecular glues to use in cancer, immunology and other applications. -
The ODAC cited concerns with patient populations in clinical trials used to support the proposed expansion. Johnson & Johnson fared better, with the FDA’s cancer advisors voting to recommend Darzalex in patients with a certain type of multiple myeloma. -
The deal comes three months after Pfizer inked a PD-1/VEGF partnership with Summit Therapeutics, leading BMO Capital Markets to express confusion regarding the pharma’s overall strategy. -
The FDA also approved the use of Zynyz as a monotherapy for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal who are intolerant to platinum chemotherapy or whose disease has progressed. -
As the FDA prepares for a busy Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting next week, an agency insider told BioSpace that volunteers with little training are scrambling to secure the required expertise after workforce cuts decimated the adcomm planning office.
NEUROSCIENCE
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BioVie announced topline results from a Phase II biomarker study in Alzheimer’s disease showing patient improvements in cognition and reductions in neural inflammation. -
NIH researchers found that symptomatic herpes viruses were associated with neurological symptoms, but there was no evidence that herpes viruses are linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
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New study supports link between Alzheimer’s and other diseases and points out potential risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s later in life.
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South Korea-based Genuv Inc. announced the publication of a preclinical study showing the potential of Mekinist, approved by the FDA for melanoma, in Alzheimer’s disease. -
Researchers recently developed a peptide called A1R-CT that could ultimately have therapeutic applications in both epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Taking center stage at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy meeting was the first-ever reported case of a personalized in vivo CRISPR editing therapy, which substantially eased the symptom burden in an infant. -
Since Elevidys’ accelerated approval in 2023, experts have been clamoring for more data, particularly in older and non-ambulatory children. New results, presented Friday, show mobility improvements in 8- to 9-year-old patients after one year of follow-up. -
Lilly will use Rznomics’ proprietary ribozyme technology to develop RNA editing therapies for congenital hearing loss. -
After warnings that the dragged-out process was putting the cell therapy company at risk of bankruptcy, bluebird bio now has a new deal to offer shareholders. -
It’s another wild twist in the story of Galapagos, a company that has been around for more than 25 years but has yet to get a therapy approved.
