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Congressional letters sent to the CEOs of Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Merck, BMS and AbbVie this week voicing concerns about the pharmas’ clinical trials in China highlight an ongoing discrepancy in how government and industry think about the rise of the Asian country’s biotech industry.
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At the BIO International Convention in San Diego, attendees marked the 50th anniversary of original biotech Genentech, reflecting on the immense challenges facing companies as China becomes a powerhouse innovator.
IPO
Dealmaking across biopharma is shifting dramatically as the SEC rolls out new regulations to ease burdens on newly public companies and antitrust review is replaced by drug pricing as the policy concern du jour.
Dual and even triple or quadruple track processes have come roaring back in 2026 thanks to a glut of M&A that has refilled investors’ wallets. Big Pharma is being put on notice that time is critical if they want to acquire.
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After years stuck in the “doldrums,” the biopharma sector is in a “very good place” heading into the new year, analysts told BioSpace, with both rare and chronic diseases headlining investor and R&D interest as JPM26 kicks off.
While there had been hope layoffs would slow down in 2025, they continued at a fast pace, affecting even more people than in 2024, based on BioSpace tallies.
Insmed’s freshly approved lung condition drug soared past sales expectations for 2025, netting $144.6 million in its first full quarter of sales.
Roche first partnered with MediLink in January 2024, likewise for an antibody-drug conjugate for solid tumors.
Rampart Bioscience was working on a platform to deliver gene therapies without the need for viral vectors.
Pharmas will need to provide their latest stance on the Most Favored Nation drug pricing plans, while biotech finally gets a break after a few tough years.
Aside from the layoffs, InflaRx will deprioritize Gohibic, a COVID-19 antibody that was granted emergency use authorization in 2023. The therapy failed a late-stage trial in a rare skin disease last year.
Rumors of a Revolution buyout come as the industry gears up for one of its biggest trade conferences, where observers expect many such deals to be announced.
IPO
Eli Lilly has expressed interest in participating in the IPO, with the regulatory filing revealing the obesity juggernaut’s plans to buy as much as $100 million worth of Aktis shares.
A bevy of other companies also brought in money on Thursday, including Alveus Therapeutics, Diagonal Therapeutics, EpiBiologics, Beacon Therapeutics and Protege.