Jef Akst

Jef Akst

Managing Editor

Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) is a professional journalist and editor specializing in the life sciences. She earned her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses and spent the first 13 years of her career at The Scientist, where she edited features and oversaw the production of the publication’s digital and print magazines. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers. She lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia, with her husband, two young kids, wild coonhound and aging cat. Her hobbies including hiking, camping, and shooting pool. You can reach her at jef.akst@biospace.com.

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 as HHS head is perhaps President-elect Donald Trump’s most controversial Cabinet pick now that Matt Gaetz has withdrawn as nominee for Attorney General.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.
Trump fingers Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the HHS, lupus and ATTR-CM dominate headlines this week, bluebird bio has a cash gap to leap and RegenxBio eyes Sarepta in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
A tale of two multi-billion schizophrenia deals, AstraZeneca touts strong sales while deflecting questions about an investigation into China exec, the Huntington’s pipeline builds momentum and layoffs continue with Sana Biotechnology and 23andMe.
In our anniversary episode, we discuss a rare earnings miss for Eli Lilly, a pivotal metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis victory for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, growing excitement about CAR Ts for autoimmune disease and the ongoing controversy over HeLa cells.
Pfizer, Sanofi and others report Q3 beats; AbbVie, Roche and Novartis strike big deals; the 2024 presidential election looms; and BioSpace takes a look back at 10 years of NextGen, our annual pick of young biotechs to watch.
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.
Yet another therapy with FDA accelerated approval suffers a setback; Sage’s tough year continues; Sanofi drops $326 million in radiopharma while selling its consumer health unit; Novo Nordisk’s positive Rybelsus results in cardiovascular disease; and more.
Cell and gene therapy investment rebounds; WuXi Biologics and other companies named in BIOSECURE Act mull options; Bayer, J&J and Pfizer’s recent layoffs; updates from the weight loss space.
Bristol Myers Squibb wins approval for the first novel schizophrenia drug in decades; Pfizer pulls Oxbryta from the market; new IVF and abortion laws could derail women’s health research; Roche touts CDK inhibitor deal and obesity pipeline and BioSpace heads to Meeting on the Mesa.
New revelations from the showdown between Novo Nordisk’s CEO and Bernie Sanders’ Senate health committee Tuesday; PhRMA’s legal victory in IRA case; the federal interest rate cut and anticipated approval for schizophrenia.
Infusions of Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics’ Casgevy and bluebird bio’s Lyfgenia have begun; Moderna targets 10 approvals through 2027; more oral obesity drug data; the latest from ESMO and more.
BioMarin’s new business strategy leaves investors with questions; Lykos CEO steps down; Terns releases compelling data on oral weight loss candidate; and more.
Eli Lilly offers weight loss drug Zepbound directly to consumers while Novo Nordisk continues to struggle with supply challenges for its own GLP-1s. Meanwhile, gene therapies for retinal diseases target competitive market, and layoffs persist.
Well-financed startup Tome is winding down operations just as two new companies, Borealis Biosciences and GondolaBio, are launching. Meanwhile, in the midst of already tense relations with China, House lawmakers raise the alarm about U.S. companies working with the country’s military on trials.
Last week, the Biden administration revealed the first drug prices negotiated under the Inflation Reduction Act; Lykos, Grail and others make substantial staffing cuts, and Pfizer/BioNTech see mixed results for their COVID/flu vaccine.