News

FEATURED STORIES
IPO
LB Pharma needed $350 million to advance a promising schizophrenia candidate at a time when the biotech markets were locked up tight. Fortunately, it wasn’t CEO Heather Turner’s first rodeo.
Rare disease drug developers struggle to survive in a biopharma investment market that prioritizes large patient populations. Initiatives like the Orphan Therapeutics Accelerator are attempting to solve what CEO Craig Martin says is not a science problem, but a math problem.
Eli Lilly’s win in a head-to-head trial drove Novo Nordisk’s market cap to pre-Wegovy levels not long after the victor became the first pharma company to top a $1 trillion valuation. It seems one company can do no right, while the other can do no wrong.
Job Trends
FROM OUR EDITORS
Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
FDA
Following the FDA’s refusal to review Moderna’s investigational mRNA flu vaccine last week, Commissioner Marty Makary faced questions from the U.S. president about the agency’s handling of vaccines. It’s a clear signal that the tension long brewing at the drug regulator has now gone all the way to the top.
THE LATEST
The FDA will close out a hectic month of March with a flurry of target action dates, including ones for lymphoma and CKD anemia treatments.
The biotech announced Wednesday that patients on ION224 had histologic improvement in the liver disease without worsening of fibrosis. Ionis’ mid-stage win comes as the FDA is set to decide whether to approve rival Madrigal’s resmetirom by Thursday.
IFM Therapeutics announced Wednesday its subsidiary IFM Due has been acquired by Novartis. The acquisition provides the Swiss pharma with full rights to IFM Due’s portfolio of STING antagonists targeting inflammation-driven diseases.
Heather, Greg and Tyler discuss a busy news week including Wegovy’s label expansion, biosimilars, surprise donanemab delays for Eli Lilly and speculate on election impact.
Eli Lilly has partnered with Amazon Pharmacy to help fill online orders of its obesity drug Zepbound—as well as migraine and diabetes medicines—placed through the pharma’s online portal LillyDirect.
This is the latest rundown of people coming and going from executive positions at biopharma companies that BioSpace covers. This regular column highlights the hired, fired, retired, promoted or resigning, as well as those personally named in lawsuits.
Allogene Therapeutics and Arbor Biotechnologies will use their allogeneic CAR T and next-generation gene-editing platforms to develop novel off-the-shelf CAR-T therapies for autoimmune diseases.
In a briefing document for Thursday’s advisory committee meeting, the FDA pointed to efficacy and safety issues with Geron’s New Drug Application for imetelstat in myelodysplastic syndromes.
A controversial decision by the Alabama Supreme Court temporarily chilled IVF before igniting nationwide pushes to protect access to this type of fertility treatment, leaving drugmakers with questions.
Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics are setting up treatment centers for patients with beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease to compete with bluebird’s established infrastructure.