News

FDA
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary intends to resign on Tuesday, according to several sources. This report follows a tumultuous 13-month tenure in which Makary oversaw the controversial rejections of several rare disease drugs and “predictable volatility” within the agency.
FEATURED STORIES
New guidelines from two leading medical associations suggest that efforts to reduce bad cholesterol should focus on maintaining low levels of two key lipoproteins. Big pharma is all in, looking to improve on the standard statins to help vanquish America’s number one killer: heart disease.
The FDA’s decision last year to make complete response letters public provides new insight into why therapies sometimes fail to get the regulatory greenlight. Analysts say the information could help sponsors refine their regulatory strategies.
The Department of Health and Human Services is spinning its wheels, unable to establish steady leadership at three major divisions—the CDC and the FDA’s two primary review units.
FROM OUR EDITORS
Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
FDA
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s health department has consistently touted radical transparency as being key to its mission. Recent instances—the FDA’s decision not to disclose the recipients of three Commissioner’s National Priority Vouchers and FDA and CDC choices not to publish vaccine-related papers—call this intent into question.
THE LATEST
Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech’s Carvykti cell therapy significantly improved survival in patients with multiple myeloma when used in the second-line setting, the companies announced on Tuesday.
GSK on Wednesday restructured its contract with CureVac to gain access to the biotech’s influenza and COVID-19 programs for $430 million upfront and up to $1.13 billion in future payments.
Despite an uncertain legislative path to becoming law, the BIOSECURE Act has already impacted the biopharma industry’s confidence in Chinese service providers and prompted efforts to diversify manufacturing partners.
Taysha Gene Therapies looks to move past its pipeline culls and staff reductions by moving its lead asset into a possible billion-dollar market.
As congressional pressure increases on WuXi AppTec and other China-based companies over alleged ties to the Chinese government, India’s contract development and manufacturing organization sector could benefit.
Moderna on Tuesday announced it has been awarded $176 million by a consortium funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to develop an mRNA-based vaccine to counter H5N1 avian influenza.

FDA
Donanemab, which will be marketed as Kisunla, will compete with Biogen and Eisai’s Leqembi.
Eli Lilly is expanding its radiopharmaceutical portfolio with a $140 million upfront payment to Radionetics Oncology and the exclusive future right to acquire the biotech for $1 billion.
DEI
This week on Denatured, Head of Insights Lori Ellis and guests discuss the implications of not addressing the DE&I data gaps for the future.
Samsung Biologics announced Tuesday it has signed its largest contract ever—a $1.06 billion manufacturing deal with an unnamed pharmaceutical company headquartered in the U.S.