News
During the first quarter, 22 rounds of biopharma layoffs in California affected about 995 employees total, while 17 rounds in Massachusetts impacted around 410 people, based on BioSpace estimates. Meanwhile, competition for jobs in those states increased year over year, according to BioSpace data.
FEATURED STORIES
After a long and challenging journey for its stem cell therapy NurOwn, BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics has aligned with the FDA on the parameters of a Phase IIIb ALS trial that is expected to begin by the end of 2024.
With GLP-1 receptor agonists expected to dominate the weight loss market in the near term, several young companies are building on this mechanism, while others are taking a completely different approach.
While type 2 diabetes and obesity are the primary conditions currently treated with blockbuster GLP-1 drugs, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly aim to enter additional markets.
Job Trends
AbbVie announced that its Phase 2b study evaluating upadacitinib in adults with non-segmental vitiligo met the primary endpoint of percent change from baseline in the Facial Vitiligo Area Scoring Index at week 24 with the 11 mg and 22 mg doses versus placebo.
FROM OUR EDITORS
Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
After Emma Walmsley steps down as GSK CEO in January, Vertex Pharma’s Reshma Kewalramani will be the sole female CEO at a top-20 pharma company. Still, there are many prominent women in pharma that could someday break through again.
THE LATEST
Amid growing concern of the overuse and misuse of obesity drugs, the UK’s pharmacies regulator rolled out stricter guidelines for online pharmacies selling medicines including Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro.
The Massachusetts-based biotech plans to use the funds to push its candidates into mid-stage clinical trials in a space dominated by Vertex.
In a Phase IIb trial, GH001 elicited significant drops in treatment-resistant depression. The news comes less than two weeks after J&J secured FDA monotherapy approval for its esketamine nasal spray Spravato in the same indication.
APAC offers stability in an increasing challenging global geopolitical environment for clinical stage drug development.
Topline data on a combo including Pfizer’s kinase inhibitor Braftovi point to improved progression-free survival and pave the way for its full approval for the treatment of certain colorectal cancers, according to the company.
J&J, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk and Roche are among the companies that might take a hit from the soon-to-be-enacted fees, according to analysts.
AbbVie launched a revamped version of its Allē loyalty program, which ultimately was not adopted by providers. The marketing misstep comes as the company’s aesthetics franchise faces broader pressures.
The rare disease space is awaiting two FDA verdicts in February, one for a genetic disease and another for a non-malignant tumor.
Several companies—including JCR Pharmaceuticals, Denali Therapeutics and Regenxbio—have products in the pipeline that could improve treatment options for this rare disease.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.—Trump’s pick for HHS secretary who endured confirmation hearings last week—has repeatedly criticized industry ties to the FDA, particularly financial links between the two, which could indicate trouble for the user-fee model.