News

FEATURED STORIES
FDA
As the FDA tries to clarify its intent for former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary’s plausible mechanism framework for bespoke therapies, experts emphasize the importance of expanding its scope to encompass rare diseases that affect more than just one or a few individuals.
Analysts and investors were unimpressed by Phase 2 data posted in the spring showing that an amylin analog developed by Roche and partner Zealand Pharma elicited 9% weight loss, less than Eli Lilly’s rival candidate. Executives from both companies told BioSpace that premium weight loss is not the point of petrelintide.
The American Diabetes Association’s annual congress will feature a superstar lineup, including weight loss giants Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. But several scrappy biotechs will also present obesity candidates with the potential to match—if not outperform—their deep-pocketed competitors.
FROM OUR EDITORS
Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
FDA veteran Peter Marks will now shape the future of Eli Lilly’s vaccines work after the buys of Curevo, LimmaTech Biologics and Vaccine Company for up to $3.8 billion total.
THE LATEST
Novartis and Argo Biopharma go back to January 2024, when the pharma first bet up to $4.165 billion across two RNAi agreements targeting cardiovascular diseases.
Aside from lowering triglyceride levels, Ionis’ olezarsen reduced acute pancreatitis events, an outcome that BMO Capital Markets said could help the asset deliver a “significant first-in-class commercial launch.”
Data from the late-stage MAPLE-HCM study position Cytokinetics’ cardiac myosin inhibitor aficamten as a potential first-line therapy for patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will appear before the Senate Finance Committee Thursday, ahead of a vaccine advisory committee meeting later in September. Meanwhile, deal-making appetite appears healthy, and the weight loss space continues generating clinical data and other news.
Data scientist employment is expected to grow 33.5% from 2024 to 2034 due in part to a growing demand for data analysis, according to new U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics findings. Biopharma hotspots were among the top 10 states for employment and pay for this role in 2024.
It can cure deadly diseases, save long-term healthcare costs and transform lives. But the U.S. insurance system still isn’t ready to pay for it.
IPO
Blank check deals dwindled after a crazy 2021. Now, biotechs are starting to turn to special purpose acquisition companies again as an easy route to the public markets.
IPO
Some of the biggest SPACs from the industry’s pandemic-fueled heyday are no longer on the market.
IPO
After spinning out of BridgeBio in May 2024, BBOT had an eye on another round of fundraising in 2025. A SPAC quickly emerged as the best option.
FDA
Paul Offit, longtime member of the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee and an outspoken critic of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was recently informed by the Department of Health and Human Services that his services are no longer required.