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With the latest layoffs, Novartis expects to let go of around 800 employees by the end of 2028. More than half of the cuts have been at the company’s East Hanover, New Jersey, location.
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Molecular glue degraders are gaining traction in the clinic as well as funding from Big Pharma, with their potential to treat previously “undruggable” cancers and immunological diseases. Here are five clinical programs worth keeping an eye on.
Last month, the FDA launched TrialBlazer, intended to streamline the IND path and bring early clinical trials and medical innovation home to the U.S. It’s a start, but new agency leadership must see it through.
FDA
Significant leadership instability at the FDA—compounded by continued workforce attrition—led to a slight slowdown in overall regulatory productivity in the first half of this year, but the agency has been catching up of late.
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Congressional letters sent to the CEOs of Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Merck, BMS and AbbVie this week voicing concerns about the pharmas’ clinical trials in China highlight an ongoing discrepancy in how government and industry think about the rise of the Asian country’s biotech industry.
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FDA
Analysts at William Blair expect drug developers will continue to perform “at least some animal testing” on their investigational products. Though the process to phase out animal testing will begin “immediately,” no specific timetable was given.
Biotech companies are already seeing regulatory delays and plenty of uncertainty after around 3,500 FDA employees were cut by the Trump administration.
Pharma stocks went on a wild ride Wednesday amid whiplashing tariff threats from the U.S. president.
According to Tempest, its options include a partnership or licensing deal, as well as a merger or an acquisition.
In this episode presented by DIA, BioSpace’s head of insights Lori Ellis discusses the underrepresentation of women in clinical trials with Martin Hodosi, partner at Kearney and Melissa Laitner, director of strategic initiatives at the National Academy of Medicine.
FDA
Experts express concern that last week’s unprecedented FDA layoffs will trigger a little-known mechanism that could result in a “disaster” the Trump administration doesn’t see coming.
Jefferies analysts predict Annexon’s tanruprubart could be approved by mid-2026.
Leerink analysts noted, however, that Uplizna’s slow onset of therapeutic efficacy compares unfavorably to would-be competitors in generalized myasthenia gravis.
The Fourth Circuit’s ruling follows a Supreme Court verdict that also allowed the Trump administration to move forward with its mass layoffs at federal agencies.
Known as the home of big-name companies including Johnson & Johnson, New Jersey has become a destination for more and more small and midsize life sciences businesses. Choose New Jersey, Grace Therapeutics and Onyx Equities executives discuss the state’s life sciences scene.