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In this episode of Denatured, BioSpace editorial team members, Senior Editor, Annalee Armstrong, and News Editor, Dan Samorodnitsky, discuss their post-JPM takeaways and 2026 forecasts after speaking to a range of pharma and biotech executives and investors last week.
FEATURED STORIES
As drug candidates discovered via AI move into later-stage clinical trials, the technology seems to be doing as promised: speeding drug development.
Biohaven has suffered a few setbacks in recent months, including an FDA rejection and a missed $150 million benchmark payment, but CEO Vlad Coric looked for the brighter side at JPM, specifically emphasizing a serendipitous discovery that could get the company in the obesity game.
Henry Gosebruch, who has $3.5 billion in capital to deploy, is thinking broad as he steers the decades-old biotech out of years of turmoil. 
FROM OUR EDITORS
Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
It doesn’t matter how many times you have traversed Union Square; no one knows which way is north, or where The Westin is in relation to the Ritz Carlton. A Verizon outage brought that into focus on Wednesday.
THE LATEST
Gilead is betting up to $750 million on Kymera’s anti-CDK2 molecular glue for solid tumors, while Sanofi elected to move forward with another protein degrader from the biotech, designed to target immune-mediated diseases.
The FDA is assessing the need for “further regulatory action” on Sarepta’s Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy in the aftermath of two patient deaths, though the regulator has not yet specified what action this could be.
FDA
Mike Davis previously worked as clinical team leader at the FDA’s Division of Psychiatry before serving as chief medical officer for Usona Institute, a research organization advancing psychedelic science.
Despite Nektar’s share price shooting up as much as 175% on Tuesday, William Blair maintained that “there is an absence of clear differentiation” for rezpegaldesleukin in the atopic dermatitis space.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified in front of largely combative congresspeople on vaccine policy, his MAHA report and more; the mass leadership exodus at the FDA continues as CDER and CBER shed key staff; Kennedy’s revamped CDC vaccine advisors convene for their first meeting; Novo and Lilly present new data at the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting; and BioSpace recaps BIO2025.
In the latest installment of his column, Kaye/Bassman’s Michael Pietrack shares five ways leaders can help their teams after a layoff, from acknowledging emotions to reestablishing culture.
Leading companies spent $1.4 billion upfront on licensing deals and embarked on vast R&D programs. Clinical setbacks mean many companies are unlikely to ever recoup their investments.
With much to cover, Democrats tackled Kennedy’s MAHA report; the firing of all members of the CDC’s ACIP committee; and much more. Little was accomplished, as Kennedy demurred and members of Congress accused him of risking American lives.
In addition to cutting most of its staff, including two C-suite executives, Leap Therapeutics is winding down research and development activities and considering a sale or partnership opportunities.
Isaralgagene civaparvovec is a “potential best-in-class gene therapy for Fabry disease,” according to analysts at H.C. Wainwright. Sangamo plans to use pivotal Phase I/II data to build an accelerated approval case for the asset.