News

Improved survival on display at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago; Pfizer’s unusual pact with China’s Innovent highlights a new type of collaboration; Eli Lilly continues its nonstop deal streak, including with Chinese biotechs; and looking ahead to this weekend’s American Diabetes Association meeting.
FEATURED STORIES
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly presented data extolling the benefits of their relative weight loss therapies in obesity-linked indications, while analysts at BMO Capital Markets were “encouraged” by the strategy communicated by Novo management.
After a $625 million IPO, the biggest ever in biotech, obesity-focused Kailera Therapeutics is readying a commercial strategy that puts patients at the center.
FDA
The FDA has expanded the regulatory toolkit during President Donald Trump’s second term, adding new mechanisms for rare diseases while putting the Biden-era platform technology designation into action.
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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.
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Telix is Regeneron’s entry ticket into the radiopharma game, helping to better round out the company’s cancer portfolio, according to Truist Securities.
Replimune’s CEO Sushil Patel has already warned that the biotech will need to cut staff and substantially scale back its U.S. manufacturing operations.
The FDA has gained a reputation during the past year for being inconsistently flexible, particularly when it comes to rare diseases. Executives at Rezolute and CERo Therapeutics recently had positive interactions with the agency, in which they told BioSpace reviewers have been “collaborative” and “curious.
FDA
Since the FDA began publishing its rejections of drug approval filings in July last year, companies have become more forthcoming about the details of agency decisions in their own disclosures, according to biopharma and regulatory analysts.
Principal Scientist Anders Cai Holm Hansen explains how CDMO AGC Biologics uses its global, single-use network and a strategy emphasizing “scale-out” manufacturing, to derisk demand uncertainty, speed timelines and conserve cash for emerging drug developers.
The FDA in a complete response letter to Replimune maintained its original objection to the single-arm trial the biotech used to support the application for RP1.
Novo Nordisk’s oral Wegovy has a few months’ head start on Eli Lilly’s newly approved pill. While the Indianapolis pharma has come from behind the Danish rival in the weight loss space before, last time it clearly had the better drug.
In the future of AI-driven biopharma, reusable data is the most undervalued asset.
GSK discontinued Wellcovorin in 1999, but the FDA in September last year asked the pharma to refile an application, pointing to its potential to treat cerebral folate deficiency with “autistic features.”
A Louisiana court on April 7 asked the FDA to complete its internal review of mifepristone’s safety and gave the agency six months to provide the court with an update on the investigation.