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After its next-generation obesity asset CagriSema lost a head-to-head matchup with Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, Novo Nordisk is throwing more money into the obesity space, striking a deal with Vivtex to advance novel weight loss pills.
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IPO
LB Pharma needed $350 million to advance a promising schizophrenia candidate at a time when the biotech markets were locked up tight. Fortunately, it wasn’t CEO Heather Turner’s first rodeo.
Rare disease drug developers struggle to survive in a biopharma investment market that prioritizes large patient populations. Initiatives like the Orphan Therapeutics Accelerator are attempting to solve what CEO Craig Martin says is not a science problem, but a math problem.
Eli Lilly’s win in a head-to-head trial drove Novo Nordisk’s market cap to pre-Wegovy levels not long after the victor became the first pharma company to top a $1 trillion valuation. It seems one company can do no right, while the other can do no wrong.
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FDA
Following the FDA’s refusal to review Moderna’s investigational mRNA flu vaccine last week, Commissioner Marty Makary faced questions from the U.S. president about the agency’s handling of vaccines. It’s a clear signal that the tension long brewing at the drug regulator has now gone all the way to the top.
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As next-generation antibody-drug conjugates reshape cancer care, digital pathology and artificial intelligence are transforming how HER2 is measured. The advances aim to help clinicians identify low and ultra-low expressors, match patients to the right therapies and make more precise treatment decisions.
As the field grows rapidly, companies are luring people from other nuclear industries and tapping the expanding educational talent pipeline, but are constrained by a steep learning curve and the value of real-world experience.
The deal gets Lilly access to Orna’s in vivo CAR T technology. The biotech’s lead asset, which has yet to start clinical testing, is focused on B cell–driven autoimmune diseases.
Analysts, investors and scientists are eager for Biogen’s 2026 BIIB080 readout. Even if successful, executives warn that there are many more steps before the Alzheimer’s therapy could reach the market.
Novo Nordisk has sued Hims for allegedly violating patents protecting semaglutide, seeking potentially “hundreds of millions” in damages, John Kuckelman, the pharma’s general counsel, said. The wellness platform pulled its version of the drug just days after launching it.
The gene therapy uses an AAV vector to restore healthy levels of the alpha-galactosidase enzyme, which is rendered dysfunctional in patients with Fabry disease, leading to the toxic build-up of lipids in cells.
The FDA in July last year declined to approve UX111 for Sanfilippo syndrome, a rare neurodegenerative disorder, citing manufacturing issues. Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical resubmitted its application ten days ago, expecting a six month review time.
The FDA underwent significant changes during the first year of the second Trump administration, directly affecting business risk and opportunity. Understanding key 2025 trends will be critical to developing regulatory strategies and maximizing opportunities for success.
A year of significant policy change at the FDA brought momentum and scrutiny into the new year. As 2026 gets underway, biopharma companies are responding to sweeping vaccine changes while concerns surface about the politicization of the agency.
With a clutch of key data and planned regulatory applications this year from Avidity Biosciences, REGENXBIO and Capricor Therapeutics, CureDuchenne CSO Michael Kelly sees “momentum” in the Duchenne muscular dystrophy pipeline, as Sarepta’s Elevidys leaves the door open.