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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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Many scientists-turned-CEOs paradoxically abandon scientific principles when it comes to commercializing their innovations. But applying the scientific method to business decisions can help life science entrepreneurs avoid common pitfalls, attract investment and ultimately bring transformative technologies to market.
FDA vouchers are normally a coveted prize for biopharma companies, but a surprise rejection for Disc Medicine’s rare disease drug has biopharma reconsidering.
PitchBook’s 2025 biopharma VC analysis clocked $33.8 billion in capital dispatched in 2025, mainly to companies with later-stage programs ready to roll into the clinic.
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FDA
The FDA’s refusal to review Moderna’s mRNA-based flu vaccine is part of a larger communications crisis unfolding at the agency over the past nine months that has also ensnarled Sarepta, Capricor, uniQure and many more.
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The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned the long-standing Chevron doctrine, which required courts to defer to federal agencies and their interpretation of statutes, putting potential limits on the FDA’s regulatory decisions.
In 2023, the ADC market exceeded $10 billion, and this momentum is persisting into 2024, as evidenced by several strategic deals and a robust pipeline of candidate drugs.
Gilead Sciences’ blockbuster antibody-drug conjugate Trodelvy has encountered some clinical speed bumps in 2024 in bladder and lung cancer. Still, analysts remain bullish on its prospects in the oncology space.
Eli Lilly, Rivus Pharmaceuticals and more target different biological processes in hopes of generating higher-quality weight loss and avoiding metabolic issues.
Rocket Pharmaceuticals’ gene therapy Kresladi has been hit with an FDA Complete Response Letter requesting additional chemistry, manufacturing and controls information to complete its review.
Alumis is debuting in an initial public offering Friday on the Nasdaq, though the $250 million IPO is less than its initial targeted raise of $274 million just days ago.
AbbVie on Thursday announced it has acquired Celsius Therapeutics to expand its immunology portfolio with a first-in-class TREM1 inhibitor CEL383, following other big players looking to cash in on the hot immuno market.
Following the recently completed spinoff of cancer detection company Grail, sequencing giant Illumina said Thursday it expects to absorb a $1.47 billion goodwill impairment charge.
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review has again flagged “substantial concerns” with Lykos Therapeutics’ data for its MDMA-based therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and propensity for bias.
FDA
AbbVie and Merck/Daiichi Sankyo were hit this week with Complete Response Letters from the FDA, which rejected their respective drugs due to manufacturing issues.