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Eli Lilly continues to spend its GLP-1 landfall with four new deals in the past week, including three in the vaccine space; the obesity leader also touted surgery-like results for its next-gen weight loss drug; Moderna’s stock climbs on the hantavirus “fear trade”; and in oncology, all eyes are on Revolution at ASCO this week.
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Partners Summit Therapeutics and Akeso are expected to steal the show at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual conference with data from their potential Keytruda rival, alongside Revolution Medicine’s groundbreaking pancreatic cancer candidate and other assets that could reshape patient care.
The tragic tale of TIGIT is well known. However, RIPK1, myc, STING and alpha-synuclein have also left a trail of failed clinical trials, canceled partnerships and sunk investments in their wake.
Analysts homed in on Duchenne muscular dystrophy and myotonic dystrophy type 1 assets during first quarter earnings as major players like REGENXBIO and Novartis as well as Dyne, Wave, Solid and Sarepta near the regulatory finish line.
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The Department of Health and Human Services is spinning its wheels, unable to establish steady leadership at three major divisions—the CDC and the FDA’s two primary review units.
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Among the unreported adverse events potentially linked to Ozempic are two deaths and one case of “completed suicide,” according to an FDA inspection report.
Capricor Therapeutics’ deramiocel was rejected in July 2025, potentially caught between Nicole Verdun, a former top biologics regulator at the FDA, and outgoing Vinay Prasad, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
The U.S. Senate has a plan to improve drug development for rare disease patients. The exit of controversial CBER chief Vinay Prasad will help clear the path.
Rare disease biotech stocks pop on the news that Vinay Prasad, the FDA’s chief biologics regulator, will depart the FDA at the end of April; Sen. Ron Johnson launches an investigation into recent rare disease drug rejections; and Roche and Zealand’s amylin analog fails to match investor expectations—and Eli Lilly’s rival candidate—in a mid-stage trial.
Whether happening in public or private, biopharma M&A is fiercer than ever. Experts point to patent pressures, herd mentality and a declining stock of available biotechs with mature assets.
The senator, who has long advocated for expanding access to experimental therapies, reportedly called the FDA’s request for a sham surgery–controlled Phase 3 trial for uniQure’s Huntington’s disease gene therapy “bureaucratic idiocy.”
Industry and FDA representatives have reached a general agreement on planned pre-submission facility meetings but have expressed different views about the specifics.
The move comes as BioNTech shifts to being a multiproduct commercial biotech, allowing Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci to transition back into research on next-generation mRNA therapeutics.
Analysts expect the market for manufacturing cell and gene therapies, worth less than $20 billion in 2024, to expand rapidly as approvals drive higher volumes of production.
Breakout Ventures’ focus on early-stage companies stands out as more and more investors elect to save their dollars for derisked assets.