News

FDA
After a chaotic year that has seen the attrition of over half the FDA’s senior leadership, many of these individuals have landed new roles—at Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Iovance and more. The FDA’s loss, it seems, is largely the pharmaceutical industry’s gain.
FEATURED STORIES
As industry leaders gather at the annual event in Phoenix, the cell and gene therapy space remains in a state of flux, with M&A activity and regulatory support signaling momentum while commercialization challenges continue to hinder broader investor interest.
Smarter design through targeted delivery and human-relevant testing can save the industry from costly safety failures.
While Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors are often hailed as the next big breakthrough in multiple sclerosis, Immunic Therapeutics and others are leveraging neuroprotective targets and remyelination to keep the disease at bay.
Job Trends
Although the job market did not pick up in April, layoffs were down year over year and month over month, according to BioSpace tallies. Meanwhile, Amgen, Novartis, Regeneron and Roche announced U.S. manufacturing investments that are sparking job creation.
FROM OUR EDITORS
Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
ALS
Misses from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis hopefuls Denali Therapeutics and partners AbbVie and Calico Life Sciences mark the latest setbacks for the controversial platform trial, the results from which have largely mirrored the dismal success rate in ALS overall.
THE LATEST
Elecsys’ approval could help boost the uptake of currently approved Alzheimer’s disease therapies, including Biogen’s Eisai-partnered Leqembi, with CEO Chris Viehbacher recently noting that such biomarker-based tests could “remove some of the bottlenecks” in uptake.
J&J reports today, just two weeks after Pfizer secured certainty on tariffs and drug pricing. Analysts expect to hear about plans from the rest of the industry during third period earnings calls.
Slapped with the most severe post-inspection classification, the state of Novo Nordisk’s Indiana manufacturing site could pose a problem for clients, including Regeneron and Scholar Rock.
Nabla and Takeda first joined hands in 2022, to push “the boundaries of next-generation biologics discovery,” according to the startup’s CEO Surge Biswas.
While a new facility setup program aimed at encouraging onshoring received a positive reception at a recent meeting, industry representatives said the current rules on existing production plants are the main regulatory issues facing manufacturing teams.
Regeneron is aiming to file a regulatory application for DB-OTO by the end of the year.
The last few months have been tumultuous for the CDC, which has seen the ouster of Director Susan Monarez and all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Moderna’s mRNA-4359, when used with Keytruda, achieves a 24% overall objective response rate in patients with melanoma, with efficacy increasing to 67% in those positive for PD-L1.
Novo had around 250 employees working on cell therapies, all of whom will be laid off, though a spokesperson declined to reveal which offices and locations will be affected.
The market outlook is full of uncertainty and pitfalls. Experts weigh in on how to mitigate risks.