News
Biogen’s new data, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, supports a tau-focused approach to the intractable neurodegenerative disease; psychedelics are back in the news with more positive data from Compass Pathways and final guidance from the FDA; and the ATTR-CM space got a major shakeup with the late-stage failure of AstraZeneca and Ionis’ antisense therapeutic.
FEATURED STORIES
Biogen touted an “unprecedented” drop in tau in a Phase 2 trial, backing the company’s decision to take diranersen to Phase 3 despite a missed primary endpoint and seemingly supporting the anti-tau approach.
As antibody-drug conjugates advance and move into earlier lines of treatment, drug developers have to build gentler therapies that don’t just extend survival but improve it.
FDA’s rare disease decisions are strongest when the patient community has a voice in advisory committee decisions.
FROM OUR EDITORS
Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
Congressional letters sent to the CEOs of Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Merck, BMS and AbbVie this week voicing concerns about the pharmas’ clinical trials in China highlight an ongoing discrepancy in how government and industry think about the rise of the Asian country’s biotech industry.
THE LATEST
Backed by ARCH Venture Partners, F-Prime Capital and Mubadala Capital, the new company will develop a pipeline of brain-penetrant small molecules to address inflammation, metabolic dysfunction and restoring lysosomal function.
In a deal expected to close in Q1 2025, Roche will gain access to Poseida’s off-the-shelf CAR T candidates.
By mid-2025, the biotech will split into two entities: a new, as-yet-unnamed innovative medicines specialist and a cell therapy company, the latter of which will inherit the Galapagos name.
The FDA recommended maintaining a minimum of 5% weight-loss for drug developers seeking to establish the efficacy of their investigational obesity candidates.
Maze’s IPO comes on the heels of its oversubscribed Series D funding round, which infused the biotech with $115 million in funding to support the development of its kidney disease pipeline.
A post-marketing review by the FDA detected an increased risk of the autoimmune condition in patients inoculated with GSK’s Arexvy and Pfizer’s Abrysvo, prompting the regulator to require adjustments to the vaccines’ labels.
The investment continues a Novo dealmaking spree to cement its leadership status in the cardiometabolic space, with partnerships with Photys Therapeutics, Ascendis Pharma and two Flagship-backed start-ups.
BioSpace presents 25 noteworthy biopharma startups in ’25; analysts forecast stronger M&A as the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference kicks off next week; GLP-1s continue to expand their reach as Novo, Lilly fight against compounders; and a look ahead to five key FDA decisions in Q1.
Licensing deals have risen in prominence in a restrained market environment. Is it desperation, or an important part of the biotech ecosystem? Experts weigh in.
Look for renewed investment driven by lower interest rates in the new year, and a continued focus on late-stage assets, oncology and reaping the benefits of AI.