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Priority voucher awardees and regulators could feel pressure to “meet the moment” as FDA watchers question the intent and feasibility of the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher program.
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While investment has slowed in radiopharmaceuticals, analysts predict increased interest to come as Novartis shows just how successful radiopharmaceuticals can be.
The upheaval of the Health and Human Services workforce and leadership leaves much to be desired in terms of delivery, recently retired FDA Chief Information Officer Vid Desai tells BioSpace, but the regulatory agency is evolving to be more open to much needed change.
Had Pfizer’s Freda Lewis-Hall not stepped in, SpringWorks’ rare disease treatment may never have reached patients. Pharmas can act now to help find the next Gomekli.
Job Trends
The biopharma job market failed to turn around in May, but employers were still hiring, especially in Indiana and California, based on BioSpace data. The two states had the most job postings live on BioSpace last month, with Indiana showing a 108% year-over-year increase.
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Aside from offering to acquire all remaining shares of Neuphoria, existing investor Lynx1 Master Fund also announced its plan to nominate directors in the biotech’s upcoming board elections.
With immunology and inflammation blockbusters like AbbVie’s Skyrizi and Rinvoq reeling in nearly $7 billion combined in the third quarter, the pipeline-in-a-product strategy has never been more attractive.
Pfizer seals the deal with Metsera for $10 billion after Novo Nordisk bowed out; President Donald Trump welcomes executives from Novo and Eli Lilly to the White House to announce that the companies’ GLP-1 medicines would be sold at a reduced cost; and the FDA grants the second round of priority review vouchers—primarily to already marketed drugs.
With pricing pressures climbing, Pfizer, Eli Lilly and other major drugmakers are looking to sell their products directly to patients. Analysts are skeptical that these efforts, including those announced to much fanfare from the White House, will result in meaningful reductions in drug spending.
The appointment of Richard Pazdur, currently director of the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence, comes less than a week after he reportedly declined the post, and just nine days after his predecessor’s controversial exit.
Data presented at this year’s American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in New Orleans underline rapid advancements in the cardiovascular field.
The mid-stage failure was unexpected to analysts at BMO Capital Markets, who viewed ‘770 as mostly derisked given its similar mechanism of action to Johnson & Johnson’s Spravato.
Cogent Biosciences expects to file a new drug application for bezuclastinib in gastrointestinal stromal tumors early next year after what Leerink said was “the first positive trial in this disease in over a decade.”
Representatives from companies such as Sanofi and Forge Biologics point to the potential for PreCheck to drive activation of idle production capacity and help companies that are already building plants.
Kezar Life Sciences suffered multiple clinical holds and four patient deaths in a trial testing zetomipzomib for lupus—a program that has since been canned. The company is still pursuing development in autoimmune hepatitis, but recent FDA communications could delay its timeline.