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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.
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The total of 52 mergers and acquisitions for the first half of 2026 reflects what analysts, industry watchers and executives are saying over and over: M&A is back.
At the BIO International Convention in San Diego, attendees marked the 50th anniversary of original biotech Genentech, reflecting on the immense challenges facing companies as China becomes a powerhouse innovator.
A recent FDA reversal sparked new hope for patients with Huntington’s disease. Flying under the radar, Skyhawk Therapeutics revealed 12-month functional data from a midstage trial of its own candidate showing improvements on a key disease measurement scale.
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If cell and gene therapy makers are going to achieve their mission to improve patients’ lives, the industry must come together to share information across stakeholders, from regulators to manufacturers to payers.
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An FDA advisory committee this week voted overwhelmingly against BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics’ amyotrophic lateral sclerosis treatment. However, other potential therapies offer hope for ALS patients.
FDA
Thursday’s approval comes after the FDA pushed back the target action dates for Amicus’ Biologics License Application in May, allowing the regulator more time to review the company’s submitted data.
The biopharma is projecting its HIV business will reach up to $8.5 billion in sales by 2026, based on the success of its long-acting antiretroviral therapy Cabenuva.
Following disappointing results in a mid-stage social anxiety disorder study, the Australian biotech’s investigational ion channel modulator demonstrated promising effects in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder.
FDA
After several rejections over 20-plus years, Fabre-Kramer Pharmaceuticals has secured the FDA’s approval for its major depressive disorder drug gepirone hydrochloride, now marketed under the brand name Exxua.
After a groundbreaking year in the Alzheimer’s space, Parkinson’s disease researchers express renewed hope based on a greater biological understanding of neurodegeneration.
The FDA will kick off October with an advisory committee meeting for Amgen’s Lumakras and target action dates for Alnylam’s patisiran and Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo.
If approved by the FDA, Karuna Therapeutics’ investigational agonist of muscarinic acetylcholine 1 receptors M1 and M4 would provide the first new mechanism of action for schizophrenia patients in decades.
The companies, which have been partners for a decade on various research programs, are pooling their efforts in two early-stage programs for Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases using RNA-targeting medicines.
Non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with the drug combination saw a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival compared to AstraZeneca’s osimertinib.