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It’s not often that a CEO outright dismisses M&A prospects, but Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel says the mRNA biotech has enough programs on its hands.
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R&D spending across the global pharmaceutical sector climbed 1.5% in 2024, according to unreleased data from Evaluate Pharma.
As the World Health Organization initiates a new agreement for coordinating global responses to future pandemics, the future of vaccine development in the U.S. faces growing challenges, including waning funding and regulatory changes, that threaten next-gen COVID-19 vaccine candidates and pandemic preparedness more broadly.
Vocal skeptics of COVID-19 vaccinations gave mRNA a bad name and government funding for mRNA research is now being cut. On the flip side, at least one CEO said the pandemic also provided “elevated acceleration” for the field, which also holds promise in therapeutics for cancer and rare diseases.
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In its complete response letter, the FDA cited insufficient evidence establish deramiocel’s effectiveness for cardiomyopathy associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The decision comes after CBER Director Vinay Prasad canceled an advisory committee meeting for the therapy.
The approval of Moderna’s Spikevax for kids at higher risk of contracting the disease continues the company’s regulatory winning streak, which has also included nods for a next-gen COVID-19 vaccine and an RSV shot.
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A journey through the FDA’s newly released complete response letters gave glimpses into the journeys to market for Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s antibody Kisunla, Sarepta’s DMD gene therapy Vyondys 53 and Gilead’s HIV drug Sunlenca.
The trove of more than 200 letters is part of a pledge of transparency from the agency, with the intention to increase public insight into the reasons new drug and biologics applications got rejected.
In this episode presented by Eclipsebio, BioSpace’s head of insights Lori Ellis discusses mRNA and srRNA with Andy Geall of Replicate Bioscience and Alliance for mRNA Medicines, and Pad Chivukula of Arcturus Therapeutics.
The deal, which involves a $700 million upfront payment, gives AbbVie access to ISB 2001, a clinical-stage first-in-class trispecific antibody currently being tested for certain kinds of multiple myeloma as well as autoimmune indications.
Partners Ultragenyx and Mereo BioPharma saw their stocks drop by 21% and 30%, respectively, after announcing that the Phase II/III study of their osteogenesis imperfecta candidate will proceed to final analysis, implying it did not show sufficiently strong results at an interim analysis.
The move has sparked concern that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force could soon be dismissed after a decision by the high court affirmed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s power to remove its members at will.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will work with Gilead and other private backers to ensure the HIV preventive Yeztugo, approved last month by the FDA, is available in low- and middle-income countries, concurrent with high-income nations.
The number of employees laid off and companies letting people go increased year over year during the first half of 2025. BioSpace recaps the five largest layoff rounds, including cuts at Bayer, BMS and Teva.