News

HIV
Gilead’s investigational drug combo bic/len could help lower the pill burden in patients with virologically suppressed HIV who are on complex treatment regimens, according to BMO Capital Markets.
FEATURED STORIES
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.
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.
FDA
After a leading study caused the FDA to slap its most stringent warning on hormone replacement therapies for menopause more than two decades ago, the regulator is changing course in what FDA Commissioner Marty Makary called a “historic day for women in the United States.”
Job Trends
Of the 25 companies receiving tax incentives in Massachusetts, 23 will add jobs outside of Boston and Cambridge. Medtronic, which is receiving the largest award, will create 220 roles in Billerica. Other recipients include AbbVie, Dyne Therapeutics and Viridian Therapeutics.
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Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—along with FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and CBER Director Vinay Prasad—argued against vaccine mandates, partly because they limited medical choice. This week, the FDA under their leadership approved updated COVID-19 vaccines with restrictions that do the same.
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The back-heavy deal includes a $5 million upfront payment for two novel T cell engagers, though the companies have yet to disclose priority indications.
In this episode presented by Slone Partners, Leslie Loveless, Co-CEO and Managing Partner discusses how hiring and the building of executive teams has responded to the current biotech environment.
FDA
One of the FDA’s potential approvals this month could break an existing monopoly in the treatment space for a rare growth disorder.
Nearly two dozen life sciences companies that were awarded Massachusetts tax incentives to create and retain about 1,000 combined jobs hit just 13% of that target in 2024. Ten awardees had reported layoffs last year, including Charles River Laboratories and Moderna.
While most BioSpace LinkedIn poll respondents believe the job market won’t improve until at least 2027, two industry experts are optimistic a turnaround could start sooner. They discuss early signals of recovery and challenges that remain.
After the FDA rejected its spinocerebellar ataxia treatment, Biohaven missed out on a $150 million payment from Oberland Capital. Now the company is reshuffling its pipeline to stay alive.
In 2025, landmark obesity drug deals, China’s biotech surge, and AI’s deeper integration into pharma operations drove a year of transformation and renewed momentum for life sciences.
The strategic initiative will extend Metagenomi’s cash runway into the fourth quarter of 2027. That same year, the company expects to generate initial Phase I data for its lead asset MGX-001 in hemophilia A.
Altimmune’s pemvidutide showed “class-leading signals” in non-invasive assessments and has “potentially best-in-class tolerability,” according to analysts at H.C. Wainwright.
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.