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After its next-generation obesity asset CagriSema lost a head-to-head matchup with Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, Novo Nordisk is throwing more money into the obesity space, striking a deal with Vivtex to advance novel weight loss pills.
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IPO
LB Pharma needed $350 million to advance a promising schizophrenia candidate at a time when the biotech markets were locked up tight. Fortunately, it wasn’t CEO Heather Turner’s first rodeo.
Rare disease drug developers struggle to survive in a biopharma investment market that prioritizes large patient populations. Initiatives like the Orphan Therapeutics Accelerator are attempting to solve what CEO Craig Martin says is not a science problem, but a math problem.
Eli Lilly’s win in a head-to-head trial drove Novo Nordisk’s market cap to pre-Wegovy levels not long after the victor became the first pharma company to top a $1 trillion valuation. It seems one company can do no right, while the other can do no wrong.
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Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
FDA
Following the FDA’s refusal to review Moderna’s investigational mRNA flu vaccine last week, Commissioner Marty Makary faced questions from the U.S. president about the agency’s handling of vaccines. It’s a clear signal that the tension long brewing at the drug regulator has now gone all the way to the top.
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Insmed’s freshly approved lung condition drug soared past sales expectations for 2025, netting $144.6 million in its first full quarter of sales.
Roche first partnered with MediLink in January 2024, likewise for an antibody-drug conjugate for solid tumors.
Rampart Bioscience was working on a platform to deliver gene therapies without the need for viral vectors.
Pharmas will need to provide their latest stance on the Most Favored Nation drug pricing plans, while biotech finally gets a break after a few tough years.
Aside from the layoffs, InflaRx will deprioritize Gohibic, a COVID-19 antibody that was granted emergency use authorization in 2023. The therapy failed a late-stage trial in a rare skin disease last year.
Rumors of a Revolution buyout come as the industry gears up for one of its biggest trade conferences, where observers expect many such deals to be announced.
The DC-based biopharma disputed the FDA’s conclusions regarding the data provided in its supplemental application for Hetlioz and promised to keep pushing for an approval.
IPO
Eli Lilly has expressed interest in participating in the IPO, with the regulatory filing revealing the obesity juggernaut’s plans to buy as much as $100 million worth of Aktis shares.
In this episode of Denatured, Jennifer C. Smith-Parker speaks to Maha Katabi, general partner at Sofinnova Investments and Andrew Lam, managing director, head of Biotech Private Equity at Ally Bridge Group, about how M &A dynamics, dealmaking and global partnerships are reshaping portfolio valuations and paths to growth in 2026.
A bevy of other companies also brought in money on Thursday, including Alveus Therapeutics, Diagonal Therapeutics, EpiBiologics, Beacon Therapeutics and Protege.