The so-called ‘Most Favored Nations’ rule would set drug pricing for Medicare in line with the prices paid by other nations, where drugs can be much cheaper.
Analysts at BMO Capital Markets expect Summit and Akeso’s HARMONi-6 readout to put some pressure on Merck and its blockbuster biologic Keytruda.
Cobenfy’s late-stage flop is BMS’ second high-profile failure in as many weeks. The pharma announced last week that Camzyos was unable to improve disease burden in non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Bausch Health has launched a shareholder rights plan—also known as a poison pill defense—designed to prevent any one entity from taking control of the company to the detriment of other shareholders.
Such a change would put the U.S. more in line with guidance in other countries and with the World Health Organization, which recommends one dose for children and adolescents only if they have comorbidities.
In December 2024, the FDA affirmed that the shortage of tirzepatide, marketed as Zepbound for weight loss, had ended, formally barring compounders from producing their knockoff versions of the drug.
FEATURED STORIES
Pharma stocks went on a wild ride Wednesday amid whiplashing tariff threats from the U.S. president.
The number of employees laid off dropped year over year during the first quarter. BioSpace recaps the five largest layoffs, which included BMS and Novartis cuts.
Experts express concern that last week’s unprecedented FDA layoffs will trigger a little-known mechanism that could result in a “disaster” the Trump administration doesn’t see coming.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
BioSpace’s Employment Outlook report investigates anticipated job search activity and hiring outlook in 2024 as well as how the current workforce is currently faring
LATEST PODCASTS
The FDA is mired in uncertainty with some staffers losing their jobs over the weekend and more potentially to come, vaccines and psychedelic therapies could be facing very different futures under newly confirmed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Moderna continues its downward revenue slide and Merck, Regeneron, BMS and more face strong patent headwinds.
In the first podcast in a special series focused on BioSpace’s NextGen Class of 2025, Senior Editor Annalee Armstrong speaks with Dannielle Appelhans, CEO of COUR.
In this episode, presented by the Genscript Biotech Global Forum 2025, BioSpace’s Head of Insights Lori Ellis and Tom Whitehead continue to discuss the patient and caregiver experience, where Tom gives his insights to the future of CGTs.
Job Trends
The November layoffs are the second known workforce reduction this year for Marinus Pharmaceuticals, which previously announced disappointing Phase III results for ganaxolone in two clinical trials.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
In this deep dive, BioSpace explores the diverse therapeutic modalities now in development, as well as the opportunities and battles for market dominance in this emerging space.
Year-over-year BioSpace data show there were fewer job postings live on the website in the fourth quarter of 2024, and the decrease was higher than the third quarter’s drop.
The J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference started off with a flurry of deals that reinvigorated excitement across the biopharma industry. Johnson & Johnson moved to acquire Intra-Cellular Therapies for $14.6 billion, breaking a dealmaking barrier that kept Big Pharma’s 2024 biotech buyouts to under $5 billion.
DEALS
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Donald Trump continues to make waves in biopharma; Sage rejects Biogen’s unsolicited takeover offer; the obesity space sees more action with new company launches, IPOs and fresh data; and experts get ready for an important era in the Duchenne muscular dystrophy space. -
Following a lawsuit filed last week, Sage has officially rejected Biogen’s unsolicited buyout offer, which valued the embattled biotech at just $469 million. -
Protein degradation–focused Neomorph nabs its third Big Pharma deal of around $1.5 billion in less than a year. -
The deal follows a $1.06 billion U.S. contract in July 2024 and a $1.24 billion agreement with an Asia-based pharma a few months later. -
On the company’s Q4 earnings call where an eyepopping $88.8 billion in full-year sales were revealed, leaders shifted focus away from enormous takeovers to single-digit billion buy outs.
WEIGHT LOSS
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The latest data showed 15.7% weight loss in patients with diabetes after 68 weeks. In December 2024, CagriSema returned another disappointing readout for Novo, eliciting weight-loss of 22.7% in patients without diabetes, below the pharma’s prior projection of 25%. -
While drug developers work to mitigate the side effects associated with GLP-1–based obesity drugs, recent studies reveal that myriad variables are causing patients to stop treatment. -
Despite comments made by a Novo Nordisk official this week, the company confirmed to BioSpace that it has no additional clinical trials of its GLP-1 drugs in addiction beyond a Phase II trial testing semaglutide and two other drugs with alcohol use as a secondary endpoint. -
Novo Nordisk’s NovoCare will now provide uninsured or underinsured patients access to Wegovy for just $499 per month—less than half of its list price. -
Pfizer reacts to Donald Trump’s tariff threats on big pharma, another regulatory meeting is canceled under RFK Jr., AbbVie and Eli Lilly strike mid-sized deals in obesity and molecular glues, priority review vouchers set to take a hit and immuno-oncology matures.
FDA
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The latest cuts, which are part of a larger reduction of 10,000 at the Department of Health and Human Services, were reportedly underway Tuesday, with CDER Office of New Drugs Director Peter Stein added to the list of casualties. -
The stock market—and biotech insiders—reacted negatively to the allegedly forced resignation of CBER Director Peter Marks, who said RFK Jr. does not seek “truth and transparency” but rather “subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies.” -
Unlike other hemophilia therapies, Qfitlia is indicated for both hemophilia A and B, and can be given in patients regardless of the presence of neutralizing antibodies against clotting factor VIII or IX. -
In the coming two weeks, the FDA is expected to announce three big decisions, including one for a dry eye disease therapy. -
Milestone Pharmaceuticals hit another bump in the road in its quest to get Cardamyst approved for paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia when the FDA issued a Complete Response Letter on Friday.
Dealing with a toxic co-worker can be exhausting, and it can make your workplace more stressful. There are a few ways to make it easier, including developing healthy coping mechanisms and even talking it out with your colleague.
Job security is a hot topic among biopharma professionals. A career coach offers advice for how to evaluate and build it up and what to do if that evaluation leaves you worried.
Good company culture is a crucial aspect of professional life. Look at these 11 important indications of good workplace culture before accepting a job offer or use them to evaluate your new employer.
An appreciation for practicality, independent thinking and patient care can help disrupt the bureaucracy of Big Pharma.
Plus, learn about what to expect in initial interviews and how to time your post-Ph.D. job search for maximum success.
Having difficult conversations with the right mindset can build trust and further develop your relationship with your team.
HOTBEDS
REPORTS
In the 2020 US Life Sciences Diversity & Inclusion report, BioSpace dives into how different segments of employees experience and perceive policies, attitudes and actions. Our data suggests that there are significant disparities between segments.
BioSpace surveyed our community to gain their insights and perspectives on work, their employers, and to understand who makes up the life science community.
How does being Black affect the workplace experience as a life sciences professional? BioSpace surveyed our community to gain a greater understanding of Black employees’ feelings of inclusion and their perspectives on employer DEI initiatives.
CANCER
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Pfizer was studying PF-07820435, an orally available agonist of the STING protein, for solid tumors. -
While Houston isn’t yet on the same level as major life sciences hubs, it has plenty to offer and room to grow, according to CNS Pharmaceuticals, RadioMedix and Greater Houston Partnership executives. -
Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech hope to hit blockbuster status for Carvykti this year. -
Vepdegestrant did not improve progression-free survival broadly but saw improvements in one specific patient cohort. Arvinas’ stock took a 43% tumble on the news, and analysts are downcast on the drug’s prospects. -
Abecma made $406 million in 2024, of which BMS paid $43 million to 2seventy bio as part of their profit-sharing agreement.
NEUROSCIENCE
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Mission Therapeutics is down to its clinical assets MTX652 and MTX325, which work by disabling a key enzyme that interferes with the cell’s normal process of removing faulty or dysfunctional mitochondria. -
The licensing deal follows years of controversy for Cassava, as well as the high-profile late-stage failure of its Alzheimer’s disease drug simufilam. -
ITF, IntraBio and Orchard are among the companies that have won FDA nods in the past year for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Niemann-Pick disease type C, metachromatic leukodystrophy and more. -
Emalex is gearing up for a New Drug Application for ecopipam in Tourette syndrome later this year. -
BridGene strikes another partnership with Takeda as the latter company continues its dealmaking streak, following high-ticket agreements with Keros Therapeutics, AC Immune and Degron Therapeutics in the past nine months.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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The treatment, called DB-OTO, is one of several early-stage gene therapies being developed to treat relatively straight-forward causes of genetic deafness. -
The proposed acquisition by global investment firms Carlyle and SK Capital Partners could net shareholders $3 per share plus potential CVR dollars and provide bluebird bio with primary capital to expand the commercial reach of its gene therapies. -
The move comes weeks after Pfizer terminated its partnership with Sangamo Therapeutics for another hemophilia gene therapy. -
The Philadelphia market has gained recognition not only for its cell and gene therapy sector but also its real estate scene and talent pool. Vittoria Biotherapeutics, Interius BioTherapeutics and Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia executives share why the area is a life sciences hot spot. -
Biopharma doubles down on immunology and inflammation as companies target new pathways and seek to improve on current options in inflammatory bowel disease, atopic dermatitis, myasthenia gravis and more.
