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Following Insmed’s decision to hold off on launching a newly approved lung disease drug in Europe, experts anticipate more companies will do the same as they seek to avoid price erosion in the U.S. Will Chinese biotechs fill the void?
The recent uptick in IPOs is an encouraging signal after a drought for much of 2025. Experts point to AI as a driving force behind this resurgence.
Deal-hungry Big Pharmas, a long-sought biotech prize, an infrequent buyer and one serial biotech rabblerouser highlight a busy quarter in biopharma M&A.
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Of the 11 companies participating in the spring cohorts of the Drive program run by MassBio and SCbio, eight have locations in Massachusetts. One cohort focuses on biotech and the other on biomarkers and diagnostics.
Biogen, Eli Lilly, Merck and Novartis spent more than $20 billion to absorb biotechs with promising or approved drugs; the rare disease space notched approvals for therapies from Denali Therapeutics, Rocket Pharmaceuticals and Biogen; and Wave’s stock lost half its value after its RNA-based obesity candidate failed to impress investors.
While peptides are currently the dominant approach to GLP-1 agonism, Ambrosia Biosciences is pursuing a small-molecule approach.
The FDA advised IO Biotech last year to hold off on filing an approval application for its cancer vaccine Cylembio, pointing to a failed Phase 3 study in frontline advanced melanoma. The biotech has now gone under.
In addition to delivering two approved medicines to Biogen’s portfolio, the acquisition of Apellis Pharmaceuticals will support the future launch of the pharma’s own kidney disease asset, currently in multiple Phase 3 trials.
Serial biotech investor Kevin Tang previously unsuccessfully tried to buy Kezar Life Sciences via Concentra Biosciences, a biotech consolidation company owned by the venture capital firm he runs.
Takeda’s layoffs include cutting 247 people in Massachusetts. The workforce reduction is meant to help offset investments in areas including a product launch for oral drug candidate zasocitinib, for which the pharma today announced positive Phase 3 data.
Analysts are cautiously optimistic about an IPO rebound for biopharma. BioSpace is keeping track of companies that seek to trade on the public markets this year.
AbbVie’s Skyrizi appears to have stronger efficacy than Johnson & Johnson’s newly approved pill Icotyde, as well as a less frequent dosing schedule that patients could prefer, according to analysts at BMO Capital Markets.
This year’s catalysts in the space include a near-term FDA decision on Eli Lilly’s oral challenger to the new Wegovy pill. Looking further ahead, Novo Nordisk is expecting more clinical data for next-gen weight loss asset CagriSema, which recently lost a head-to-head battle with Lilly’s Zepbound.