News
In a deal worth up to $285 million initially for the lead program, Novo Nordisk will gain access to Ascendis’ TransCon technology platform in an effort to find novel GLP-1 candidates with reduced dosing frequency.
FEATURED STORIES
This year has seen several biopharma companies drop Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease programs, but experts say plenty are still chasing these multi-billion-dollar markets.
While some of the initial excitement around immunotherapies has waned, companies—particularly smaller biotechs—are developing newer iterations that will take cancer care to the next level.
Lilly CEO Dave Ricks in Wednesday’s third-quarter earnings call acknowledged that the company is at the mercy of wholesaler stocking decisions.
TRACKERS
Follow along as BioSpace keeps you up-to-date on the latest pharma and biotech layoffs.
In 2023, the FDA greenlit 55 new drugs and 34 cell and gene therapies. Follow along as BioSpace keeps you up to date on all of the FDA’s decisions in 2024.
FROM OUR NEWS EDITOR
Every week, BioSpace’s Greg Slabodkin offers his take on the biggest stories happening in our industry.
CEO Albert Bourla, who is under attack from activist investor Starboard Value, got a much-needed victory on Tuesday as Pfizer reported that third-quarter revenue and adjusted profit beat the analysts’ consensus.
THE LATEST
The FDA is set to decide on four promising therapies in the next two weeks, including a CAR T for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
In part 1 of the pivotal ESSENCE trial, Novo Nordisk’s weight loss drug Wegovy demonstrated “statistically significant and superior improvement” in liver fibrosis in patients with metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis.
Despite disappointing third-quarter results for Regeneron’s high-dose Eylea injection, analysts continued to be cautiously optimistic about the company’s promising cancer, immunology and genetic medicines pipeline.
While an FDA advisory committee saw signals of efficacy for Lexicon Pharmaceuticals’ sotagliflozin, the panel of external experts found that the company did not provide enough data to support its drug application.
Bristol Myers Squibb’s third-quarter results benefited from sales of its legacy brands Eliquis and Revlimid, as well as growth portfolio products such as Abecma, Breyanzi and Reblozyl.
In another delay for the psychedelic treatment space, Compass Pathways announced adjusted timelines for two Phase III trials of its psilocybin to address treatment-resistant depression.
Offsetting Merck’s growth in the third quarter were disappointing revenues from its HPV vaccine Gardasil and type 2 diabetes pill Januvia, with the company on Thursday narrowing its 2024 sales and adjusted profit outlooks.
AbbVie’s Humira missed Wall Street’s expectations in the third quarter but Skyrizi and Rinvoq’s continuing outperformance demonstrated the overall strength of its immunology franchise.
While Amgen’s third-quarter financial results on Wednesday were “somewhat uneventful,” investors continue to be focused on the highly anticipated MariTide Phase II results slated for late 2024, according to BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman.
Candidates looking to enter biotech should focus on cultivating key skills, thoughtfully crafting their resumes and putting their best, most authentic foot forward in interviews. An internship, co-op or fellowship won’t hurt, either.