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Sangamo, which has been having cash problems, will receive $18 million upfront in licensing fees for its AAV capsid that in preclinical studies has shown the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.
FEATURED STORIES
It’s early days for xenotransplantation, but eGenesis, Eledon, United Therapeutics and more are working to develop solutions to make this approach a viable option and help ease the organ shortage crisis.
Biosimilars are essential healthcare equalizers, but their regulation is overly complicated due to lobbying by makers of branded biologics looking to maintain blockbuster revenue.
Since 2016, the FDA has approved three disease-modifying treatments for spinal muscular atrophy, with several companies—including Novartis, Scholar Rock and Biogen—progressing novel candidates through clinical trials.
Job Trends
Landing a job remains challenging for life sciences professionals, according to a new BioSpace report. While 59% of surveyed organizations are actively recruiting, nearly half of unemployed survey respondents had been out of work for at least six months, and 20% of surveyed employers expect to lay off employees this year.
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Read our takes on the biggest stories happening in the industry.
Less than a day into his second term, President Donald Trump ordered a freeze on communications at major public health agencies, among other moves that have sent waves through the biopharma industry.
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FDA
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.
Cell therapy and oncology–focused Carisma Therapeutics started layoffs late last year. Now the company plans to wind down fully.
Merck continues to build the case for the pulmonary arterial hypertension drug that won FDA approval in 2024.
AIRNA’s lead candidate AIR-001 works by correcting the most common pathologic mutation driving the rare disease alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
Analysts at financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald are urging President Donald Trump to rethink his appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The layoffs will take place throughout 2025 and will mostly affect Tenaya’s research and manufacturing operations. The company is continuing to test its hypertrophic cardiomyopathy gene therapy.
Despite a $400 million impairment charge, analysts say the removal of a drug-device combo from its portfolio is not a huge loss for Vertex given that the company has a more advanced type 1 diabetes candidate in zimislecel.
FDA
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.
BMO Capital Markets analysts said the results potentially position lepodisiran as “one of the most durable assets in development to date” in the competitive Lp(a) space, where drugs are designed to lower the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.