Paratek Pharmaceuticals is betting that OptiNose’s chronic rhinosinusitis treatment will be a partner to its antibiotic treatment Nuzyra.
After Sarepta reported the death of a patient who had recently taken the gene therapy Elevidys, patient advocacy group Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy stepped up—as they always do.
The deal is the latest in a series of Sanofi investments in its immunology portfolio. According to Sanfoi, DR-0201 can achieve deep B cell depletion, giving it the potential to reset the immune system.
The Supreme Court last year blocked a previous settlement proposal from Purdue, arguing that the plan would afford the Sackler family too much protection.
Analysts were happy with batoclimab’s performance in the chronic autoimmune disorder, but Immunovant said it will continue to focus on another next-gen asset for the indication.
The French pharma is getting Black Diamond’s de-prioritized molecule for non-small cell lung cancers with specific mutations whose development had been paused to save money.
FEATURED STORIES
The ongoing conflicts between Ukraine and Russia, as well as Israel and Palestine, have sent ripples across various industries, including pharma. Medical science liaisons can help.
Mirador debuted last year with a massive $400 million and the goal of developing game-changing therapies for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. The company aims to enter the clinic this year.
As obesity drug developers compete for the highest weight-loss efficacy, experts contend that overall health outcomes—evidenced by successful studies in therapeutic areas like cardiovascular and sleep apnea—may prove a greater market advantage.
FROM BIOSPACE INSIGHTS
Jay Ferro, EVP, CIO, CPO & CTO at Clario discusses safety, trust and what keeps him up at night.
LATEST PODCASTS
BioSpace remembers COVID-19 five years after the pandemic was declared, Novo Nordisk’s CagriSema again misses expectations as the company joins a lawsuit filed by drug compounders against the FDA, Viking secures ample supply of its investigational obesity medication, J&J strikes out in depression, and Makary and Bhattacharya near confirmation.
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.
In the second podcast in a special series focused on BioSpace’s NextGen Class of 2025, Senior Editor Annalee Armstrong speaks with Kevin Marks, CEO of Delphia Therapeutics.
Job Trends
The latest Repare Therapeutics layoffs will include its chief medical officer and could leave the biotech with fewer than 35 employees as it works to advance two Phase I clinical programs.
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SPECIAL EDITIONS
Year-over-year BioSpace data shows there are fewer job postings live on the website and far more competition for them.
On election day, Tuesday, November 5, Americans will choose between former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris for their next president. The election will also see the rearrangement of Congress.
In the battle over drug prices, one sector of the healthcare industry has risen above all the players as the boogeyman: pharmacy benefit managers. In this special edition of BioPharm Executive, BioSpace takes a deep dive into the lens now focused on PBMs’ business practices.
DEALS
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A new Pitchbook report found $4.3 billion in funding to women-fronted biotech companies across 121 deals. The increase comes as sociopolitical headwinds slam into initiatives to support women and minorities. -
At the heart of the deal is the drug candidate dordaviprone, which is months away from a regulatory verdict for its use in H3 K27M-mutated diffuse glioma. -
In a move straight out of 2021, BridgeBio Oncology is taking the SPAC route to the public markets in a deal with Helix Acquisition Corp. II worth $450 million in proceeds. -
In this episode of Denatured, BioSpace’s Head of Insights Lori Ellis and Miruna Sasu, CEO of COTA, discuss life sciences investment and the potential for disruption. -
Our CEO accidentally started a book club. Now we’re all dreaming of mega pharma mergers.
WEIGHT LOSS
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BioSpace remembers COVID-19 five years after the pandemic was declared, Novo Nordisk’s CagriSema again misses expectations as the company joins a lawsuit filed by drug compounders against the FDA, Viking secures ample supply of its investigational obesity medication, J&J strikes out in depression, and Makary and Bhattacharya near confirmation. -
Analysts acknowledged the long-term manufacturing deal could dull Viking’s takeout prospects but hailed it as a smart move to ensure supply. -
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.
FDA
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While Congress is renewing the priority review voucher program for rare pediatric diseases, the FDA should be required to keep public records of the passes changing hands, too. -
Neffy 1 mg is the “first significant innovation” for epinephrine delivery in small children aged 4 years and up in over 35 years, according to ARS Pharmaceuticals. -
The vaccine space has been battered by strong headwinds in recent weeks, including high-level disruptions to FDA and CDC advisory committee meetings. -
Congress did not reauthorize the rare pediatric disease priority review program at the end of 2024. Advocates say the ripple effect is already being felt across biopharma. -
The approval for the first-line treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma comes shortly after a label expansion for the drug in gastric and gastroesophageal cancers as BeiGene also pushes forward a pipeline of novel cancer therapies.
Being laid off is bad enough. When companies mishandle the layoff process, it can make the situation even worse. Four biopharma professionals share how some employers are getting it wrong.
Job postings in California took a dip in December during the holiday period, but activity is expected to pick up in January.
As market values increase for computational biology and data science, biopharma companies are looking to hire R&D professionals in those areas. A biotech talent acquisition expert shares his insights on these in-demand roles.
Gratitude, a key part of stoicism, can benefit those working in—and being served by—the pharmaceutical industry.
Businessman and entrepreneur Mark Cuban recently discussed leadership with Leadership Lab columnist Michael Pietrack. The three lessons that came out of that conversation start with one word: caring.
When hiring job candidates to work on cell and gene therapies, companies look for more than just technical skills. Talent acquisition executives from Bristol Myers Squibb and Intellia Therapeutics offer an inside look at what they want in an employee.
HOTBEDS
REPORTS
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.
In this Employment Outlook report, BioSpace explores current workforce sentiment, job activity trends and the prospective job and hiring outlook for 2025, particularly as it compares to the previous year.
CANCER
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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. -
The FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee recently voted to narrow the label for checkpoint inhibitors Keytruda and Opdivo in stomach and esophageal cancers based on PD-L1 expression levels—but the high unmet need in these patient populations should also be considered.
NEUROSCIENCE
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After failing to hit the primary endpoint in a Phase III trial, Neumora is remixing study parameters in two replicate trials, with data expected in the first half of 2026. -
Despite not differentiating itself from placebo, the Texas-based company said it plans to push pilavapadin into Phase III trials before long. -
Leqembi’s application now moves forward to the European Commission, which will issue a formal verdict for the injection that will apply to all EU member states as well as Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. -
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.
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
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Having established success in cancer, biopharma is now looking to leverage CAR T therapies against a new target, autoimmune disorders, with several early- to mid-stage readouts expected this year. -
Facing declining valuations and funding challenges, public biotechs like bluebird bio are going private to restructure, reduce regulatory burdens and refocus on long-term growth. -
Roche acquired Spark Therapeutics in 2019 for $4.8 billion. -
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. -
On the agenda for the FDA this month are two RNA-based treatments for rare diseases.
