The Latest
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Deep Dive
Biotech M&A is on the upswing. Track the latest deals here.
Incyte will pay $750 million to buy Escient Pharmaceuticals and its pipeline of small molecule drugs for inflammatory conditions like chronic urticaria.
Updated 22 hours ago -
Sponsored by Phreesia
How can pharma speed time to treatment? Digital tools can help
Treatment delays can seriously impact patients’ health outcomes. But by leveraging digital tools, pharma can help them find and access specialist care early in their journey.
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FDA rejects Abeona cell therapy, asks for more manufacturing data
The complete response letter for Abeona’s treatment is one of several manufacturing setbacks for cell and gene therapy developers in recent years.
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Lilly to buy injectable drug plant in manufacturing ramp-up
The acquisition of a Nexus Pharmaceuticals facility in Wisconsin could help Lilly better meet demand for injectable medicines, like those it makes for diabetes and obesity.
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Bristol Myers taps startup to boost cell therapy production
A partnership with Cellares, worth up to $380 million, is meant to help Bristol Myers speed and scale manufacture of CAR-T treatments for cancer.
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Pharmas form joint venture to jumpstart Japanese drug research
A new initiative backed by Takeda, Astellas and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking aims to combat a decade-long decline in drug R&D productivity in Japan.
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Deep Dive
Biotech IPOs are the industry’s lifeblood. Track how they’re performing.
Cancer drug startup Lirum Pharmaceuticals set terms for what could be the 11th IPO so far this year. But it would also be one of the smallest, with about $25 million in anticipated proceeds.
Updated April 19, 2024 -
Eisai hunts for next Alzheimer’s drug with new research pact
A collaboration with BioArctic will focus on a technology designed to more effectively deliver drugs in the brain, following similar efforts by Roche.
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Ipsen, Skyhawk to develop RNA-targeting pills for rare brain diseases
The deal, which could be worth up to $1.8 billion, is the latest research collaboration involving small molecule drugs that modify RNA.
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Alvotech deal could heighten biosimilar pressure on Humira
The agreement may help Alvotech capitalize on a recent policy shift by CVS that has driven major market share declines for AbbVie’s blockbuster drug.
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Roche wins FDA OK for Alecensa in early lung cancer
Alecensa is the first targeted drug available after surgery for people with ALK-positive lung tumors, who are at high risk for brain metastases.
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Cerevel, in ‘major surprise,’ finds success in late-stage Parkinson’s study
Analysts had low expectations for Cerevel’s drug tavapadon, which was something of an afterthought in AbbVie’s proposed buyout of the biotech.
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Emerging biotech
Metsera, a well-funded obesity drug startup, sees chance to challenge Lilly, Novo
It’s “early innings” in the obesity drug race, said Metsera CEO Clive Meanwell, whose company acquired a portfolio of medicines it aims to test in combination.
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Vertex begins bid for US approval of non-opioid painkiller
The biotech has begun a rolling submission of a closely watched drug that’s important to its future, but faces questions of sales potential.
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23andMe CEO plans to take company private
Company head Anne Wojcicki is considering buying all outstanding shares of the DNA testing firm, which has seen its stock slump in recent years.
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Obesity drugs
Lilly obesity drug shows benefit in sleep disorder study, pointing to new use
Positive data for Lilly’s medicine tirzepatide in sleep apnea are the latest signal the benefits of GLP-1 agonists could extend beyond diabetes and weight loss.
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Sage’s cognition drug fails in Parkinson’s study
Following negative results, the company doesn’t plan to further test SAGE-718 in Parkinson’s. Other studies in Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s remain ongoing.
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Stelara biosimilar from Alvotech, Teva approved by FDA
The companies plan to launch their copycat version of the blockbuster immune disease drug early next year, per a legal settlement with J&J.
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Ukraine was pharma’s clinical trial ‘darling.’ As war drags on, will the industry return?
While some new drug studies are getting underway, activity is still far below bustling pre-war levels.
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Canaan hires Pfizer executive, reels in $100M for biotech investing
The firm has brought in as venture partner Uwe Schoenbeck, who most recently was the top scientist for Pfizer’s emerging science and innovation unit.
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J&J sees mixed performance from new multiple myeloma drugs
Tecvayli sales, which J&J broke out for the first time, surpassed Wall Street forecasts and offset underperformance from Carvykti, which J&J attributed to the "phasing and timing of orders."
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Intra-Cellular builds case for depression drug with late-stage trial win
Shares of the biotech rose 25% after a large trial found adding its drug Caplyta onto antidepressant therapy significantly helped people with major depression.
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Cullinan changes name, pivots to autoimmune disease
The biotech says a dual-pronged antibody it’s developing could become an “off-the-shelf” alternative to cell therapies in development for lupus and other inflammatory conditions.
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Regeneron commits $500M to new venture capital fund
While corporate venture arms are commonplace among pharmaceutical companies, the new fund announced Monday is Regeneron’s first.
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Neumora’s schizophrenia drug hit with clinical hold
Shares of the biotech dipped by double digits following disclosure the FDA had paused an early-stage study of Neumora’s muscarinic-targeting drug.
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Roche reports survival data for new dual-acting lymphoma drug
The results could give Roche’s Columvi an edge over a rival medicine from AbbVie and Genmab, while Regeneron awaits an approval of its own therapy.