The Latest
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Deep Dive
10 clinical trials to watch in the second half of 2022
The biotech industry's downturn accelerated in the first half of the year. Important study readouts for Eisai, Gilead, Merck and Seagen, among others, could determine whether the slump endures.
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Fresh off Enhertu success, AstraZeneca and Daiichi claim progress for next cancer drug
A treatment that AstraZeneca acquired for up to $6 billion in 2020 is showing early promise as a combination agent in lung cancer, where it’s being tested alongside Merck & Co.’s Keytruda.
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Novavax slashes revenue forecasts amid slow demand for COVID-19 vaccine
The biotech now expects about $2 billion in revenue in 2022, less than half its previous estimates, after sales fell sharply in the second quarter.
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Pfizer, Valneva take next step with Lyme disease shot, starting large trial
The experimental vaccine is the most advanced candidate for the tick-borne disease and, if successful, would be the first to reach the market since withdrawal of GSK’s Lymerix.
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Lilly criticizes Indiana abortion law, indicating it may look elsewhere to hire
After Indiana’s governor signed a near-total abortion ban into law, the drugmaker said it will rethink future hiring in the state.
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Deep Dive
Biotech M&A is picking back up. Here are the latest deals.
Amgen’s takeover of ChemoCentyx is the third largest biotech acquisition this year and, alongside a small buyout by Gilead also disclosed Thursday, adds to a recent pickup in dealmaking activity.
Updated Aug. 4, 2022 -
Amgen data on KRAS cancer drug disappoints, opening door for rival Mirati
Highly anticipated trial results for Lumakras combinations with immunotherapy fell short of expectations, showing significant liver toxicity that limited dosing.
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How a small UK biotech ended up in Gilead’s hands
MiroBio, which was spun out of the University of Oxford three years ago, drew Gilead’s interest with its autoimmune disease research.
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FDA approves AstraZeneca, Daiichi drug in breast cancer first
Enhertu is the first targeted therapy cleared for breast cancers that are ‘HER2 low,’ a new classification that could change how doctors treat the disease.
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Lilly takes long view on Alzheimer’s drug as FDA starts expedited review
The pharma said Thursday the FDA had accepted its application for donanemab, starting a six month evaluation for potential accelerated approval.
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Deep Dive
After a record run, fewer biotechs are going public. Here’s how they’re performing.
MAIA Biotechnology last week became the first biotech company to price an IPO since late May, and the fifth cancer drug developer to do so this year.
Updated July 28, 2022 -
Acadia turned back by FDA on second attempt to get psychosis drug approved
The agency issued Acadia a complete response letter for pimavanserin, for which the company had sought to win an expanded clearance in Alzheimer’s disease psychosis.
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Pharma CEOs press case against drug price negotiation as bill gains support
On earnings calls with investors, executives reiterated opposition to legislation advanced by Democrats that would curtail their pricing power in the U.S.
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Amgen bets almost $4B on a biotech and its inflammation drugs
The deals hands Amgen a few clinical programs and a marketed therapy in Tavneos, which was approved last year to treat a group of autoimmune diseases.
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Emerging biotech
ElevateBio, Boston Children’s launch startup to test new approach to ‘off-the-shelf’ cell therapy
Spun out of a Boston Children’s research lab, the biotech is the first to emerge from a partnership ElevateBio and the hospital struck to create new cell and gene therapy companies.
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Novo shares tumble after latest setbacks for closely watched obesity drug
The Danish drugmaker lost tens of billions in market value after revealing a key clinical study for Wegovy won't be stopped early and production issues are still being ironed out.
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Alnylam drug succeeds in key heart disease study, boosting company
The success of Alnylam's treatment in a trial known as APOLLO-B could pave the way for the biotech to reach consistent profitability, should the FDA sign off on a planned approval application.
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Coherus wins FDA approval for second Lucentis biosimilar, its third drug
The biotech company secured a valuable interchangeable designation for the copycat medicine, which it plans to launch later this year.
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Gilead, following cell therapy approval, impresses Wall Street with fast sales
Together, the biotech’s two CAR-T therapies earned $368 million between April and June, a substantial jump over last year and above what analysts forecast.
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Roche digs into off-the-shelf cell therapy with Poseida deal
The pharma has now signed two alliances with allogeneic drug developers since September, signalling its interest in CAR-T treatment alternatives.
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Emerging biotech
AbCellera inks another venture partnership, this time with Atlas
One week after striking a deal with Versant, the antibody specialist is teaming up with Atlas to provide drug candidates to an undisclosed startup backed by the biotech investor.
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Q&A // Emerging biotech
Strand CEO on founder-led biotech, venture capital and the market’s retreat
Jake Becraft, founder and current chief of mRNA startup Strand Therapeutics, argues biotech would be healthier if more scientists and researchers lead the companies they start.
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Emerging biotech
How Belite Bio, a small, under-the-radar drugmaker, emerged as one of biotech’s best performing IPOs
Belite's shares have risen nearly 500% from their IPO price at a time when many other newly public biotech companies are struggling to hold their value.
Updated Aug. 2, 2022 -
IDRx, a new biotech startup, raises $122M to develop better cancer drug combinations
Founded by entrepreneur Alexis Borisy, the company comes equipped with two experimental medicines it licensed from Merck KGaA and Blueprint Medicines.
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AbbVie, targeting a well-known protein family, expands a partnership into neuroscience
It’s the second deal in as many years between AbbVie and Sosei Heptares, which together have been trying to develop drugs that target so-called G protein-coupled receptors.