Roche pill notches win in early breast cancer

Roche claimed the results make its drug giredestrant the first of its kind, a so-called oral SERD, to show a benefit in the “adjuvant” setting after surgery. 

J&J adds to pharma’s M&A spree with $3B buyout of startup Halda

The deal gives J&J access to a pipeline of drugs designed to “hold and kill” tumors, led by a prostate cancer medicine that’s shown promise in early-stage testing. 

A ‘DNA damage repair’ drugmaker raises $115M for cancer treatments

Artios Pharma, which looking for newer targets that, like PARP inhibitors, affect the way tumors fix themselves, said its Series D round will help advance ongoing mid-stage studies.

Sofinnova Partners raises another $750M to back biotech, medtech startups

The new fund will mostly support biotechs making new drugs, with investments spanning from initial financings to follow-on rounds. 

Merck stakes $9.2B on Cidara and its long-acting flu drug

The deal, one of two multibillion-dollar buyouts from Merck this year, centers around a drug that could become an alternative to vaccines for flu prevention.

To Wall Street, a new bidding war puts Alkermes in a tough spot

Now in a tug of war with Lundbeck, Alkermes could either lose out on a marketed sleepiness drug or end up paying significantly more than it had hoped.

Solve lines up $120M to push ADCs into further testing

The startup, which is backed by a dozen investors including Merck & Co., claims its novel “linkers” can help address some of the issues limiting the potential of earlier ADCs. 

FDA limits Elevidys use; Nxera to lay off staff

Elevidys now has a “boxed” warning and is no longer available for Duchenne patients who can’t walk. Elsewhere, Nuvalent and Zymeworks unveiled data for targeted cancer drugs.

Bristol Myers, J&J’s new blood thinner fails first big test

Milvexian’s failure in acute coronary syndrome dampens the outlook for other anticoagulants like it and is the latest in a series of clinical setbacks this year for Bristol Myers.

FDA unveils new regulatory roadmap for bespoke drug therapies

The “plausible mechanism” pathway, outlined by Martin Makary and Vinay Prasad, is designed to help accelerate treatments custom-made for individuals with rare and serious diseases.

Updated Nov. 13, 2025

Medicxi closes sixth fund to back ‘asset-centric’ startups

The European venture firm raised 500 million euros, or about $579 million, for its latest fund, which follows a flurry of recent buyout deals involving portfolio companies like Merus and Vicebio.

Lundbeck sparks bidding war with Alkermes; Pfizer closes Metsera deal

Pfizer quickly consummated the $10 billion buyout after one-upping Novo Nordisk. Elsewhere, Lundbeck submitted a rival offer for Avadel Pharmaceuticals and Zealand Pharma dropped an obesity drug.

Korro to cut staff, shift strategy as RNA editing drug misses mark in early testing

Korro’s lead program for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency wasn’t as potent as anticipated, leading the company to change course and lay off a third of its workforce.

Day One snaps up ADC maker Mersana in backloaded buyout deal

After multiple clinical setbacks and layoff rounds, Mersana accepted an offer in which the bulk of the payouts will only materialize if its main cancer drug hits a variety of milestones.

Richard Pazdur, longtime FDA oncology leader, to head agency’s main drug office

The appointment of Pazdur as CDER head comes shortly after the surprise ousting of George Tidmarsh and should quiet many of the “lingering uncertainties” surrounding the FDA, wrote one industry analyst.

Novartis, with study success, to seek approval of new kind of malaria drug

The treatment — which could be the first novel antimalarial in decades — showed the ability in testing to combat drug resistance and slow disease transmission.

Metagenomi, Ovid CEOs step aside; Cogent soars on ‘unprecedented’ stomach cancer data

Metagenomi is laying of 25% of its staff while switching up leadership. Elsewhere, Ovid announced a CEO succession plan and Cogent Biosciences and Galecto saw their shares skyrocket. 

Roche’s MS tablet scores in late-stage studies

The drug appears effective against both “relapsing” and “primary progressive” forms of the disease, though some analysts question if Roche has collected enough data to ask for approval in the latter.

Neurocrine chalks up a depression drug failure

Analysts suspected that the mid-stage trial miss wouldn't ding Neurocrine’s share price since expectations around the program were "near-zero."

FDA to remove safety warnings on hormonal menopause therapy

The decision, issued without the input of an official advisory committee, revises long-held labeling on the drugs cautioning the risk of cancer and heart disease.

Merck showcases data suggesting PCSK9 pill might rival cholesterol-lowering shots

Merck’s pill, which could be the first oral PCSK9 drug to get to market, displayed similar effects on lipid levels as injectable medicines from Amgen and Regeneron.

Updated Nov. 10, 2025

Drugs from China are reshaping biotech. Track the licensing deals here.

In a cash-and-stock deal, Lyell Immunopharma acquired from Innovative Cellular Therapeutics rights to a cell therapy in early-stage testing for metastatic colon cancer.

Updated Nov. 12, 2025

Lilly picks up an eye gene therapy in deal with MeiraGTx

The alliance extends a deal streak in genetic medicine for Lilly and hands the company rights to an experimental treatment for an ultra-rare form of childhood blindness.

Pfizer wins bidding war for Metsera with $10B offer

The new proposal for the coveted obesity drug developer is more than double the size of Pfizer’s original bid and ends a squabble with Novo Nordisk that had resulted in lawsuits.

Patient dies in Intellia trial; FDA awards 6 more ‘national priority’ vouchers

The death of a study volunteer further complicates the path forward for Intellia’s on-hold rare disease treatment. Elsewhere, Gilead reported a setback and J&J netted a first-of-its-kind approval.