Celularity warns of layoffs for ‘substantial portion’ of its staff

After a strategic review, the Celgene spinout said it won’t advance two experimental cancer therapies that use “natural killer” cells.

By Christopher Newman • Jan. 27, 2023

Veteran biotech leader George Scangos to step down as Vir CEO

The former Biogen head is retiring after taking Vir from a small startup to a publicly traded developer of infectious disease drugs. Bayer executive Marianne De Backer will succeed him.

By Ben Fidler • Jan. 25, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

The expanding world of RNA therapies

Vaccines from BioNTech and Moderna proved the power of messenger RNA in medicine. A growing field of RNA-targeting therapies is advancing alongside them.

By BioPharma Dive staff

Three VCs launch Dimension, a new firm with plans to fuel biotech’s ‘digitization’

The veteran investors see the marriage of tech and life sciences as the “largest opportunity in venture today,” said co-founder and former Lux Capital general partner Adam Goulburn.

By Ben Fidler • Jan. 25, 2023

Roivant’s Matt Gline on the hub-and-spoke biotech model and lessons learned from Axovant

The year ahead could be turbulent for biotech as investors look for what the Roivant CEO described to BioPharma Dive as “safe harbors in a storm.”

By Gwendolyn Wu • Jan. 24, 2023

FDA to seek outside advice on Biogen’s ALS drug

The agency plans to convene a panel of experts on March 22 to discuss the approval application for tofersen, a closely watched medicine Biogen submitted to the FDA despite its failure in a key clinical trial.

By Jacob Bell • Jan. 24, 2023

Finch to lay off 95% of staff, scrap microbiome drug study

The company blamed a range of factors in its decision, including limited funding options, slow trial enrollment and “broader sector trends.”

By Ned Pagliarulo • Jan. 24, 2023

How CAR-T therapies are revolutionizing cancer treatments

One of the most significant advancements made in treating disease in recent years is the development and commercialization of CAR-T therapy, which weaponizes a patient’s own white blood cells to attack certain types of blood cancer cells.

Jan. 23, 2023

3 biotech executives on the year ahead: deals, drug pricing and the down market

“What we’re experiencing now is the aftershock of the party that went on for the last three years,” said Ovid CEO Jeremy Levin in a BioPharma Dive panel that included former Sage head Jeff Jonas and biotech entrepreneur Greg Verdine.

By Jacob Bell • Jan. 19, 2023

Editas, in next restructuring step, to sell cell therapy work to Shoreline

Shoreline will acquire a preclinical NK cell therapy Editas has been developing, as well as a license to use the CRISPR biotech’s gene editing technology. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • Jan. 19, 2023

Neurology startup to merge with Wilbur Ross-backed SPAC

The deal, which comes during a prolonged downturn in SPAC activity among biotechs, will help fund development of an Alzheimer’s drug that’s in late-stage testing in China. 

By Kristin Jensen • Jan. 18, 2023

With reverse merger, Elicio becomes latest biotech to bypass an IPO

Elicio’s combination with Angion Biomedica comes months after it abandoned a new stock offering, and is the latest example of how the IPO slowdown has shifted startups’ plans.

By Ben Fidler • Jan. 17, 2023

Al Sandrock on his short retirement and taking on a biotech turnaround project

In a conversation at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference, the longtime Biogen executive discussed his hesitance to jump back into an executive role and why an opportunity to run Voyager Therapeutics drew him in.

By Ben Fidler • Jan. 17, 2023

Sanofi tops off venture arm, bringing fund to $750M

The pharma is rolling out a multi-year capital commitment to its biotech investment group, which this week backed biotech NextPoint Therapeutics.

By Kristin Jensen • Jan. 12, 2023

JPM23: Califf on accelerated approvals, biotech startups’ looming cliff and an explanation from Editas

Venture investors cautioned of a coming funding crunch for young biotechs, while the FDA commissioner shared advice for drugmakers.

By Jacob Bell , Gwendolyn Wu , Ned Pagliarulo • Jan. 10, 2023

New Biogen CEO seeks to ‘redefine’ company after challenging year

Christopher Viehbacher, who took over as head of the biotech late last year, aims to better balance Biogen’s high-risk, high-reward drug pipeline, but said he’d avoid making “radical left turns.”

By Ned Pagliarulo • Jan. 10, 2023

5 questions facing emerging biotech in 2023

Investors expect another lackluster year in IPOs, while company restructurings look set to continue as biotech executives try to conserve cash.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Jan. 10, 2023

Arrowhead reports positive data from liver drug, but company’s shares slide

The biotech and partner Takeda also announced a Phase 3 study of the RNA medicine that is longer than anticipated, pushing out analysts’ timelines.

By Jonathan Gardner • Jan. 9, 2023

Editas to cut jobs, narrow research focus in restructuring

The CRISPR-focused biotech will lay off 20% of its workforce, stop development of two eye disease treatments and end some early-stage cell therapy research. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • Updated Jan. 9, 2023

Focusing on smaller biotechs to have a big impact on society

Marcus Delatte discusses how and why he focuses his expertise on counseling smaller companies and mentoring the next generation of technical experts.

Jan. 9, 2023

Ensoma buys a startup to advance ‘in vivo’ cell therapy work

The Takeda-backed biotech revealed it’s raised $85 million in new funding alongside announcing the acquisition of gene editing startup Twelve Bio.

By Delilah Alvarado • Jan. 6, 2023

Fate, two other cell therapy biotechs lay off staff, restructure research

The cuts at Fate, Century and TCR2 Therapeutics signal a longer road in the companies’ plans to develop next-generation cell therapies for cancer.

By Christopher Newman • Jan. 6, 2023

Bluebird bolsters balance sheet with sale of second regulatory fast pass

The gene therapy developer will receive $95 million from Bristol Myers Squibb, slightly less than it got in the recent sale of another priority review voucher.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Jan. 6, 2023

Novocure shares soar on positive lung cancer data

A regimen involving the Swiss biotech’s electrical field-based treatment extended lives in a late-stage trial. But data comparing the medical device to standard chemotherapy is less persuasive.

By Jonathan Gardner • Jan. 5, 2023

Biogen splits R&D executive role, promoting interim head Singhal

Singhal, who took over R&D leadership on an interim basis from Al Sandrock, will lead Biogen’s development work while the company searches for a new research chief.

By Kristin Jensen • Jan. 5, 2023

Sesen, Carisma merger plans draw shareholder opposition

Investors holding an 8% stake in Sesen say they’re unhappy with the reverse merger between the struggling biotech and Carisma Therapeutics.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Jan. 4, 2023