Bluebird, at risk of default, agrees to take-private deal

The pioneering gene therapy developer will be acquired by investment firms Carlyle Group and SK Capital for a fraction of what it was once worth.

By Ben Fidler • Feb. 21, 2025

BridgeBio’s heart drug launch gets off to a fast start

Prescription totals for Attruby, which is locked in a closely watched commercial battle with Pfizer’s tafamidis, have more than doubled since January and outpaced investor expectations.

By Ben Fidler • Feb. 20, 2025

Explore the Trendline➔

Emerging biotech

New biotechs continue to emerge despite a challenging market environment that has forced venture firms to build their drug startups more cautiously.

By BioPharma Dive staff

Sanofi reaches consumer health deal; Supernus antidepressant fails study

The pharma signed an agreement handing PE firm CD&R a 50% stake in its Capella unit. Elsewhere, Ultragenyx secured a PDUFA date for its Sanfilippo gene therapy.

By BioPharma Dive staff • Feb. 19, 2025

Recursion CEO launches pre-seed fund in response to NIH cuts

Chris Gibson, Recursion’s head, cited the role small business grants played in helping his company grow its business.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Feb. 19, 2025

‘It’s not for the faint of heart.’ How 3 CEOs took their biotechs public

The heads of three early-stage companies shared lessons from going public in a challenging market for biotech stocks.

By Jacob Bell • Feb. 14, 2025

Neumora shakes up its C-suite; Biogen cuts early-stage pipeline

Henry Gosebruch, Neumora’s CEO since 2023, will depart. Elsewhere, Biogen dropped two antisense drugs in a pipeline cull and Voyager hit a setback for its ALS gene therapy.

By BioPharma Dive staff • Feb. 13, 2025

A brain biotech launches with Roche’s spare parts

Backed by Goldman Sachs, Novo Nordisk’s parent company and others, Newleos Therapeutics debuted Thursday with $94 million and a plan to develop drugs for brain function and health.

By Jacob Bell • Feb. 13, 2025

Aardvark prices $94M IPO to fund Prader-Willi, obesity drug work

Proceeds will support testing of drugs designed to suppress hunger in people with the tough-to-treat rare disease and, potentially, more common obesity-related conditions.

By Ben Fidler • Feb. 12, 2025

Biogen inks royalty deal to gain funding for lupus drug R&D

The agreement hands Biogen as much as $250 million in exchange for milestone payments and sales royalties for litifilimab, which is in a pair of late-stage studies in lupus. 

By Kristin Jensen • Feb. 12, 2025

Merck KGaA pursuing Springworks; BridgeBio wins EU drug OK

The German drugmaker confirmed acquisition talks, but cautioned a deal may not materialize. Elsewhere, Biohaven got priority review on a key drug and Third Harmonic restructured.

By BioPharma Dive staff • Feb. 11, 2025

Vertex COO Arbuckle to step down later this year

Stuart Arbuckle, who’s been with Vertex since 2012, plans to retire from his role in July. His departure comes as Vertex works to build markets for new drugs like Casgevy and Journavx.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 10, 2025

Axsome secures top drug’s future with Teva patent settlement

Shares in the brain drug developer rose by more than 20% Monday on news of the deal, which will forestall Teva's generic copy of Auvelity from entering the U.S. market until at least 2038.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 10, 2025

Pliant shares collapse as company halts fibrosis drug study

In what one analyst called a “unique situation,” the company stopped dosing patients on the recommendation of trial monitors, but doesn’t yet know what led to their decision.

By Ben Fidler • Feb. 10, 2025

Bain buys Mitsubishi pharma unit; Bausch + Lomb deal talks come up empty

The investment firm is acquiring Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma in a deal valued at $3.3 billion. Elsewhere, Bausch + Lomb hasn’t yet found a suitor and a pair of biotechs cut staff.

By BioPharma Dive staff • Feb. 7, 2025

Immune drugmakers Alumis and Acelyrin to merge

The two biotechs, which have lost most of their share value following lucrative IPOs, are combining in a deal that leaves the new company with a bigger cash balance and three drugs in testing.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Feb. 7, 2025

Vertex challenger Sionna prices $191M IPO

The biotech is evaluating several cystic fibrosis medicines that could either work alongside Vertex’s top-selling Trikafta or be used in new, multi-drug combinations.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Feb. 6, 2025

Amgen obesity drug on hold; Regeneron sets first dividend

Elsewhere, cell therapy developer Turnstone Biologics announced a second round of layoffs and plans to explore “strategic alternatives.”  

By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 5, 2025

Illumina placed on China’s ‘unreliable entity’ list

Analysts said the move comes amid rising trade tensions with the U.S. and as Illumina faces stiff competition in China’s genome sequencing market.

By Susan Kelly • Feb. 5, 2025

Flagship-backed Omega signals it’s headed toward bankruptcy

Flagship’s Pioneering Medicines initiative could acquire Omega’s assets via a stalking horse bid, according to a regulatory filing.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Feb. 4, 2025

Shares of psychedelics biotech nearly double on depression data

The small, Ireland-based company GH Research said its inhaled version of mebufotenin — a molecular cousin to psilocybin — was fast and effective in a treatment-resistant depression trial.

By Jacob Bell • Feb. 3, 2025

Drugmakers prep for bird flu outbreak, despite continued low risk

While the virus hasn’t made a sustained leap into humans, vaccines and treatments are being developed ahead of an outbreak. 

By Kelly Bilodeau • Feb. 3, 2025

Is 2025 the Chinese Year of BioPharma?

China is now a dealmaking hot spot for firms seeking next-generation innovation. What will 2025 hold?

Feb. 3, 2025

A new, non-opioid pain drug is here. Getting it to patients could be agony.

After decades of research, Vertex Pharmaceuticals now has an approved pain medication. Can one of the world’s most powerful biotechs contend with a healthcare system that’s long favored opioids?

By Jacob Bell • Jan. 31, 2025

Novartis sets ‘ambitious’ target; Skyrizi, Rinvoq sales climb

Novartis issued stronger guidance than Wall Street expected. Elsewhere, Eisai and Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug will get a closer look in Europe and Daiichi Sankyo is switching CEOs.

By BioPharma Dive staff • Jan. 31, 2025

Metsera, Maze secure combined $415 million in IPOs

The offerings reflect an increase in IPO activity that could continue, as four other biotechs recently outlined plans to go public.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Jan. 30, 2025