The formula for biotech success in 2026: Confidence, resilience and funding

Survey of 260+ biotech leaders assesses the biotech climate, trends, opportunities and risks.

By Deepali Suri, President, ICON Biotech • Jan. 26, 2026

Novo climbs higher on ‘strong’ Wegovy pill launch; Terns tweaks leukemia drug deal

Novo shares have surged more than 20% amid oral Wegovy’s fast start. Elsewhere, Terns opened up room for a potential partnership and Corcept solidified its case for an ovarian cancer drug.

By BioPharma Dive staff • Jan. 23, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Cell therapy

The continued emergence of CAR-T therapy has fueled research into next-generation approaches and new applications, such as its use in autoimmune diseases or in reprogramming cells inside the body.

By BioPharma Dive staff

Investors load Corxel with $287M for a ‘differentiated’ obesity pill

The funding will support a GLP-1 pill Corxel licensed from China-based Vincentage in 2024 and that the company believes to be as effective in spurring weight loss as injectable therapies.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Jan. 22, 2026

FDA lays out new path to speed development of multiple myeloma drugs

In certain cases, regulators will now be open to clearing therapies based on their ability to eliminate tumor cells, a change that could accelerate cell therapies and other new medicines. 

By Jonathan Gardner • Jan. 22, 2026

BioMarin vets form Mendra to ‘modernize’ rare disease drug development

Backed with $82 million and led by two of BioMarin’s former executives, Mendra plans to acquire rare disease assets and use AI to help accelerate their development.

By Kristin Jensen • Jan. 22, 2026

Corvus shares nearly triple on positive data for eczema pill

While early, the results indicate drugs known as ITK inhibitors have the potential to match or surpass the efficacy observed with the injectable biologic Dupixent.

By Jonathan Gardner • Jan. 21, 2026

Moderna cancer vaccine holds up; IO Biotech considers a sale

Long-term data suggest Moderna’s personalized melanoma shot provides “durable tumor control,” one analyst said. Elsewhere, Insilico Medicine partnered with a startup on a popular drug target.

By BioPharma Dive staff • Jan. 21, 2026

Kailera’s Ron Renaud on how a China-linked startup can compete in obesity

In an interview with BioPharma Dive, the veteran biotech CEO said there remains a “significant opportunity” for young companies in a market dominated by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Jan. 20, 2026

Wegovy pill off to a fast start; Ex-Emergent CEO sued for insider trading

More than 3,000 prescriptions were written for Novo’s GLP-1 pill in its first week on the market. Elsewhere, Emergent reached a settlement over a trading scandal and Sanofi is reportedly circling an eye drug biotech.

By BioPharma Dive staff • Jan. 16, 2026

On biotech’s biggest stage, renewed excitement gets a stress test

A surge in deals and financings had the industry abuzz heading into this year’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. But some aren’t sure if the rebound is here to stay.

By Jacob Bell • Jan. 16, 2026

JPM26: Paying cash for obesity drugs, renewed IPO optimism and pharma’s cell therapy view

Drugmaker CEOs see online sales channels as a budding opportunity, while some biotech investors told BioPharma Dive to expect a rebound in new stock offerings. 

By BioPharma Dive staff • Jan. 14, 2026

Caldera starts up with $112.5M and a dual-targeting immune drug from China

The biotech is advancing a bispecific medicine aimed at two popular targets and being billed as a potential therapeutic advance for inflammatory bowel disease.

By Kristin Jensen • Jan. 14, 2026

JPM26: Biotech’s M&A lift, the ‘new’ Biogen and Merck’s $70B target

Venture investors are adopting a more aggressive mindset heading into 2026, while Merck, Moderna and Summit are all approaching crucial trial readouts.

By BioPharma Dive staff • Jan. 13, 2026

Digital health funding increases in 2025, spurred by AI: report

Startups raised $14.2 billion last year, the highest funding total since 2022. Health AI companies collected 54% of total funding, according to Rock Health.

By Emily Olsen • Jan. 13, 2026

JPM26: US biotech’s ‘Sputnik moment,’ Pfizer’s obesity ambitions and Bristol Myers’ big year

Four recent deals fueled more angst about China’s biotech progress, while Pfizer, Bristol Myers and Sarepta all worked to appease jittery investors. 

By BioPharma Dive staff • Jan. 12, 2026

AbbVie buys into PD-1/VEGF sweepstakes; Alnylam and Vertex set expectations

AbbVie is paying $650 million for a dual-targeting immunotherapy from China’s RemeGen. Elsewhere, Alnylam missed an earnings target and the FDA flipped its position on a cell therapy from Atara.

By BioPharma Dive staff • Jan. 12, 2026

5 questions facing biopharma in 2026

The biopharmaceutical sector finally regained its footing in 2025. Here are five issues that could determine whether the renewed optimism will carry over into the new year.

By BioPharma Dive staff • Jan. 12, 2026

Eikon, a high-profile startup led by Merck vets, seeks an IPO

Run by Roger Perlmutter and backed by more than $1 billion in private funding, Eikon will use the IPO proceeds to advance a group of experimental cancer drugs. 

By Ben Fidler • Jan. 11, 2026

Insmed’s ‘ginormous’ lung drug sales; J&J’s US pricing deal

Insmed’s Brinsupri blew past consensus estimates in its first full quarter on the market. Elsewhere, J&J inked pharma’s latest deal with the Trump administration and Madrigal licensed a Pfizer drug.

By BioPharma Dive staff • Jan. 9, 2026

Aurora sets out to capitalize on FDA’s new framework for bespoke drug therapies

Co-founded by Jennifer Doudna and Fyodor Urnov, the company intends to simultaneously develop many gene editing treatments for rare conditions by using the agency’s “plausible mechanism” pathway.

By Ben Fidler • Jan. 9, 2026

Aktis raises $318M in 2026’s first biotech IPO

With partner Eli Lilly’s help, the radiopharmaceutical drugmaker priced one of the sector’s largest new stock offerings in the last two years.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Jan. 8, 2026

Alveus launches with $160M to advance MariTide-like obesity drug

The hefty funding will fuel Phase 2 testing of a drug with a similar mechanism to Amgen’s closely watched obesity drug, as well as an amylin-targeting weight loss medicine.

By Jonathan Gardner • Jan. 8, 2026

Parabilis, chasing ‘undruggable’ targets, nabs $305M amid VC funding blitz

The financing, which will back a novel type of cancer drug, is the largest of a series of startup fundings announced at the top of 2026.

By Kristin Jensen • Jan. 8, 2026

Diagonal banks another $125M for ‘clustering’ antibody drugs

Backed by more than a dozen prominent investors, the startup is advancing into human testing a drug it believes capable of treating two disparate conditions, one of which is the target of Merck’s fast-selling Winrevair. 

By Gwendolyn Wu • Jan. 8, 2026

EpiBiologics raises $107M for its protein-degrading cancer drug

The startup is developing a medicine that can very specifically degrade cancerous forms of EGFR, the target of several marketed therapies.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Jan. 8, 2026