Cerevel hires former Translate Bio head Renaud as new CEO

Ron Renaud, who previously ran and sold two other biotechnology companies, will step in for Tony Coles to lead Cerevel, a Pfizer spinout developing a closely watched schizophrenia drug. 

By Kristin Jensen • May 3, 2023

Travere set back by study failure of kidney disease drug

Shares in the biotech, formerly Retrophin, sank after the company disclosed its newly approved drug sparsentan failed a study meant to expand its use.

By Ned Pagliarulo • May 2, 2023

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Top 5 stories from BioPharma Dive

Looming patent expiries this decade and intensifying competition from China are forcing drugmakers to adapt, while new opportunities open up in oncology and in neuroscience.

By BioPharma Dive staff

Ovid partners with Waksal startup to develop drugs for rare brain disorders

Founded by Sam Waksal, Graviton Biosciences is developing drugs that block an enzyme called ROCK2, which drew the interest of neurology-focused Ovid.

By Gwendolyn Wu • May 1, 2023

Initial launches with $75M and a new idea for targeting problematic proteins

The company was co-founded by, among others, Jamie Cate, husband of CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna, and Kevan Shokat, a chemical biologist whose previous work helped lead to KRAS-targeting cancer drugs.

By Ned Pagliarulo • May 1, 2023

Sanofi strikes a $150M deal for Maze’s Pompe disease drug

The cash influx extends Maze’s financial runway into 2025, giving the South San Francisco company time to advance other drug candidates into testing.

By Gwendolyn Wu • May 1, 2023

Sangamo to lay off 120 as it pares pipeline

The cell and gene therapy developer will also cut back on manufacturing and research in California as it redirects resources to three priority programs.

By Ned Pagliarulo • April 27, 2023

A startup taking a different approach to Alzheimer’s gets fresh funds, Lilly backing

Therini Bio is developing drugs that target fibrin, a protein involved in wound healing that the company thinks could also play a role in certain neurological and eye diseases.

By Gwendolyn Wu • April 27, 2023

Orbital raises $270 million in biotech’s largest Series A round this year

Founded by Howard Chang, John Maraganore and others, the RNA-focused startup drew investment from a large group of blue-chip venture firms.

By Gwendolyn Wu • April 26, 2023

FDA approves new ALS medicine in precedent-setting decision

Biogen’s drug failed the key study meant to show it can slow the nerve-destroying disease, but the drug’s effect on a protein of interest led the FDA to conditionally clear it for market.

By Jacob Bell • Updated April 25, 2023

Biogen’s new strategy brings more pipeline cuts, but leaves deal options open

The company has scrapped two experimental medicines, ended research into eye diseases and “refocused” its gene therapy investment. Yet, its CEO says he’s not opposed to adding new programs via acquisitions.

By Jacob Bell • April 25, 2023

Morphic shares swing on study data for drug viewed as ‘oral Entyvio’

Results from a small trial suggested Morphic's pill could be effective in treating inflammatory bowel disease, briefly lifting the company’s valuation by hundreds of millions of dollars. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • Updated April 25, 2023

Drugmakers take sides in Amgen, Regeneron fight over antibody patents

A decision by the Supreme Court could have far-reaching effects on the lucrative market for antibody drugs, spurring responses from many of the industry’s top companies.

By Christopher Newman • April 21, 2023

Startup Abdera raises $110M to fuel radiopharmaceutical research

The company, which previously raised $32 million in Series A funding, joins a growing list of new startups working to develop targeted radiation treatments.

By Ned Pagliarulo • April 20, 2023

European VCs raise fresh funds for life sciences investing

Forbion and Gilde Healthcare raised a combined $2 billion across their respective funds to invest in emerging biotech and life sciences companies.

By Kristin Jensen • April 19, 2023

Nektar lays off more staff in effort to sustain operations

The decision to cut another 80 or so employees follows a trial setback, a canceled partnership and a failed merger bid. The CFO has also stepped down.

By Jonathan Gardner • April 18, 2023

GV’s Cathy Friedman on optimism in biotech and the pitches that make her wary

The biotech veteran spoke to BioPharma Dive about how platform companies can convince investors of their value, and the buzzwords that give her pause.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Updated April 18, 2023

Biotech leader Vagelos to retire as Regeneron board chair

The former Merck CEO will step down from the role he’s held for nearly three decades later this year. Leonard Schleifer and George Yancopoulos, respectively Regeneron's CEO and CSO, will succeed him.

By Ned Pagliarulo • April 17, 2023

Moderna, Merck data support claim of cancer vaccine’s promise

Data presented at AACR suggest a personalized shot made with messenger RNA may amplify the effects of a widely prescribed cancer immunotherapy.

By Jonathan Gardner • April 16, 2023

FDA again knocks back Alvotech’s Humira biosimilar

The agency rejected the partners’ copycat version of AbbVie’s blockbuster drug for a second time, citing problems spotted during the inspection of a manufacturing facility.

By Jonathan Gardner • April 14, 2023

A biotech startup with big-name backers aims to create new cancer medicines

Newly launched TORL BioTherapeutics wants to develop a variety of antibody drugs, and comes equipped with $158 million as well as a close partnership with the lab of pioneering breast cancer researcher Dennis Slamon.

By Jacob Bell • April 14, 2023

Biogen, aiming for a better Alzheimer’s therapy, licenses a Denali program

The program is part of Denali’s “transport vehicle” platform, which uses drugmaking technology to shepherd large therapeutic molecules like antibodies across the so-called blood-brain barrier.

By Jacob Bell • April 13, 2023

New data raise more doubts about Moderna’s flu vaccine

The shot appears to generate an immune response that matches or exceeds existing vaccines, but investigators aren’t yet sure how well it can prevent illness.

By Jonathan Gardner • April 11, 2023

A new biotech wants to ease a bottleneck in cell and gene therapy production

Founded by University of Pennsylvania researchers, VintaBio will manufacture the viral vectors that are essential in cell and gene therapy production, but which have been in shorter supply as more companies entered the space.

By Jacob Bell • April 11, 2023

Biotech fears ‘dangerous’ precedent as judge challenges FDA authority

Industry leaders warned that “any medicine is at risk” if a federal judge’s decision to overturn the approval of abortion drug mifepristone is upheld.

By Ben Fidler , Delilah Alvarado • April 10, 2023

Biotech layoffs gather pace as industry downturn persists

Drugmakers, many of which are gene and cell therapy developers, are announcing job cuts at a faster clip so far this year, suggesting that fundraising remains difficult. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • April 10, 2023