Biotech veteran Jeff Jonas on leaving Sage, guiding new biotechs and his ‘personal odyssey’

In an interview with BioPharma Dive, the longtime industry executive discussed becoming a biotech investor and his plans for Abio-X, a new incubator with $150 million to spend on startups. 

By Ben Fidler • Dec. 6, 2022

TherapeuticsMD to offload drugs to Australia’s Mayne after failed buyout

After a private equity takeover unraveled this summer, the women’s health company is selling its drug portfolio to Mayne Pharma in a $153 million deal.

By Delilah Alvarado • Dec. 5, 2022

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.

By BioPharma Dive staff

How a government biologist with the USDA built her community — and her career — at Regis University

When Talisa Puentes-Ortega got the chance to advance her career by going back to school, Regis provided more than an environmental biology degree — it was the foundation of a community that continues to support her.

Dec. 5, 2022

SQZ CEO steps down as company restructures, cuts jobs

The biotech will lay off 60% of its staff and reprioritize its research to focus on a "second-generation" approach to the cell therapies it’s been developing. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • Dec. 1, 2022

Sana reshuffles drug pipeline, becoming latest biotech to cut staff

The richly funded drugmaker will cut 15% of its workforce, or about 75 employees, as well as stop work on one of its preclinical research programs.

By Delilah Alvarado • Nov. 30, 2022

Bluebird sells regulatory fast pass to Argenx for $102M

The priority review voucher is one of two that Bluebird received for winning FDA approvals of its gene therapies Zynteglo and Skysona, and its sale gives the company needed cash.

By Christopher Newman • Nov. 30, 2022

Gene editing startup iECURE returns to investors for fresh funding

The company, which draws on research by Jim Wilson’s lab at UPenn, says the $65 million it raised will support the start of human testing of its lead drug through to initial clinical data.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Nov. 30, 2022

State of Play: A closer look at hotspots of emerging biotech research

Our story on targeted protein degraders is the latest in a series examining new areas of biotech investment, like sodium channel blockers and RNA editing.

By BioPharma Dive staff • Nov. 29, 2022

Biomolecular condensates: tiny droplets with big potential

Research into the cellular droplets has spawned at least five companies in recent years. But the closure of one of them, Faze Medicines, shows the significant obstacles they still face.

By Ben Fidler • Nov. 29, 2022

CinCor shares dive after blood pressure drug fails key trial

The company, one of several testing a drug for resistant hypertension, had previously pulled off one of the top performing biotech IPOs this year.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Nov. 28, 2022

Spectrum to lay off R&D staff after FDA drug rejection

The company will cut its R&D workforce by 75% and discontinue development of its experimental lung cancer drug poziotinib.

By Delilah Alvarado • Nov. 28, 2022

FDA grants speedy review to Sarepta’s Duchenne gene therapy

The agency will decide on an accelerated approval of Sarepta’s treatment by May 29, months before results are expected from a potentially confirmatory Phase 3 trial.

By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 28, 2022

Biotech ObsEva sells drug rights to forestall funding crunch

In an effort to extend its cash runway and keep its stock listing, ObsEva is offloading rights to an experimental preterm labor drug in a deal with Xoma.

By Delilah Alvarado • Nov. 22, 2022

The next era of Greater Boston’s biotech boom

Over the past two decades, the Cambridge area has become a nerve center for biotech in the U.S. But to stay relevant and accessible, the hub is expanding to the suburbs.

By Karissa Waddick , Shaun Lucas , Julia Himmel • Nov. 22, 2022

Replay reveals second gene therapy spinout, debuting new biotech Telaria

Telaria is the second spinout in Replay’s “hub-and-spoke” model, and will focus on developing a gene therapy for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

By Delilah Alvarado • Nov. 21, 2022

Cancer drugmaker Plexxikon gets new life as Opna Bio

Eight months after Daiichi Sankyo shuttered the San Francisco Bay Area subsidiary, Plexxikon’s former CEO is resuscitating its drug research under a new name.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Nov. 21, 2022

Former Rubius CEO to lead buzzy Flagship startup

Pablo Cagnoni was appointed CEO at the RNA drug startup Laronde days after departing Rubius, a once high-flying biotech that’s now laid off nearly all its employees and is seeking a sale. 

By Gwendolyn Wu • Nov. 17, 2022

Regeneron teams up with CytomX to develop dual-targeting cancer drugs

Regeneron will pay CytomX $30 million to try to create bispecific antibody drugs that are safer and have a wider reach than existing treatments.  

By Christopher Newman • Nov. 17, 2022

Biotechs reveal layoffs, research revamps in third quarter earnings

Tricida, Harpoon, Freeline and three other small drug developers last week announced plans to cut staff or to reprioritize their drug development.

By Delilah Alvarado • Nov. 16, 2022

Freeline cuts back as it continues search for gene therapy partner

The U.K. biotech will sell its German unit and lay off staff to save cash as it focuses on therapies for Gaucher and Fabry diseases.

By Kristin Jensen • Nov. 16, 2022

Jnana deepens ties with Roche and grabs a new round of funding

The startup, developing drugs that target an untapped class of proteins called solute carriers, has now formed two lucrative alliances with the Swiss drugmaker since 2020.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Nov. 15, 2022

After $250M Roche buyout, a startup plans a second strike with fresh funding

Backed by the same investors and team as an immunotherapy biotech Roche bought in September, Bonum Therapeutics plans to develop “conditionally” active cancer medicines.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Nov. 15, 2022

Acrivon cuts IPO price to raise $99M for plan to revive old Lilly cancer drug

Acrivon is the 20th biotech company to go public this year, roughly a fifth of last year’s total at this time, and had to sell more shares at a lower price to complete the deal. 

By Gwendolyn Wu • Nov. 15, 2022

Eli Lilly’s Julie Gilmore on finding up-and-coming companies and backing small biotechs

Only a small fraction of the companies Lilly evaluates get into its incubator, according to Gilmore. Here’s how the big pharma selects them.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Nov. 15, 2022

Moderna data supports use of omicron booster over original vaccine

New results show the two-pronged booster the FDA cleared in August sparks a stronger immune response against omicron and its subvariants than Moderna’s original shot.

By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 14, 2022