Idorsia shares sink on ‘unexpected’ failure of drug study

The Actelion spinout’s drug clazosentan, which is approved for use in Japan, didn’t significantly outperform a placebo in a Phase 3 study of patients with a particular type of stroke.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 6, 2023

Magenta to explore sale, merger after study setback

The biotech recently stopped a trial of its experimental conditioning regimen over safety concerns. Now it’s halting further development work as it undertakes a strategic review.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Feb. 3, 2023

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

COVID-19 vaccine maker Medicago to close down

The company, which worked with GSK to develop a coronavirus shot, is ceasing operations after its corporate parent cut off further investment. 

By Delilah Alvarado • Feb. 3, 2023

Biotech startup Structure pulls off rare IPO, raising $161M

Structure, which is developing a competitor to marketed diabetes and obesity drugs from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, had one of the strongest Wall Street debuts for a new company since 2021.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Feb. 2, 2023

3 more biotechs announce layoffs as industry cost-cutting continues

Evelo Biosciences, Quince Therapeutics and Inovio are the latest to pare down workforces in the face of clinical setbacks and depressed stock prices.

By Delilah Alvarado • Feb. 1, 2023

Biotech CFOs eye research cuts, partnerships amid sector retrenchment: report

The report, a yearly poll of 100 financing executives by accounting and consulting firm BDO, revealed the many levers young drugmakers are pulling to conserve cash.

By Ben Fidler • Jan. 30, 2023

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

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