Aurinia sends 25% staff packing

Today’s Big News

Feb 15, 2024

Firefly Bio assembles with $94M and an ADC dream team to work on protein degraders


Ampio’s last shot at success fizzles out in preclinical stage, leaving biotech to mull options


After failed search for buyer, Aurinia lays off 25% and clears out R&D pipeline


Applied claims victory in phase 3 SORD fight, plots path to FDA amid questions about data


NIH to invest another $515M over four years for long Covid research

The Top Line Podcast: Don’t miss out on the newest episode. Listen now.

 

Featured

Firefly Bio assembles with $94M and an ADC dream team to work on protein degraders

The idea to build a company around degrader antibody conjugates—not antibody drug conjugates—had been bubbling for a while. But not just anyone could pick up the gauntlet and fly with it. Firefly Bio, assemble.
 

Top Stories

Ampio’s last shot at success fizzles out in preclinical stage, leaving biotech to mull options

It looks like Ampio Pharmaceuticals’ last shot at getting a therapy to market won’t even make it into the clinic. Animal studies have shown that the Colorado biotech’s OA-201 program was unable to reduce pain caused by osteoarthritis.

After failed search for buyer, Aurinia lays off 25% and clears out R&D pipeline

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals searched long and hard for a potential buyer, but faced with a lack of serious offers the biotech has resorted to trimming its workforce by a quarter and cleaning out its R&D pipeline.

2024 Executive Interviews at Fierce JPM Week

Fierce Life Sciences and Healthcare sit down with biotech, pharma, and healthcare executives at Fierce JPM Week.

Applied claims victory in phase 3 SORD fight, plots path to FDA amid questions about data

Applied Therapeutics has claimed a victory in its phase 3 SORD fight, setting up plans to talk to the FDA about filing for approval, although a flip-flopping stock price points to questions over the results. 

NIH to invest another $515M over four years for long Covid research

The National Institutes of Health is investing $515 million more into long Covid research efforts, three years after launching the initiative with $1.15 billion.

Biofourmis reels in 4 Big Pharma partnerships for cancer clinical trials

Biofourmis has reeled in partnerships with four undisclosed Big Pharmas centered on developing digital biomarkers and safety monitoring algorithms in cancer trials.

Roche leads Freenome's $254M funding round for cancer-detecting blood tests

Roche has participated in all of Freenome’s previous fundraising sessions and was also responsible for the $290 million contribution at the start of 2022 that brought Freenome’s total past the $1 billion mark.

Biogen, grappling with declining sales, slapped with DOJ subpoena over foreign operations

Biogen’s business has been in decline thanks to fierce multiple sclerosis competition and a botched Alzheimer’s drug launch. To make matters worse, the U.S. Department of Justice is looking into the company’s foreign operations.

Canadian CRO KGK signs pact with health screening provider Predictmedix

KGK Science, a Canadian CRO focused on health and wellness, signed a partnership with Predictmedix AI, which provides health screening and remote patient care solutions.

Eli Lilly, with donanemab approval in sight, runs emotive TV spot about life with Alzheimer's

Eli Lilly is reminding the world of the decades of work that finally brought it to the cusp of an approval in Alzheimer’s disease. In an emotive TV spot, the drugmaker shows how people with the condition write notes to remember before ending with the line, “30 years of research hasn’t forgotten them.”
 
Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

‘The Top Line’: The most anticipated drug launches of 2024

This week on “The Top Line,” we explore the most anticipated drug launches of 2024. Editor-in-Chief Ayla Ellison engages in a conversation with Fierce Pharma Marketing Senior Editor Ben Adams about the drugs likely to launch this year with the most significant sales potential by 2028.
 

Resources

Whitepaper

The Oncology Market – 2023 Year in Review

This paper offers a detailed review of key events and developments in the oncology market during 2023.  It’s a helpful “status report” that informs how the market is likely to evolve in 2024. It covers, vaccines, radiopharmaceuticals, ADCs, CAR-Ts, bi-specifics, & more.

Whitepaper

Developing and Manufacturing Drugs with HPAPIs

Discover how to effectively classify highly potent APIs and the steps required to develop containment protocols and manufacturing processes that are both safe and efficient.

 

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