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Today’s Big News

Mar 14, 2024

AstraZeneca inks $800M buyout of French biotech to snag phase 3 rare disease drug

Genmab grows up: Celebrating 25 years, CEO prepares to wield 'pretty good buying power'

Biotech trade group pledges support for BIOSECURE Act, plans to boot member WuXi AppTec

Astellas puts the cork back in $350M Xork deal after Cartesian-Selecta merger

German biotech Tubulis rides wave of ADC interest to $138M financing round

Spruce's stock crashes as biotech lays off 5th of staff in wake of phase 2 hyperplasia fail

Phase 2 fail sends OcuTerra's eye drop dreams down the drain

New protease inhibitor outperforms Paxlovid in protecting lungs of mice with COVID

Featured

AstraZeneca inks $800M buyout of French biotech to snag phase 3 rare disease drug

By Nick Paul Taylor

AstraZeneca is paying $800 million to expand into rare endocrinology, snagging itself a phase 3 candidate through the acquisition of French biotech Amolyt Pharma. The deal features $250 million in milestones tied to a regulatory event.

Genmab grows up: Celebrating 25 years, CEO prepares to wield 'pretty good buying power'

By Max Bayer

Genmab, coming off one of its most successful years since its inception, is transitioning to a fully integrated pharma company. The antibody maker has seen revenue quadruple since 2019.

Biotech trade group pledges support for BIOSECURE Act, plans to boot member WuXi AppTec

By Eric Sagonowsky

As CDMO giants Wuxi AppTec and WuXi Biologics come under mounting scrutiny for their alleged ties to Chinese government officials, they are losing a key ally in Washington, D.C.

Astellas puts the cork back in $350M Xork deal after Cartesian-Selecta merger

By Max Bayer

Astellas is ending a partnership with Cartesian and its preclinical asset, Xork. The Japanese pharma licensed the asset in January 2023, back when it was being developed by Selecta Biosciences.

German biotech Tubulis rides wave of ADC interest to $138M financing round

By James Waldron

The antibody-drug conjugate craze shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, judging by Tubulis’ latest financing.

Spruce's stock crashes as biotech lays off 5th of staff in wake of phase 2 hyperplasia fail

By James Waldron

Spruce Biosciences' stock has shed three-quarters of its value in the wake of the failure of a phase 2 trial for the biotech's only drug candidate.

Phase 2 fail sends OcuTerra's eye drop dreams down the drain

By Gabrielle Masson

OcuTerra Therapeutics’ investigational eye drops failed to improve disease severity or progression in a phase 2 diabetic retinopathy trial, prompting the Boston-based biotech to look at strategic alternatives.

New protease inhibitor outperforms Paxlovid in protecting lungs of mice with COVID

By Helen Floersh

A new oral drug developed by Stanford University researchers may be superior to Pfizer’s Paxlovid at reducing the severity COVID-19, at least in mice.

Fierce Biotech Layoff Tracker 2024: 190 Takeda workers to lose jobs; Spruce slims down

By Gabrielle Masson,Max Bayer

We really didn't want to have to create another Layoff Tracker this year. But here we are, launching the third annual iteration tracking biopharma layoffs.

TFS HealthScience hops into Australia to expand APAC operations

By Helen Floersh

TFS HealthScience is growing Down Under, setting up a new operational base in Melbourne, Australia—the CRO's first official location in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

FDA flags early deaths in CAR-T myeloma trials for J&J and Legend’s Carvykti, Bristol Myers’ Abecma

By Angus Liu

Ahead of an important advisory committee meeting, the FDA has raised concerns about early trial deaths for multiple myeloma cell therapies. At the meeting, experts will discuss applications that aim to move the CAR-T therapies Carvykti and Abecma into earlier lines of treatment.

Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

'The Top Line': Fierce Medtech's Fierce 15

In this week's episode of "The Top Line," join Conor Hale, Senior Editor of Fierce Medtech, and Andrea Park, Deputy Editor of Fierce Life Sciences, as they share the highlights of this year's Fierce Medtech Fierce 15.

A deep dive into health plan and health system earnings

CAR-T boxed warnings: What comes next?

Resources

Whitepaper

Pediatric Clinical Trials: Considerations for Enrollment and Retention

Explore the nuanced approaches necessary for successful pediatric drug development.

CNS Market Outlook, 2024

This paper assesses the current state of the broad CNS market, reviewing key expectations for 2024. It addresses Alzheimer’s disease, biomarkers, and advances in psychiatry in detail. It also provides a high-level look at the pain market and the evolving regulatory environment.

Presented by Blue Matter, strategic consultants in the life sciences