Plus the top 10 drugs losing exclusivity

This Week

Mar 21, 2025

Merck plots 163 layoffs as it prepares to shutter Pennsylvania manufacturing site 


Director of NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute departs: Stat


Special Report—The top 10 drugs losing US exclusivity in 2025


Dexcom survey shows healthcare providers opt for CGM tech over new medications in Type 2 diabetes


Amid Trump's push to abolish DEI, Roche and Novartis adjust hiring initiatives: reports


Novartis plans 427 layoffs as looming Entresto patent cliff sparks marketing refresh


‘Not a cost-cutting exercise': Novo Nordisk CSO explains rationale behind pharma's R&D shake-up

 

Featured

Merck plots 163 layoffs as it prepares to shutter Pennsylvania manufacturing site

The company revealed a plan to shutter the site back in March of 2022. Now, more than 150 staffers are set to lose their jobs throughout the rest of 2025 and into 2026.
 

Top Stories

Director of NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute departs: Stat

After serving as the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute for more than 15 years, Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D., has suddenly departed.

The top 10 drugs losing US exclusivity in 2025

Johnson & Johnson, Amgen, Regeneron, Novartis and other Big Pharma players are facing down sizable U.S. losses of exclusivity in 2025.

Dexcom survey shows healthcare providers opt for CGM tech over new medications in Type 2 diabetes

Dexcom found that just over half of healthcare providers ranked technology and education as having larger impacts when it comes to treating people with Type 2 diabetes, placing them ahead of new medications.

Amid Trump's push to abolish DEI, Roche and Novartis adjust hiring initiatives: reports

Two months after U.S. President Donald Trump proclaimed DEI programs “illegal and immoral,” Roche has reportedly scrapped its high-profile five-year plan to increase the diversity of its leadership. Meanwhile, fellow Swiss company Novartis will no longer use diverse panels in its hiring process for U.S.-based employees, according to Reuters.

Novartis plans 427 layoffs as looming Entresto patent cliff sparks marketing refresh

Novartis is laying off 427 employees who report to its headquarters in East Hanover, New Jersey. The company is changing its cardiovascular commercialization model ahead of Entresto's expected loss of exclusivity this summer, a company spokesperson said.

'Not a cost-cutting exercise': Novo Nordisk CSO explains rationale behind pharma's R&D shake-up

Novo Nordisk may be reorganizing its early-stage R&D capabilities, but the Danish pharma’s chief scientific officer has insisted that the changes aren’t primarily about laying off staff.

AstraZeneca goes in vivo, penning $1B deal for Belgian off-the-shelf cell therapy biotech

AstraZeneca has entered the “off-the-shelf” cell therapy space, penning a $1 billion deal to acquire EsoBiotec and its lentiviral vector platform.

Sarepta reports one death after patient received DMD gene therapy Elevidys

One patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy has passed away following treatment with Sarepta Therapeutics’ gene therapy Elevidys, the biotech said Tuesday.

#FierceMadness returns: Get your picks in for the first round of the 2025 Drug Ad Tournament

As the college basketball March Madness tournament tips off this week, so too does Fierce Pharma Marketing’s annual #FierceMadness competition.

Newfound bacterial compound kills fungi that are resistant to multiple antifungals

As fungi resistant to traditional treatments continue to spread around the globe, researchers from China Pharmaceutical University in Nanjing have identified a bacterial compound that can kill infectious fungi even if they’re resistant to other antifungals.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

Fierce 15 of 2025: A breakdown

Executive Editor Heather Landi and Senior Writer Paige Minemyer sit down to chat about the evolution of the Fierce 15 project and honorees.
 

Resources

Whitepaper

The Oncology Market: 2025 Outlook

Read about four trends that will shape the innovations, therapies, & market landscape in oncology during 2025 & beyond.
Whitepaper

Redefining vaccine trial recruitment

Discover how to revolutionize your vaccine trials with Avacare's latest white paper. Gain exclusive access to innovative, data-driven recruitment strategies that ensure diverse, efficient, and high-quality vaccine trials.
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Solutions for CAR-Engineered Cell Characterization

Develop your CAR molecule faster
 

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