Novo pledges $58M WHO donation

Today’s Big News

May 21, 2025

Medtronic to spin out diabetes division as $2.8B independent player


Moderna withdraws FDA filing for flu/COVID combination vaccine, plans resubmission with efficacy data


After WHO loses its top donor in US, Novo Nordisk Foundation and China step up with large contributions


J&J’s Darzalex wins FDA advisers’ backing as potential first treatment for smoldering myeloma


Roche's Genentech sticks with Orionis in 2nd molecular glue deal worth $2B


SK defeats Pfizer in Korean patent feud, opening new lines of business for pneumococcal vaccine


PHASE Scientific raises $34M for urine test platform spanning cancer, women’s health and more

 

Featured

Medtronic to spin out diabetes division as $2.8B independent player

The medtech giant said it aims to complete the spinoff within the next 18 months, with the goal of taking the new company public through an IPO.
 

Top Stories

Moderna withdraws FDA filing for flu/COVID combination vaccine, plans resubmission with efficacy data

Moderna has pulled the filing for FDA approval of its flu/COVID combination vaccine. The biotech plans to resubmit later this year with the phase 3 flu vaccine efficacy data the agency wants to see.

After WHO loses its top donor in US, Novo Nordisk Foundation and China step up with large contributions

With the withdrawal of the U.S. from the World Health Organization, the United Nations-backed agency has lost its top donor. Helping compensate for the funding shortfall is the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which has pledged up to 380 Danish kroner ($58 million) from this year to 2028. China also has stepped up, pledging $500 million over the next five years.

J&J's Darzalex wins FDA advisors' backing as potential first treatment for smoldering myeloma

Johnson & Johnson has won the support of an FDA expert panel in its bid to make Darzalex the first treatment for an early form of multiple myeloma despite uncertainties raised by regulators.

Roche's Genentech sticks with Orionis in 2nd molecular glue deal worth $2B

Roche's Genentech is sticking with Orionis Biosciences, handing over $105 million upfront as part of its second deal with the molecular glue biotech.

SK defeats Pfizer in Korean patent feud, opening new lines of business for pneumococcal vaccine

The Supreme Court of Korea has sided with SK in an ongoing patent feud with Pfizer, ruling that the Korean company did not violate a composition patent on Pfizer’s pneumococcal shot Prevnar 13 by shipping components and finished research doses of its own 13-valent immunization, PCV13, to Russia.

PHASE Scientific raises $34M for urine test platform spanning cancer, women’s health and more

The Hong Kong-based company—founded in 2015 as a UCLA spinout—said it has already conducted over 8 million lab tests worldwide.

Merck KGaA shares data justifying pushing lupus drug into phase 3—despite recent setback

Despite Merck KGaA’s lupus drug failing to prove itself against one form of the autoimmune disease, the German drugmaker has now shared the data to back up its belief that the therapy still has promise.

Supernus casts Busy Philipps as 'Ms. Represented' in Qelbree campaign targeting women with ADHD

As it continues to ramp up sales of its attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder drug Qelbree, Supernus Pharmaceuticals is getting Busy to raise awareness of the med among an often-overlooked group—Busy Philipps, that is.

Scientists ID potential drug target to prevent cancer from spreading to bones

A team of scientists has harnessed CRISPR technology to identify a protein that helps cancers spread to bone tissue, opening the door for potential therapies to prevent the common and painful disease progression.

Clinical trial diversity nonprofit launches with FDA, Big Pharma vets on its board

After a two-year pilot period, Equitable Breakthroughs in Medicine Development has officially launched a nonprofit meant to expand access to clinical trials.

Pfizer reminds UK healthcare workers that LGBTIQ+ patients are 'More Than Cancer' in new campaign

Pfizer linked up with U.K. LGBTIQ+ cancer advocacy group OUTpatients to break down some barriers the community faces in cancer care and remind doctors that their patients are more than their cancer diagnoses.
 
Fierce podcasts

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'The Top Line': A Fierce breakdown of the 'most favored nation' executive order

This week on "The Top Line," Fierce Pharma breaks down President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting drug prices and what it could mean for the industry as broader policy shifts unfold.

 

Resources

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Don’t delay your gene transfer trial’s start-up timeline by gaining the latest insights from WCG’s case study on the power of a seamless Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) review process.
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SpyLock Technology: A cutting-Edge Solution for Rapid Bispecific Antibody Screening

Learn how the SpyLock service can offer fast bispecific generation, reduce workload, and accelerate candidate selection.
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Best Practice Medical Affairs Organization Study Report

We interviewed 24 Medical Affairs leaders on the critical success factors for building a Best Practice Medical Affairs organization. This report shares what we learned.
 

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