Layoff wave breaches walls of Pyxis, Lyell

Today’s Big News

Nov 8, 2023

Xencor pulls back from Genentech cancer pact to cut costs as CytomX drops ex-AbbVie ADC


Lumos stock jumps as phase 2 results bring first oral growth hormone drug closer to market


Lyell loses 25% of staff, CMO as biotech conserves funding to survive in post-GSK future


To pave a longer runway, Pyxis to cut staff, reprioritize and offload brand-new Apexigen assets


Durect fails alcohol-associated hepatitis trial, plans phase 3 anyway as investors scorch stock

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

 

Featured

Xencor pulls back from Genentech cancer pact to cut costs as CytomX drops ex-AbbVie ADC

Xencor and CytomX Therapeutics have taken a scalpel to their pipelines, stopping work on an ex-AbbVie antibody-drug conjugate and pulling back from a co-development deal with Genentech to focus cash on other projects.
 

Top Stories

Lumos stock jumps as phase 2 results bring first oral growth hormone drug closer to market

Lumos Pharma's stock jumped this morning as a successful phase 2 trial maintained the Texan biotech’s hopes of bringing the first oral drug for pediatric growth hormone deficiency to market.

Lyell loses 25% of staff, CMO as biotech conserves funding to survive in post-GSK future

A year after Lyell Immunopharma lost a $1 billion biobucks partnership with GSK, the cell therapy biotech is offloading a quarter of its staff and deprioritizing some earlier-stage research to extend funding into 2027.

How digital twins help improve biomanufacturing quality and security

Digital twins can help biomanufacturing organizations spot and avoid failures that lead to costly delays. Explore this article to find out how.

To pave a longer runway, Pyxis to cut staff, reprioritize and offload brand-new Apexigen assets

Pyxis Oncology needs to pave a longer cash runway. To do so, the Pfizer-partnered antibody-drug conjugate biotech is cutting 40% of staff, slimming its programs and looking to monetize royalty opportunities from a recently acquired company—among other cost-cutting measures.

Modeling patient insights to make the most of clinical trials

Greg Lever, Director within the IQVIA Applied Data Science Center, reveals how modeling technology is being used to unlock value and enhance the experience of trial participants.

Durect fails alcohol-associated hepatitis trial, plans phase 3 anyway as investors scorch stock

Durect and investors have reached radically different conclusions about phase severe alcohol-associated hepatitis 2 data. The biotech hailed “remarkable” results, on a secondary goal, in a subpopulation, but failed to persuade investors to look past the failure of the primary endpoint, causing its stock to sink.

Daiichi press release found to discredit pharma on safety grounds, prompting scolding from UK body

A press release has landed Daiichi Sankyo in hot water in the U.K. Pharma’s self-regulatory body found Daiichi prejudiced patient safety by failing to reference a contraindication, leading it to conclude that the Japanese drugmaker had brought discredit on the industry.

Tandem Diabetes Care cruises to FDA OK of automated insulin delivery for toddlers

Helping toddlers manage their Type 1 diabetes—typically a difficult task, due to their constant growth and development—may now be a bit easier.

Amazon offers healthcare services through One Medical as a Prime membership add-on

Building on its One Medical deal, Amazon is now offering a One Medical for Prime membership, including 24/7 virtual care, for $9 per month, or $99 a year.

Pfizer gathers celebrities together for a crossover COVID booster ad

It’s all the rage for superhero films: Bring together several fan favorite celebrities into one cinematic event. Pfizer is following Marvel and DC’s lead, bringing together its five most recent COVID commercial celebrities for a new ad promoting its booster.

After Catalent pact, activist investor Elliott takes $1B stake in BioMarin: Reuters

Armed with dwarfism med Voxzogo and hemophilia A gene therapy Roctavian, BioMarin recently turned a corner into profitability after many years operating at a loss. Now, the drugmaker has reportedly garnered the attention of activist investor Elliott Management.

Recor Medical claims first FDA approval in renal denervation for stubbornly high blood pressure

Recor Medical's renal denervation approach tackles high blood pressure that hasn’t responded to medications or changes in lifestyle.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

Exploring the promise of earlier Alzheimer's treatment

While the new Alzheimer’s disease medicine Leqembi has generated lots of buzz since its debut this year, one research team is investigating whether the medicine holds promise in preventing disease progression before any Alzheimer’s symptoms are evident. In this week's episode of "The Top Line," Fierce Pharma’s Eric Sagonowsky talks with the study lead, Reisa Sperling, M.D., to learn more. 

 

Resources

Webinar

Reimagine the infrastructure that makes science possible

Watch now to explore the convergence of science, capital, operational excellence and workplace strategy.
Whitepaper

Overcome Challenges and Secure Successful Technology Transfers of Complex Biological Products in Sterile Manufacturing

A critical area to consider in selecting a CDMO is their ability to successfully complete technology transfers, which involves an intricate set of activities and disciplines that, if done incorrectly, could result in delays and failures that impact the overall success of your end product. Recognizing what it takes to complete this process effectively and efficiently is crucial to selecting the best partner for your project and product needs. This white paper delivers an analysis of critical success factors for effective technology transfer.
Whitepaper

Enhance the cost-effectiveness of your GMP chemical supply chain

Learn how to develop a high-performing supply chain for cGMP chemicals used throughout your bioprocessing workflows.
Whitepaper

Plasmid DNA Design Considerations for Cell and Gene Therapy

Download our whitepaper to learn about plasmid DNA design considerations for cell and gene therapy applications.
Whitepaper

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare & Medical Affairs

This paper explores AI’s potential impact on healthcare and on Medical Affairs (MA) more specifically. It also outlines what MA teams can do now to proactively leverage AI to improve service to their stakeholders.
eBook

An Introduction to Organ-on-a-Chip Technology

Emulate in vivo biology with next-generation in vitro technology.
Whitepaper

Accelerate drug discovery with high-performance computing powered by the cloud

Accelerate drug discovery with high-performance computing (HPC) powered by the cloud
 

Industry Events

Genesis 2023

 

Upcoming Fierce Events

14-15
Nov
Free Virtual Event
14-16
Nov
London, UK
5
Dec
Edison Ballroom, New York City
9-10
Jan
San Francisco, CA
16-18
Jan
Virtual Event

View all events