Pliant, Acelyrin use poison pills to ward off Concentra

Today’s Big News

Mar 14, 2025

George Church spinout GRObio explores strategic alternatives 6 months after $60M series B


Sutro discards CEO, 50% of staff, sole clinical-stage ADC and manufacturing site to save cash


Pliant, Acelyrin resort to ‘poison pills’ as threat of Concentra buyout looms


Chutes & Ladders—Gilead's accounting chief hits the exit


Researchers identify potential MASH target after gene disruption triggers liver symptoms in mice


Department of Veterans Affairs must reinstate fired probationary workers, judge orders

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George Church spinout GRObio explores strategic alternatives 6 months after $60M series B

Synthetic biology specialist Gro Biosciences, born out of the George Church Lab at Harvard, is exploring strategic alternatives only about half a year after raising a series B backed by top venture capital funds, Fierce Biotech has learned.
 

Top Stories

Sutro discards CEO, 50% of staff, sole clinical-stage ADC and manufacturing site to save cash

Sutro Biopharma is undergoing a seismic shake-up—jettisoning its CEO, half of its workforce, its lead candidate and its manufacturing facility in a major bid to save cash.

Pliant, Acelyrin resort to ‘poison pills’ as threat of Concentra buyout looms

With Concentra Biosciences expanding its stock influence on Pliant Therapeutics and Acelyrin, the two biotechs have shored up their corporate defences against a potential acquisition.

Chutes & Ladders—Gilead's accounting chief hits the exit

Gilead’s Sandra Patterson has “decided to leave the company” after two years in the SVP corporate controller and chief accounting officer role, according to a company filing. Patterson was also Gilead’s principal accounting officer. In her place, the company’s board tapped Diane Wilfong in an interim position amid the search for a permanent successor.

Researchers identify potential MASH target after gene disruption triggers liver symptoms in mice

Researchers at Waseda University in Japan have identified a gene that, when rendered nonfunctional in mice, causes the rodents to develop telltale signs of the liver disease metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The result suggests that the protein made by the gene, known as Nwd1, and other molecules it interacts with could be worthwhile targets for new MASH therapies.

Department of Veterans Affairs must reinstate fired probationary workers, judges order

March 13 orders from two federal judges require several federal agencies to unwind probationary worker terminations.

Mallinckrodt, Endo look to carve out brighter future through $6.7B merger

Having spent the better part of the decade grappling with bankruptcy bids and opioid settlements, troubled drugmakers Mallinckrodt and Endo have decided to join forces to create a more flexible company and ultimately spin off their sizeable generics businesses.

Live updates: Dr. Oz's Senate confirmation hearing

Follow along today for ongoing coverage of Dr. Oz’s confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Finance Committee. It is likely he will be asked about cuts to Medicaid, potential conflicts of interest, his views on Medicare Advantage and more.

Breaking down pharma’s fourth-quarter sales boom

This week on "The Top Line," we dissect the unprecedented revenue growth enjoyed by many major pharma companies in 2024’s fourth quarter.

Fierce Pharma Asia—Takeda's oncology focus; Sun's Checkpoint buy; Ono-Ionis antisense deal

Takeda is sharpening its oncology focus amid an R&D revamp. Sun Pharma will acquire Checkpoint Therapeutics and an FDA-approved PD-L1 inhibitor. Japan's Ono Pharmaceutical bought an antisense oligonucleotide from Ionis. Plus more.
 
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Breaking down pharma’s fourth-quarter sales boom

This week on "The Top Line," we dissect the unprecedented revenue growth enjoyed by many major pharma companies in 2024’s fourth quarter.
 

Resources

Whitepaper

The Oncology Market: 2025 Outlook

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