Newsletter Tool

WELCOME TO FIERCE LIFE SCIENCES WEEKLY DIGEST

While Will Smith and Chris Rock made the biggest news on Hollywood’s biggest night, a paid sponsorship by Pfizer and BioNTech made a splash in the pharma marketing world, with their COVID vaccines aiming to help people gather together again and return to large live events (for good or ill). Meanwhile, biotechs have seen a spate of recent layoffs—with nearly two dozen so far this year—as companies look to extend their financial runways amid turbulent public markets, albeit despite strong prospects for new private funding. Those stories, plus our other top reads of the week, follow below.

Featured Story

Pfizer and BioNTech go to Hollywood with splashy Oscars sponsorship

By Ben Adams

Oscar-winning actor Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock made the biggest headlines out of the Oscars Sunday night. but the sponsorship from Pfizer and COVID shot partner BioNTech was for the pharma marketing world a bigger moment.

'Stay alive': Wave of layoffs crashes into biotech startup inferno

By Kyle LaHucik,Max Bayer,Annalee Armstrong

At least 30 biopharmas have announced layoffs since September 2021, and the wave is likely to continue as thousands of startups struggle to stay above the competition.

'In the long-term interests': FDA oncology chief defends rejection of Lilly, Innovent cancer drug

By Angus Liu

In an interview with Fierce Pharma, Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence, defended the rejection of Eli Lilly and Innovent Biologics' China-developed PD-1 inhibitor despite a pricing promise from the partners.

Abbott snags $1B U.S. government contract for rapid COVID-19 tests

By Conor Hale

The award is one of several steps toward the Biden administration’s redoubled goal of delivering 1 billion free tests to U.S. homes following the rise of the omicron variant.

Pfizer's $7B ulcerative colitis drug racks up another phase 3 win, laying the groundwork for approval filings

By Nick Paul Taylor

The wins keep coming at Pfizer. Six days after posting positive induction data on its $6.7 billion ulcerative colitis drug, Pfizer has reported the S1P receptor modulator improved clinical remission out to 52 weeks in a second maintenance phase 3 clinical trial.

Moderna weighs private market debut for COVID shot as federal funding flounders

By Fraiser Kansteiner

As Congress gridlocks over new funding for COVID-19 therapies and vaccines, mRNA bigwig Moderna is setting its sights on the endemic market for its wildly successful shot.

UPDATED: Merck cuts 143 jobs at Acceleron right on heels of $11.5B buyout

By Fraiser Kansteiner

Just months after striking its $11.5 billion deal for Acceleron Pharma, Merck & Co. has telegraphed its intention to downsize at its newly acquired unit.

Another Biogen-Ionis collab hits the dust after phase 1 ALS flop

By Max Bayer

Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals are packing up and moving on after another antisense ALS candidate flopped in the clinic, less than six months after tofersen failed.

Carl June, Penn's latest CAR-T work taps llamas to home in on gastrointestinal tumors

By Angus Liu

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a cell surface protein that, despite its expression on both healthy and tumor cells, could be leveraged for CAR-T therapy against hard-to-treat gastrointestinal cancers and neuroendocrine tumors.

Ten23 health expands former swissfillon facility in Visp, Switzerland

By Joseph Keenan

Ten23 health, a CDMO that launched just six months ago, continues to expand its manufacturing facility in Visp, Switzerland.

Whitepaper: Oncology Market Outlook: Key Trends to Watch

Sponsored by: Blue Matter, strategic consultants in the life sciences

What’s in store for the oncology market in 2022 and beyond? This paper looks at 5 trends driving the market.

Whitepaper: Uncovering the hidden value of quality in chemical supply

eBook: Leveraging Clinical Data for Study Success

Sponsored by: Medidata, a Dassault Systèmes company

The landscape of clinical trials has been permanently changed. Today's trials require sponsors to modernize their use of technology and data to adapt. This eBook provides an overview of how sponsors can empower trials with real-time performance data to improve study integrity, reduce risks, optimize patient safety, and increase trial success rates.