Third Rock's antibody startup unveils with $121M

Today’s Big News

Apr 8, 2025

'A slow-moving catastrophe': FDA cuts are like firing all hospital staff except doctors, Janet Woodcock says


Congressional commission urges $15B, more action to maintain US biotech advantage over China


Third Rock-backed Merida launches with $121M series A to fund autoimmune pipeline


Rallybio abandons lead program after phase 2 data in rare maternal disorder disappoint


Nordic Capital steps away from potential PureTech Health buyout


J&J links FcRn blocker to sustained benefits as FDA ruling on potential blockbuster nears


CAR-T developer Lyell lays off 73 ImmPact staffers, shutters LA facility shortly after acquisition


KalVista, awaiting FDA call on HAE drug, sells Japanese rights to Kaken in $22M deal

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Featured

'A slow-moving catastrophe': FDA cuts are like firing all hospital staff except doctors, Janet Woodcock says

As President Donald Trump’s massive overhaul of federal agencies continues, several former FDA officials spoke about the potential ramifications for drug reviews and provided a look inside current FDA conditions.
 

Top Stories

Congressional commission urges $15B, more action to maintain US biotech advantage over China

A U.S. congressional commission has made the case for “swift action” to maintain the nation’s role as a biotech superpower while warning the sector is “dangerously close to falling behind China.”

Third Rock-backed Merida launches with $121M series A to fund autoimmune pipeline

The latest biotech to roll out of Third Rock Ventures is working on Fc-based therapeutics it hopes could offer new treatment options to patients with autoimmune disorders like Graves' disease.

Project Optimus: Transforming Dose Optimization in Oncology Drug Development

Project Optimus is changing the landscape of oncology drug development by redefining dose optimization standards. Learn how sponsors can align with FDA expectations and implement more precise dose-finding strategies. Watch the full interview with Alex MacDonald now!

Rallybio abandons lead program after phase 2 data in rare maternal disorder disappoint

Rallybio’s lead program has crashed out. Racing toward a $1.6 billion market, the biotech stopped work on RLYB212 in a rare maternal immune disorder in response to phase 2 data.

Nordic Capital steps away from potential PureTech Health buyout

Nordic Capital confirmed that it doesn't intend to make an offer for PureTech Health shortly after buyout discussions were disclosed by PureTech.

J&J links FcRn blocker to sustained benefits as FDA ruling on potential blockbuster nears

Johnson & Johnson has reinforced a key plank of its plan to build nipocalimab into a $5 billion medicine, reporting that the benefits seen earlier in a phase 3 autoimmune trial persisted through Week 60 of the open-label extension.

CAR-T developer Lyell lays off 73 ImmPact staffers, shutters LA facility shortly after acquisition

Less than a year after purchasing private cell therapy company ImmPact Bio to help refresh its ailing CAR-T pipeline, manufacturing considerations have prompted Lyell Immunopharma to cut staff at its new subsidiary and mothball a California facility picked up in the deal.

KalVista, awaiting FDA call on HAE drug, sells Japanese rights to Kaken in $22M deal

As KalVista Pharmaceuticals awaits an FDA decision on sebetralstat, the company has sold the Japanese rights to Kaken for $11 million upfront.

As Trump threatens tariffs on drugs, industry warns EU of $100B-plus pharma exodus to US

Although President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs have spared pharmaceuticals, potential drug-specific import levies remain a sword of Damocles creating anxiety among biopharma companies. Some industry leaders now fear that more than $100 billion in investments could leave the European Union.

In Bay Area, Gilead cuts 149 positions and Roche's diagnostics division lays off 108

Gilead and Roche are continuing to lay off employees in California, with each company revealing a recent round of cuts through the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) program. While Gilead is eliminating 149 positions at its headquarters in Foster City, Roche is letting go of 108 workers at its Molecular Systems Division in Santa Clara.

RFK Jr. promotes measles vaccine as Texas outbreak continues

The HHS secretary called out the measles vaccines as "the most effective way" to prevent the spread as an outbreak in Texas claims a second life.

CMS finalizes 5.06% Medicare Advantage benchmark increase

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalized a substantial increase to Medicare Advantage benchmark payments over its advance notice earlier this year.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

A closer look at pharma's top R&D budgets

This week on "The Top Line," we dive into our special report ranking the top pharma R&D budgets for 2024.
 

Resources

Unlocking Genomic Data: How NashBio is Advancing Innovation in Life Sciences

NashBio is transforming life sciences by making complex genomic and real-world data accessible for pharmaceutical R&D. Learn how their innovative Totem platform and groundbreaking Alliance for Genomic Discovery are accelerating research and improving outcomes.

eBook

Through a CRO's perspective: Innovative, Agile Solutions In Vaccine Efficacy Testing

Typical vaccine development timelines have averaged 10 years, but the time from the SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequence’s release to the submission of the first vaccine clinical trial data for regulatory review was a mere 314 days. In IQVIA Laboratories’ Vaccine eBook we focus on how contract research organizations (CROs) can best leverage strategic partnerships with sponsors to prepare for the next pandemic.
Whitepaper

Protect Your Trial Data: Endpoint, Imaging, and Safety Review

Avoid costly mistakes and ensure your clinical development program meets the highest standards by reading WCG’s whitepaper on Imaging Core Labs, Endpoint Adjudication Committees (EAC), and other safety reviews.
Research

Best Practice Customer-Facing Organization Study Report

We interviewed 15 biopharma leaders on the critical success factors for building a Best Practice customer-facing organization. This report shares what we learned.

 

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