Stealth biotech pens $440M pact for VelaVigo bispecific

 

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Today’s Big News

Apr 18, 2025

Alis offers exit option to biotechs tainted by tang of failure, providing way to return cash to shareholders


NIH nixes funding for Pluri's radiation exposure cell therapy amid cost-cutting drive


Stealth biotech bags rights to VelaVigo bispecific in $440M deal


'America-first resurgence': Amid market correction, biotech nears new era, PitchBook says


'An unwinnable situation': FDA delays force one biopharma to shelve phase 3 plans, WSJ reports


Chutes & Ladders—AIRNA appoints Elevidys architect as CMO


Recently departed CBER director warns FDA staff cuts could upend drug review timelines as early as next year: BMO


Liver-targeting vaccine protects mice from allergic asthma reactions for at least a year

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

 

Featured

Alis offers exit option to biotechs tainted by tang of failure, providing way to return cash to shareholders

Alis Biosciences has made a pitch to the hundreds of biotechs that are valued at less than the cash they have in the bank. The investment fund is proposing to buy the companies and return most of their cash to shareholders, offering them an alternative to exits such as reverse mergers and liquidations.
 

Top Stories

NIH nixes support for Pluri's radiation exposure cell therapy amid cost-cutting drive

The U.S. government has pulled the rug out from under Pluri Biotech’s PLX-R18 cell therapy. Having put up funding to help bring the candidate to market, the government terminated the contract in a move that Pluri believes “may reflect broader federal budgetary and administrative adjustments."

Stealth biotech bags rights to VelaVigo bispecific in $440M deal

VelaVigo Bio has landed its second deal in six months, offloading ex-China rights to a bispecific to Ollin Biosciences for up to $440 million.

From Startup to Global Leader: How CTI is Shaping the Future of Clinical Research in Ohio and Beyond

CTI grew from a Cincinnati startup to a global leader in clinical research. CEO Tim Schroder shares insights on its success and what’s next.

'America-first resurgence': Amid market correction, biotech nears new era, PitchBook says

Biotechs will need to be strategic to achieve “tariff-era success” as the sector enters an “America-first resurgence,” according to a new report from PitchBook. Companies focused on AI integration and manufacturing innovation are expected to win out, according to the firm.

Artificial Intelligence and Real-World Data: Speeding Up Drug Development Like Never Before

Discover how AI and RWD are transforming drug development by optimizing clinical trial protocols, enhancing recruitment, and accelerating timelines.

'An unwinnable situation': FDA delays force one biopharma to shelve phase 3 plans, WSJ reports

After mass layoffs, the FDA has started missing certain deadlines, pushing one biopharma to delay a phase 3 trial and consider other paths to market, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Chutes & Ladders—AIRNA appoints Elevidys architect as CMO

Just a few weeks after closing a $155 million series B, RNA editing biotech AIRNA is bringing an experienced gene therapy developer on board to help get the company’s first candidate into the clinic.

Recently departed CBER director warns FDA staff cuts could upend drug review timelines as early as next year: BMO

In an interview with BMO Capital Markets, a prominent former FDA official has sounded the alarm about the potential for mass layoffs at the agency to disrupt the agency's drug review process. The threat, which would be particularly pronounced for rare disease and cell and gene therapy programs, could set in as early as 2026.

Liver-targeting vaccine protects mice from allergic asthma reactions for at least a year

An “inverse vaccine” that delivers deactivated allergens to the liver was able to reduce reactions in mice with allergic asthma for at least a year after treatment. Should the approach translate to humans, people with allergies may one day be able to take a vaccine that protects them from dangerous allergic reactions.

Navigating Trump’s tariffs for pharma

This week on “The Top Line,” we unpack the latest tariffs from the Trump administration and their potential impact on the life sciences industry.

FDA clears Precision Neuroscience’s minimally invasive brain-computer interface implant

The company described it as the first regulatory green light for a developer of wireless mind-reading tech.

'At the mercy of insurance companies': Supreme Court braces for ACA preventive coverage suit oral arguments

The Supreme Court is set to hear a case about the Affordable Care Act preventive services April 21. If the coverage requirement is overturned, advocacy groups believe the ruling will lead to more preventable deaths.

Fierce Pharma Asia—The latest on Trump's tariffs; Leqembi's EU approval; Kyowa Kirin's biologics plant

The Trump administration is expected to announce tariffs on pharmaceuticals "in the next month or two," an official said. The European Commission has approved Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi in Alzheimer's disease. Kyowa Kirin has finished the build-out of a Japanese biologics plant. And more.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

Navigating Trump’s tariffs for pharma

This week on “The Top Line,” we unpack the latest tariffs from the Trump administration and their potential impact on the life sciences industry.
 

Resources

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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