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Today’s Big News

Jun 20, 2025

Industry deeply disappointed as FDA reportedly puts cell and gene therapy chief on leave

A waste business buy, slashing salaries for all staff: 4 strange strategies biotechs are using to stay alive

Prothena lays off 63% of employees in fallout from phase 3 amyloidosis drug fail

FDA blocks new clinical trials that ship cells from US to China

Syncona blames 'challenging' market for shift in biotech investment strategy

Zealand Pharma's GLP-1/GLP-2 candidate linked to 11.6% weight loss after 28 weeks

Chutes & Ladders— BMS banks on Wall Street vet for long-term strategy guidance

Featured

Industry deeply disappointed as FDA reportedly puts cell and gene therapy chief on leave

By Nick Paul Taylor

The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine has voiced deep disappointment about reports that the FDA has put the director of its cell and gene therapy office on administrative leave and escorted her out of the agency.

A waste business buy, slashing salaries for all staff: 4 strange strategies biotechs are using to stay alive

By Gabrielle Masson,Darren Incorvaia

Biotech has always been a little unconventional, but, as the industry’s bear market drags on, efforts to stay afloat are reaching a whole new level.

Prothena lays off 63% of employees in fallout from phase 3 amyloidosis drug fail

By James Waldron

Prothena is laying off almost two-thirds of its workforce as the Irish biotech navigates the fallout from giving up on its failed amyloidosis drug.

Precision medicine’s next frontier: unlocking the power of biospecimens

Sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific

Austin Read of Thermo Fisher Scientific discusses how combining biospecimens with real-world data is advancing diagnostics, treatment and the future of patient care.

FDA blocks new clinical trials that ship cells from US to China

By Nick Paul Taylor

The FDA has stopped new clinical trials that export American citizens’ living cells from the U.S. to “China and other hostile countries for genetic engineering and subsequent infusion” back into American patients.

Syncona blames 'challenging' market for shift in biotech investment strategy

By James Waldron

Life sciences investment firm Syncona has blamed “particularly challenging” market conditions for shifting its strategy away from early-stage biotechs and focusing on those companies likely to offer near-term rewards.

Zealand Pharma's GLP-1/GLP-2 candidate linked to 11.6% weight loss after 28 weeks

By Gabrielle Masson

Zealand Pharma is back with updated findings for its GLP-1/GLP-2 receptor dual agonist, finding mean body weight reductions rose to 11.6% for a higher dosing regimen after 28 weeks in a phase 1b trial.

Chutes & Ladders— BMS banks on Wall Street vet for long-term strategy guidance

By Darren Incorvaia,Zoey Becker

BMS didn’t want to choose between clinical expertise and financial know-how when selecting a new strategy leader. The Big Pharma has hired physician-turned-analyst Chris Shibutani, M.D., as executive vice president and chief strategy officer.

Arialys' precision therapy shows promise in rare encephalitis disorder and beyond

By Kevin Dunleavy

Arialys has created a first-in-class precision medicine that is showing potential to become the first therapy to address the underlying cause of a rare brain disorder.

Adjusted ACIP agenda omits anticipated votes, revives talks on vaccine ingredient erroneously linked to autism

By Fraiser Kansteiner

In the wake of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s abrupt revamp of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, details from the panel’s planned meeting next week are confirming many industry watcher’s concerns about potential vaccine meddling by the Trump administration.

Fierce Pharma Asia—AZ-CSPC deal; FDA's American cell shipping ban; China's trial review acceleration plan

By Angus Liu

AstraZeneca has penned a drug discovery pact focused on chronic diseases with China's CSPC Pharma. The FDA has halted new trials that export U.S. individuals' living cells to China. Chinese regulators are proposing to shorten clinical trial review times for novel medicines. And more.

Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

AbbVie, ADCs and the future of cancer care

This week on "The Top Line," AbbVie’s Daejin Abidoye, M.D., joins us to discuss the future of antibody drug conjugates.

Inside Fierce Medtech's Fierce 15

A bold bet on sharing real-time patient data

Resources

Executive Summary

Specialized Support to Accelerate Biotech Success

Biotech innovation doesn’t slow down—and neither should your lab partner. This brief outlines how early scientific engagement, operational transparency, and integrated global lab services help reduce risk, stay on schedule, and deliver results. Whether you're navigating your first trial or scaling a growing pipeline, see how a purpose-built lab model can help you move smarter and faster.