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Today’s Big News

Jul 8, 2025

Biopharma layoffs for first half of the year jump 32% YOY

Novartis' malaria drug for babies wins world-first approval

FDA clears over-the-counter, cuffless blood pressure monitor with the Hilo bracelet

After custom CRISPR success, new center launches with $20M to treat more kids with rare genetic diseases

Advocacy groups, health networks and others back bill seeking to nix ‘interchangeable’ biosim tag

UCB extends Bimzelx ad campaign in wake of hidradenitis suppurativa approval

Taiho’s DMD asset fails to improve functional motor test results in phase 3 trial

Southwest Airlines sues dozens of generic drugmakers for alleged price-fixing scheme

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Biopharma layoffs for first half of the year jump 32% YOY

By Gabrielle Masson

Biopharma layoff rounds reported this May hit an all-time high, with 29 RIFs occurring—the most of any month reported over the last four years Fierce Biotech has spent tracking the measure.

Novartis' malaria drug for babies wins world-first approval

By Kevin Dunleavy

Novartis and a Swiss nonprofit have made history, scoring the world’s first approval for a medicine to treat babies who are infected with malaria. The nod is for a new formulation of Coartem, which is also known commercially in come countries as Riamet.

FDA clears over-the-counter, cuffless blood pressure monitor with the Hilo bracelet

By Conor Hale

The FDA has cleared its first cuffless blood pressure monitor that will be available over-the-counter, with the Hilo wristband developed by Aktiia.

After custom CRISPR success, new center launches with $20M to treat more kids with rare genetic diseases

By Darren Incorvaia

KJ Muldoon recently made history by becoming the first patient to receive a personalized CRISPR gene therapy, designed specifically for the genetic mutations causing his rare metabolic disease. Now, a new $20 million effort from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Innovative Genomics Institute endeavors to ensure KJ’s treatment isn’t a one-off.

Advocacy groups, health networks and others back bill seeking to nix 'interchangeable' biosim tag

By Fraiser Kansteiner

As biosimilars struggle to live up to their promise of cutting costs and improving access to biologic medicines for U.S. patients, more than 39 advocacy groups are championing recent bipartisan efforts to cut through the bureaucracy that they believe has kept adoption at bay.

UCB extends Bimzelx ad campaign in wake of hidradenitis suppurativa approval

By Andrea Park

Several months after the FDA signed off on Bimzelx’s label expansion into hidradenitis suppurativa, UCB is expanding an existing campaign to include the drug’s new indication.

Taiho’s DMD asset fails to improve functional motor test results in phase 3 trial

By Gabrielle Masson

Taiho Pharmaceutical’s investigational treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has failed to impact the time it takes patients to rise from the floor over 52 weeks, missing the phase 3 study’s main goal.

Southwest Airlines sues dozens of generic drugmakers for alleged price-fixing scheme

By Zoey Becker

The airline accused more than 40 generic drugmakers of engaging in a wide-spanning price-fixing scheme that allegedly cost the company "hundreds of millions" of dollars over the years.

Alcon to buy LumiThera’s light-based therapy for dry AMD

By Conor Hale

LumiThera's approach employs different wavelengths of low-level light to help stimulate mitochondrial activity in the cells of the retina.

Achieve sparks up Omnicom pact, securing agency support for nicotine dependence drug launch

By Nick Paul Taylor

Achieve Life Sciences has signed up Omnicom to support the launch of nicotine dependence treatment cytisinicline, positioning the biotech to tap into capabilities at multiple agencies to reach patients and healthcare professionals.

Field Medical generates another $35M for pulsed field ablation in quick-turn VC round

By Conor Hale

The series B financing comes quickly after the company’s $40 million series A, which closed this past April, and follows its presentations at the Heart Rhythm Society annual meeting.

Concentra extends biotech shopping spree by collecting Cargo

By James Waldron

Many of Concentra’s targets are biotechs that have found themselves in tough times, and Cargo certainly fits the bill.

Regulatory tracker: With FDA filing, J&J targets Caplyta expansion into schizophrenia relapse prevention

By Fraiser Kansteiner,Zoey Becker,Angus Liu,Kevin Dunleavy,Eric Sagonowsky

In this tracker, Fierce Pharma is recording the regulatory progress of in-market products, including expansions into key geographies and new indications. Some of these updates may not meet the bar for standalone stories, but we think they are still worth mentioning.

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