July 15 · 21 min
Biogen validates anti-tau approach at AAIC, psychedelics full speed ahead, ATTR-CM shakeup
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Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
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July 14 · 9 minBonus: Q2 2026 Job Market Update
In this bonus episode, BioSpace Managing Editor Jef Akst and Angela Gabriel, content manager, life sciences careers, look at the Q2 job market and discuss encouraging signs for job seekers.
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July 10 · 20 minFrom sequence to scale: Gene editing’s new era in biologics manufacturing
In this episode of Denatured, you’ll hear from Jack Crawford, CEO of Demetra, and Magnus Gustavsson, chief commercial officer at NorthX Biologics. We unpack the evolution of cell line development — CHO cells, targeted integration, transposases and the collaboration models speeding biologics from sequence to GMP. Host Jennifer C. Smith-Parker, Director of Insights, BioSpace Guests Jack Crawford, CEO, Demeetra Magnus Gustafsson, Chief Commercial Officer, NorthX Biologics Disclaimer: The views expressed in this discussion by guests are their own and do not represent those of their organizations.
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July 8 · 17 minVertex carries M&A uptick into H2, IPOs and VC raises also grow, FDA on pace despite turmoil
A surprising deal from Vertex Pharmaceuticals adds to Big Pharma’s acquisitive streak as Crinetics folds into the cystic fibrosis drugmaker. Meanwhile, IPOs and venture capital raises trend upward, but mostly for derisked companies. Plus, FDA decisions slow only slightly as the hunt for a permanent leader drags on.
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July 1 · 22 minSentiment at BIO soars as FDA resets, dealmaking evolves; Amgen’s Tavneos in hot water
The vibe at BIO 2026 in San Diego last week was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees observing noticeable changes at the FDA and an uptick in dealmaking and IPOs. Plus, a top medical journal this week retracted a pivotal study for Amgen’s rare disease drug Tavneos, which has been in the FDA’s crosshairs since January.
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June 25 · 19 minThe Golden Triangle and the gaps: Rethinking UK biotech
In this episode of Denatured, as part of our series on the European life sciences investment ecosystem, you’ll hear from Hakan Goker, managing director at M Ventures and Maina Bhaman, partner at Sofinnova Partners. We explore the UK biotech ecosystem : from the Golden Triangle’s evolving role to the challenges of scaling companies, unlocking pension capital and staying globally competitive. Host Jennifer C. Smith-Parker, Director of Insights, BioSpace Guests Hakan Goker, Managing Director, M Ventures Maina Bhaman, Partner, Sofinnova Partners Disclaimer: The views expressed in this discussion by guests are their own and do not represent those of their organizations.
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June 24 · 21 minAbbVie keeps M&A rolling, FDA’s reversal train chugs along, BIO 2026 dispatch, more
This year has been partly defined by a return to M&A. In the first quarter of 2026, biopharma spent nearly $47 billion in acquisitions across 19 deals, and this week, AbbVie notched another one for the second quarter, scooping up Apogee Therapeutics and its IL-23 blocker for atopic dermatitis for around $10.9 billion. The deal follows GSK’s $10.6 billion Nuvalent Bio acquisition earlier this month. These deals come as several big pharmas face patent cliffs. Sanofi, for example, will lose patent protection on Dupixent in 2031. New CEO Belén Garijo made a major play to build out Sanofi’s pipeline this week, announcing that Xaira veteran Paulo Fontoura will step in as R&D chief as Houman Ashrafian exits. Another key trend over the past 18 months has been regulatory uncertainty. This trend continues, with both uniQure and REGENXBIO announcing FDA reversals for their gene therapies for Huntington’s disease and Hunter syndrome, respectively. Both companies will submit for approval of their products—a first submission for uniQure and a resubmission for REGENXBIO—in the third quarter, after the agency, under the leadership of acting commissioner Kyle Diamantas, deemed their current data sufficient. Also at the FDA, a policy memo on the agency’s consideration of Sanofi’s Commissioner’s Priority Review Voucher for type 1 diabetes drug Tzield threw more fire on the CNPV program, which has already been mired in controversy. And the agency debuted an investigational new drug pilot program that would leverage collaborations with U.S. research institutions to reduce early trial timelines by as much as 12 months. For a special treat, we heard from BioSpace Managing Editor Jef Akst and Senior Editor Annalee Armstrong who are currently in San Diego enjoying BIO 2026. And finally, on the Eli Lilly front, a new report from Evaluate projects that the company’s weight loss franchise will account for nearly half of the total sales of the top 10 drugs in 2032. But Lilly isn’t resting on this envisioned success: the juggernaut is one of two companies circling Sangamo’s assets as the biotech files for bankruptcy.
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June 18 · 21 minFrom fragile skin to living medicine: Lessons from RDEB
In this episode of Denatured, you'll hear from Mark Lowdell, CSO & co-founder at INmuneBio Inc. and Vishwas Seshadri, CEO & director at Abeona Therapeutics. We examine how recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa serves as a model for cell and gene therapy, and what this ultra-rare disease teaches us about scaling advanced treatments for the future. Host Jennifer C. Smith-Parker, Director of Insights, BioSpace Guests Mark Lowdell, CSO & Co-Founder, INmuneBio Inc Vishwas Seshadri, CEO & Director, Abeona Therapeutics Disclaimer: The views expressed in this discussion by guests are their own and do not represent those of their organizations.
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June 17 · 25 minModerna’s FDA adcomm, IPO mania, biopharma layoffs, more
Moderna’s mRNA-based flu vaccine made headlines in February when the FDA declined to even review the application. Days later, the agency reversed course, setting a decision date for August and later scheduling an advisory committee meeting for June 18. In documents released ahead of that meeting, the FDA and Moderna seem to have reached alignment, though the agency did flag certain data gaps for advisors to review. Biotech IPOs are off the charts—literally. This past month has seen not one but two record-setting public debuts. First there was Kailera Therapeutics, which hit the market with $625 million in April, outpacing Moderna’s 2018 IPO of $600 million. And now we have Parabilis Medicines, which last week dethroned Kailera as the largest biotech IPO of all time, with $670 million. Meanwhile, the number of employees laid off spiked by almost 50% year-over-year in May, though that jump is mostly due to significant cuts at Takeda and BioNTech. Genentech also made a big change last week. Eli Lilly continued its dealmaking spree with AlzeCure, striking a licensing agreement worth up to $1 billion centering on a small-molecule asset for Alzheimer’s disease. But the bigger Lilly news in the past week was clinical results that show promise for the pharma’s $2.3 billion acquisition of Ajax Therapeutics in April. Earlier this month, the FDA held a public session to glean feedback regarding the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher program, in which several groups called for a temporary pause to the pilot, citing concerns about transparency and political involvement. While the future of that program hangs in the balance, two voucher holders got updates this week. First, Sanofi’s diabetes drug Tzield was greenlit for older kids and teenagers, though it’s unclear whether a voucher was associated with the approval. Meanwhile, Disc Medicine’s rejected rare disease drug bitopertin appears to be back on track, with the biotech announcing last week that the FDA will allow its current Phase 3 trial to support another regulatory filing.
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June 10 · 20 minPortugal, Spain and the new biotech frontier
In this episode of Denatured, as part of our series on the European life sciences investment ecosystem, you'll hear from Hannah Franklin, associate at Biovance Capital and Pablo Gabriel Cironi Lopez, director of life science investment at Caixa Capital Risc. We examine the rise of Southern Europe’s biotech ecosystem—from Portugal’s efforts to turn strong science into startups to Spain’s growing depth of capital and talent—and what it will take for the region to compete globally. Host Jennifer C. Smith-Parker, Director of Insights, BioSpace Guests Hannah Franklin, Associate, Biovance Capital Pablo Gabriel Cironi Lopez, Director, Life Science Investment, Caixa Capital Risc Disclaimer: The views expressed in this discussion by guests are their own and do not represent those of their organizations.
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June 10 · 25 minLilly tees off with Novo at ADA, GSK’s $10.6B deal, FDA reform continues in Makary’s absence
Everything came up roses for Eli Lilly at the American Diabetes Association, as the pharma boasted positive results for its new pill Foundayo and next-gen asset retatrutide—not just for weight loss but also for other indications. Obesity rival Novo Nordisk, meanwhile, held a dinner, during which executives may have convinced analysts that the company is turning a corner after a rough couple of years. Also check out ADA updates from Roche and partner Zealand Pharma, Boehringer Ingleheim, Pfizer (touting results from its Metsera buy), AstraZeneca, Kailera Therapeutics and more. Outside of ADA, the biggest news of the past week came on Tuesday with GSK striking the biggest traditional pharma/biotech M&A of the year so far with its $10.6 billion acquisition of oncology focused Nuvalent Bio. And on Monday, J&J notched a smaller deal, buying out Firefly Bio for $1B. These deals add to continued uptick in M&A seen in biopharma this year, with much of that momentum being driven by Eli Lilly and its GLP-1 cash. At an FDA listening meeting last week on the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher program, the agency heard multiple calls to pause it. Confusion also still persists around all of the new rare disease pathways, including the new plausible mechanism framework.
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June 3 · 21 minRethinking hair loss treatment
In this episode of Denatured, you'll be hearing from Daniel Gil, CEO of Pelage Pharmaceuticals and Francisco Ramírez-Valle, senior vice president of immunology discovery at Eli Lilly. We dive into the long-overlooked hair loss space, exploring why true innovation has lagged, how a regenerative approach aims to reactivate dormant follicles and what early proof-of-concept means for patients. Host Jennifer C. Smith-Parker, Director of Insights, BioSpace Guests Daniel Gil, CEO, Pelage Pharmaceuticals Francisco Ramírez-Valle, Senior Vice President, Immunology Discovery, Eli Lilly Disclaimer: The views expressed in this discussion by guests are their own and do not represent those of their organizations.
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June 3 · 27 minASCO wins from RevMed, Akeso/Summit, more; plus more Lilly and more China; ADA on deck
At the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago this past weekend, packed plenary sessions from Revolution Medicines and Summit Therapeutics’ Chinese partner Akeso stole the show. For RevMed, analysts anticipate a potential approval in pancreatic cancer as early as this year, while Summit still has a tough road ahead showing that the survival benefit seen in Akeso’s clinical trial in China will hold up in a global population. Immuneering, BMS/BioNTech, Merck, Pfizer and many more also scored oncology wins at the annual meeting, as did Moderna, with “encouraging” 5-year survival for its mRNA-based personalized melanoma vaccine. Outside of ASCO, the past week saw Pfizer strike an unusual pact with China’s Innovent Biologics as it seeks to bolster its oncology pipeline. Reminiscent of another recent deal from BMS and Hengrui Pharma, it could signal a more collaborative approach to working with Chinese companies. We’ll also cover the latest deals from Eli Lilly, which continues to rack up partners with its GLP-1 windfall. Finally, learn about how BrainStorm is planning another FDA bid for its experimental ALS therapy NurOwn with former regulator Peter Pitts now on the board, and check out a preview of the 2026 American Diabetes Association, or ADA, which kicks off this weekend in New Orleans.
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May 28 · 21 minFrance’s biotech ecosystem: science, capital and scale
In this episode of Denatured, as part of our series on the European life sciences investment ecosystem, you'll be hearing from Ksenija Pavletic, partner and chief commercial officer at Jeito Capital and Thierry Laugel, managing partner at Kurma Partners. We dive into France’s biotech ecosystem and what still needs to happen for more early innovation to translate into investable, scalable biotech. Host Jennifer C. Smith-Parker, Director of Insights, BioSpace Guests Ksenija Pavletic, Partner and Chief Commercial Officer, Jeito Capital Thierry Laugel, Managing Partner, Kurma Partners Disclaimer: The views expressed in this discussion by guests are their own and do not represent those of their organizations.
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May 27 · 24 minLilly wheels and deals, Moderna gets boost on hantavirus scare, ASCO excitement builds
Eli Lilly has been as acquisitive as ever, striking five new deals in the past week alone. On Tuesday, the company dove into the deep end of vaccine development with three separate buys in the space. Outside of vaccines, Lilly scooped up preclinical biotech Engage Bio for $202 million and teamed up with AI company Collaborative Drug Discovery for its life sciences data management solutions. These deals and Lilly’s skyrocketing revenue pushed the Indianapolis-based company to the top of IDEA Pharma’s list of best inventors and innovators. Lilly also continues to make headlines for its impressive data readouts, especially in the weight-loss space that it now reigns supreme. Last week, Lilly announced that next-gen asset retatrutide led to weight loss of 70 pounds, or 28.3% at 80 weeks, setting a new benchmark for the space. Moderna also made news this week with a surprising uptick in its share price that analysts are attributing to the so-called “fear trade” that is rising amid reports of a cluster of cases of hantavirus. Moderna also announced that its mRNA flu shot—initially turned away from the FDA but later accepted for review—will be discussed at an advisory committee on June 18. The annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology starts on Friday in Chicago, where all eyes will be on Revolution Medicines’ investigational pancreatic cancer pill and Akeso’s Phase 3 trial HARMONi-6 for its Summit Therapeutics-partnered PD-1/VEGF bispecific ivonescimab. Finally, sign up for BioPharma Executive to receive this week’s special edition breaking down executive compensation packages across the biggest pharmas.
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