Latest Pharma and Biotech News
Biotechnology
8 July 2025 US CAR-T focused biotech CARGO Therapeutics today announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Concentra Biosciences, initially worth roughly $200 million. The news sent CARGO’s stock up as much as 9.6% to $4.81 in pre-market activity.
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Biotechnology
Radiant Biotherapeutics, a Canadian biotech advancing multi-specific, multi-affinity antibody (Multabody) therapeutics in cancer and autoimmune diseases, has announced the appointment of Deborah Geraghty as president and chief executive. 9 July 2025
Biotechnology
Dutch privately held Amarna Therapeutics, which specializes in transformative gene therapies announced the formalization of an agreement with biologics manufacturing partner, Sweden’s NorthX Biologics, to accelerate the development of Nimivec, Amarna’s next-generation gene therapy platform targeting immune-mediated diseases. 9 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
Shares of US biopharma Rhythm Pharmaceuticals rose 27.4% to $82.96 in early trading today, as it announced positive top-line results from its Phase II trial evaluating bivamelagon (formerly LB54640), an investigational oral melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) agonist, in patients with acquired hypothalamic obesity. 9 July 2025
Biotechnology
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a label update with a new recommended titration dosing schedule for Kisunla (donanemab-azbt), Eli Lilly's once-monthly amyloid-targeting therapy for early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease (AD), including patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and the mild dementia stage of AD, with confirmed amyloid pathology. 9 July 2025
Biotechnology
US clinical-stage biotech ProKidney reported statistically-significant and clinically-meaningful positive top-line results from the full Group 1 modified intent-to-treat (mITT) population of the Phase II REGEN-007 trial evaluating rilparencel in patients with CKD and diabetes. 9 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
US antivirals specialist Gilead Sciences today announced a strategic partnership agreement with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) to supply lenacapavir - Gilead's twice-yearly injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor - for the prevention of HIV as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). 9 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have hosted a hybrid workshop on reducing animal testing. 9 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
US pharma giant Merck & Co today revealed it has made a bid to acquire UK-based lung therapy company Verona Pharma, sending the latter’s shares up 20.4% to $104.61 in pre-market activity. 9 July 2025
Biotechnology
Japan’s JCR Pharmaceuticals closed 15% higher after Wednesday’s trading, as it signed a new licensing deal. 9 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
New Jersey, USA-headquartered Champions Oncology, a translational oncology research organization, yesterday announced the full commercial launch of its radiopharmaceutical services platform. 9 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
French biotech Ciloa is joining the race to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, armed with 6.5 million euros ($7.6 million) in public funding and a novel take on an old metabolic target. 9 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
A new analysis from US data analytics firm Phesi has raised concerns about the viability of ongoing Phase III trials in atopic dermatitis (AD), pointing to a rising risk of failure driven by flawed trial design and overreliance on saturated investigator sites. 9 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has filed for European approval of a higher-dose version of its obesity treatment Wegovy (semaglutide), aiming to expand options for patients who need stronger support for weight loss. 9 July 2025
Biotechnology
Radiopharmaceutical biotech Actithera today announced the close of an oversubscribed $75.5 million Series A financing round. 9 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
Donald Trump has escalated his warnings to the pharmaceutical industry with a pledge to introduce import tariffs as high as 200% on drugs produced outside the USA. The US president said companies would be granted a grace period of up to 18 months before the measure takes effect. 9 July 2025
Biotechnology
US oncology-focused biotech Crescent Biopharma has appointed Jan Pinkas as chief scientific officer (CSO). 8 July 2025
Biotechnology
Debra Barker has been named chief medical officer (CMO) at Centauri Therapeutics, a UK immunotherapy company with a proprietary platform technology applicable across a wide range of therapeutic indications. 8 July 2025
Biotechnology
San Francisco, USA-based biotech Centivax, which is developing durable, universal vaccines, today announced the close of a $45 million Series A led by Steve Jurvetson’s Future Ventures, with participation from NFX, BOLD Capital, Base4, Kendall Capital Partners, Amplify Bio, and existing investors. 8 July 2025
Biotechnology
Diagonal Therapeutics, a US biotech focused on correcting dysregulated signaling with clustering antibodies that address the underlying cause of intractable genetic diseases, has announced the appointment of John Lee as chief medical officer (CMO). 8 July 2025
Pharmaceutical
Switzerland-based MetP Pharma, pioneer in nose-to-brain drug delivery for nearly two decades, announced new data highlighting the advantages of its proprietary MetP Technology in delivering neuroactive peptides such as semaglutide directly to the brain via the intranasal route. 8 July 2025
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Biotechnology
Johnson & Johnson has announced important overall survival (OS) results from the Phase III MARIPOSA study. 27 March 2025
Biotechnology
The US Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) has released results from a membership survey that underscores the significant, global integration of the biomedical supply chain. 27 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
The Trump administration plans to pull US funding from Gavi, the global vaccine alliance that helps deliver immunizations to children in lower-income countries, according to internal documents obtained by the New York Times. 26 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
US biotech Exelixis has secured a sixth indication for its cancer drug Cabometyx (cabozantinib), following a green light from the Food and Drug Administration for advanced neuroendocrine tumors (NET). 26 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
The Global Trends in R&D 2025 report from contract research organization IQVIA has landed. 26 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
French independent pharma major Servier is ramping up its industrial development with the inauguration of a new production unit for the active ingredient of one of its venous medicines. 26 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
US pharma giant Merck & Co today announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved Capvaxive (Pneumococcal 21-valent Conjugate Vaccine) for a new indication, marking the fourth nod for the product from the regulator. 26 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
Spain-based drugmaker REIG JOFRE has signed a commercial agreement with LEO Pharma, a privately-held Danish firm specializing in medical dermatology and thrombosis. 26 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
Pharma major GSK on Tuesday said its urinary tract infection treatment gepotidacin, under the brand name Blujepa, has been approved in the USA. 26 March 2025
Biotechnology
Polygenic diseases company Character Biosciences has announced an oversubscribed $93 million Series B financing round to accelerate the advancement of its pipeline of precision therapies to treat degenerative eye diseases, starting with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). 26 March 2025
Biotechnology
The global central nervous system (CNS) market is projected grow to over $80 billion in sales in 2025 for the first time since 2013, making a significant resurgence after a decade of stagnation. 26 March 2025
Biotechnology
Theratechnologies has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for Egrifta WR (tesamorelin), a new formulation for injection. The treatment is indicated for the reduction of excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV who have lipodystrophy. 26 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
US biotech Cassava Sciences will shut down development of its lead Alzheimer’s disease candidate, simufilam, after the treatment failed a second late-stage trial. 26 March 2025
Biotechnology
Asgard Therapeutics, a privately-held biotech working in in vivo direct cell reprogramming for cancer immunotherapy, has named experienced immunology drug development specialist Shane Olwill its chief development officer (CDO). 26 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has released an exploratory analysis estimating that patients could have faced prescription charges totaling approximately £837 million ($1.1 billion) in the 2023/24 period without the use of prescription prepayment certificates. 26 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
Norwegian bladder cancer specialist Photocure has appointed Jane Healy as vice president and general manager EMEA. 26 March 2025
Generics
Russian drug manufacturers are eliminating global players from the domestic insulin market, as their sales are steadily growing, The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent reports. 26 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
A new report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reveals abuse of the 340B hospital markup program is getting worse as hospitals and middlemen find new ways to profit off the program, according to a website posting by trade group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). 26 March 2025
Pharmaceutical
California-based clinical stage biotech Alumis today announced a collaboration and licensing agreement with Japan’s Kaken Pharmaceutical to develop, manufacture and commercialize ESK-001, a highly selective, next-generation oral tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor, for dermatology indications in Japan, with the option to expand the license to include rheumatological and gastrointestinal diseases. 25 March 2025
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