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January 17, 2020

Another JPM in the books. We saw Big Pharmas talk up their pipelines, CEOs describe deal discipline, and one new company pitch the idea to sell better drugs, but cheaper. Plus, we finally got an answer to one of the most pertinent questions—where do they put all those missing hotel mattresses? But was it a slow week overall? Several execs weighed in on the conference’s lack of multi-billion, marquee M&A headlines compared to years prior, and what that could mean for the year ahead. Read on below for our top stories and roundups from San Francisco.

Featured Story

JPM kicks off: Merck's assurances, Teva's shutdown tally, Biogen's launch prep and one CEO's word on another

Big players jumped out to a fast start on-site at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference Monday, with CEOs and top execs from Merck & Co., Gilead Sciences, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, Regeneron, Teva and more onstage (and in private rooms, of course). Here's your need to know.

Top Stories Of The Week

JPM: No sleep, exiled mattresses, cleared bank accounts: Getting deals done at JPM

SAN FRANCISCO—We're always looking to ask the big questions at FierceBiotech, and, at this year's J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, we're asking: Where do all the orphaned mattresses go? Stick with us; it's a story of dealmaking madness at the biggest biopharma conference of the year.

JPM: Four women discuss culture shock between Big Pharma, smaller biotech and their first CEO role

SAN FRANCISCO— At this year’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, we caught up with four women who had moved up the ranks in biopharma and are leading companies in their first CEO role: Synlogic's Aoife Brennan, Turning Point's Athena Countouriotis, Cygnal's Pearl Huang and Lyndra's Patricia Hurter.

Think JPM seemed slow this year? You're not alone—and here's why

For many attendees, this year’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference didn’t seem to live up to its trademark frenetic energy. Last year, Bristol-Myers' $74 billion Celgene deal announcement—which happened just days before JPM—set the biopharma world abuzz, and Lilly kept the ball rolling with its $8 billion Loxo pact on Day 1 of the meeting. But this year? Crickets.

JPM sound bites, vol. 1: Couch shopping, cool drones and 'smelling the turkey'

SAN FRANCISCO—It’s time to bring one of our favorite ASCO traditions to JPM. If you couldn’t be on the ground at this year’s conference, never fear—we’ve lovingly compiled all the zingers you missed in presentations and interviews we attended throughout the week.

JPM: Bristol chief says one-third of Celgene cost cuts will hit in 2020

Last year, Bristol-Myers Squibb stole the show at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference with its $74 billion deal agreement for Celgene. But one year later, with the deal just recently closed, company CEO Giovanni Caforio says he feels “even better about our opportunity” then he did when BMS unveiled it.

JPM: New Novartis pharma chief rethinks its drug-launch formula

SAN FRANCISCO—Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan said this week the company has to become a “launch machine” to make current and upcoming rollouts pay off. Key to that effort will be its pharma chief, Marie-France Tschudin, who's revamping its launch strategies for a new era. 

JPM: Roche, Illumina unveil 15-year cancer diagnostic tie-up

SAN FRANCISCO—Roche has inked a 15-year partnership with Illumina in oncology, which will include collaborating on new companion diagnostic indications for the DNA sequencing giant’s pan-cancer assay.

JPM Monday roundup: No deals, but drug-pricing startup causes the biggest noise

SAN FRANCISCO—Well, let’s start with the obvious, a pattern that has been set for a good few years now: There were no M&A deals on the so-called Merger Monday that typically kick-started the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference of old.

JPM Tuesday roundup: Pfizer CEO talks up pipeline, bolt-on deals the name of the game in 2020?

SAN FRANCISCO—The second day of the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference again saw no major M&A deals but did see some of the bigger pharma companies present and talk a little more about their pipelines and R&D.

Gut link to Parkinson's sparks talk of probiotic treatment strategy

A U.K.-based research team showed that in roundworm models of Parkinson's disease, probiotic Bacillus subtilis lessened the toxic buildup of alpha-synuclein in the brain—a major culprit in the disorder. That relieved tremors, movement difficulties and other motor symptoms, bolstering previous research showing a link between Parkinson's disease and the gut microbiome, the scientists believe.

AbbVie nears Allergan lockup with EU antitrust approval—and only one selloff required

AbbVie and Allergan have waited expectantly to seal the deal on their $63 billion merger as international watchdogs took a close look at the combo. Now, they're almost home free. The EU says it's prepared to give a green light to the deal, provided the companies sell off Allergan's IL-23 med brazikumab.

Just a year in and $25M down, Eli Lilly abruptly exits NextCure pact

Eli Lilly has killed off its deal with immuno-oncology biotech NextCure after spending $25 million upfront on the pact just over a year ago.

More generic Zantac recalled as NDMA contamination concerns build

The recalls of generic Zantac tainted by a suspected carcinogen continue to roll in. Two more companies have announced recalls of 18 lots of ranitidine heartburn meds in 150 mg and 300 mg doses. 

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