Newsletter Tool

PM Tracker

Today’s Big News

Feb 21, 2025

Novo Nordisk's semaglutide shortage officially concludes in the US, spelling major threat for weight loss drug compounders

Procedural ‘loophole’ leaves NIH grants frozen, despite orders from federal judge: reports

Roche rolls out new DNA ‘sequencing-by-expansion’ approach

After asset purchase from Travere, Mirum's Ctexli crosses FDA finish line in rare metabolic disorder

MeiraGTx gene therapy allows 11 blind children to see as biotech eyes accelerated approval

Abbott's stigma-busting campaign shows how diabetes biases lead to silence, skipped care

As BioMarin searches for 'clever science,' its R&D chief warns innovation could be hit by NIH fund drought

Featured

Novo Nordisk's semaglutide shortage officially concludes in the US, spelling major threat for weight loss drug compounders

By Fraiser Kansteiner

The FDA has officially declared an end to the supply squeeze on Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 drug semaglutide for diabetes and obesity in the U.S. The update will likely put pressure on compounding pharmacies, which have raked in major revenues marketing knockoff versions of Novo's drug during the shortage.

Procedural ‘loophole’ leaves NIH grants frozen, despite orders from federal judge: reports

By Gabrielle Masson

The Trump administration is exploiting an administrative loophole to keep federal research funding frozen, despite a federal judge ordering for a halt to the action, according to Nature.

Roche rolls out new DNA 'sequencing-by-expansion' approach

By Conor Hale

Roche said its technique combines aspects of DNA synthesis and nanopore-based reading to provide a clear signal in the molecular noise.

After asset purchase from Travere, Mirum's Ctexli crosses FDA finish line in rare metabolic disorder

By Fraiser Kansteiner

A little less than two years after San Francisco’s Mirum Pharmaceuticals ponied up $210 million to acquire Travere Therapeutics’ bile acid portfolio, the deal has paid off with a fresh FDA approval.

MeiraGTx gene therapy allows 11 blind children to see as biotech eyes accelerated approval

By Darren Incorvaia

Eleven children who were legally blind at birth all gained visual acuity after receiving MeiraGTx's investigational gene therapy, data that is prompting the biotech to seek accelerated approval in AIPL1-associated severe retinal dystrophy.

Abbott's stigma-busting campaign shows how diabetes biases lead to silence, skipped care

By Andrea Park

A new awareness campaign from Abbott highlights a major sticking point in diabetes management: the harmful impact of societal stereotypes and misconceptions about the condition.

As BioMarin searches for 'clever science,' its R&D chief warns innovation could be hit by NIH fund drought

By Darren Incorvaia

A slimmed-down BioMarin started the new year open for business, seeking to leverage its unique skillset to strike deals that bolster its pipeline of medicines for genetic diseases.

Pfizer discontinues hemophilia treatment Beqvez, emptying its gene therapy portfolio

By Angus Liu

Pfizer is pulling further away from the gene therapy field with its decision to discontinue hemophilia B product Beqvez. The move leaves no active gene therapy programs in Pfizer's portfolio.

A week after RFK Jr.'s confirmation, HHS postpones vaccine committee meeting

By Kevin Dunleavy

Less than a week after newly confirmed HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. questioned the integrity of experts on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory committee, the agency has postponed the group’s meeting next week. The ACIP was set to meet in Atlanta Feb. 26-28 and weigh in on new and updated vaccines.

Chutes & Ladders—NIH leaders join health agency exodus

By Darren Incorvaia,Zoey Becker

The NIH has lost two distinguished leaders as mass layoffs directed by the Trump administration hit federal health agencies.

Once valued at $10B, bluebird bio sold to private equity firms for $29M

By Kevin Dunleavy

Private equity firms Carlyle and SK Capital have agreed to pay $29 million to acquire bluebird bio, which has struggled to commercialize three gene therapy products.

What were the biggest clinical trial flops of 2024?

By Andrea Park,James Waldron,Gabrielle Masson

This week on "The Top Line," we dive into several of the biggest failures in clinical-stage drug development last year and discuss what the biopharma industry can learn from these setbacks.

PMCPA brings the buzzkill to LinkedIn celebration, laying into GSK over employee’s clicks

By Nick Paul Taylor

The PMCPA has turned party pooper, coming down on GSK after learning that a U.K. employee celebrated a post about a prescription drug on LinkedIn.

Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

What were the biggest clinical trial flops of 2024?

This week on "The Top Line," we dive into several of the biggest failures in clinical-stage drug development last year and discuss what the biopharma industry can learn from these setbacks.