Proxygen sticks new $2.5B+ deal with Merck & Co.

Today's Big News

Apr 5, 2023

Ginkgo, hunting for biotech platforms that 'collect dust,' scoops up AAV gene therapy capsid specialist


How much does a biotech pay? Community-generated data tool gives a peek at industry's salaries


Proxygen, averaging a new collab every 10 months, sticks $2.5B molecular glue deal with Merck


In a refreshingly transparent disclosure, NGM Bio CEO reveals what led to 33% head count reduction


AI Therapeutics' narrowed ambitions for ALS drug pay off as phase 2/3 beckons


Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation gets $200M from family of Estée Lauder


Immunic punts psoriasis, prostate cancer programs to narrow focus onto multiple sclerosis, celiac disease


Incyte taps Biotheryx for $360M in 2nd molecular glue degrader deal of the day


BenevolentAI, cruel R&D: AI-enabled drug flunks midphase eczema trial to dent deal plans

 

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Ginkgo, hunting for biotech platforms that 'collect dust,' scoops up AAV gene therapy capsid specialist

Ginkgo Bioworks doesn’t want the biotech industry’s therapies. But it does want the platforms that create them, which is why the cell programming company is buying up StrideBio for its gene therapy platform.
 

Top Stories

How much does a biotech pay? Community-generated data tool gives a peek at industry's salaries

A new community-generated data resource from Pillar VC, the Founder-led Biotech Summit and compensation analysis firm Pave seeks to take the guesswork out of the process by summarizing salary ranges from 90 companies.

Proxygen, averaging a new collab every 10 months, sticks $2.5B molecular glue deal with Merck

Proxygen has inked a third licensing deal in less than 30 months, singing on agreement with Merck & Co. worth more than $2.5 billion. The Austrian biotech is not disclosing how many targets the deal is for.

In a refreshingly transparent disclosure, NGM Bio CEO reveals what led to 33% head count reduction

NGM Bio’s webpage declares "We're Hiring!" but a peek at the investor relations section of the biotech’s website tells a different—and sobering—story.

AI Therapeutics' narrowed ambitions for ALS drug pay off as phase 2/3 beckons

AI Therapeutics is touting new phase 2 data of its ALS med, saying data found the med was safe and produced encouraging results in a biomarker for the disease. The biotech's CEO said the company plans to launch another trial in 2024.

Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation gets $200M from family of Estée Lauder

The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, formed 25 years ago in honor of cosmetic business tycoon Estée Lauder, just received $200 million from the Lauder family—the nonprofit’s largest donation ever.

Immunic punts psoriasis, prostate cancer programs to narrow focus onto multiple sclerosis, celiac disease

Immunic can no longer keep all its balls in the air. Rather than keep advancing on three fronts, the firm has decided to deprioritize development in psoriasis and castration-resistant prostate cancer and throw its remaining resources at two other programs.

Incyte taps Biotheryx for $360M in 2nd molecular glue degrader deal of the day

You wait months for a molecular glue degrader licensing deal, and then two come along at once. At the same moment that Merck & Co. revealed it’s signed up to explore the modality with Austria’s Proxygen, a similar announcement has been made by Incyte.

BenevolentAI, cruel R&D: AI-enabled drug flunks midphase eczema trial to dent deal plans

BenevolentAI’s hopes of outlicensing its atopic dermatitis candidate this year have taken a hit. In a phase 2b trial, the topical pan-Trk inhibitor failed to improve eczema symptoms or itch, denting the prospects of the program and raising questions about the AI-enabled model that proposed the approach.

Concept Life Sciences snapped up by investment group

Concept Life Sciences, a U.K.-based CRO, was acquired by Limerston Capital for an undisclosed amount, marking the fourth life sciences platform deal for the investment firm.

Trialbee in pact with patient-owned Savvy Cooperative to advance trials

Swedish patient enrollment company Trialbee has inked a partnership with Savvy Cooperative, which describes itself as the first and only patient-owned public benefit co-op.

'Podnosis': Tackling adolescent mental health, and how inflation and labor shortages will play out in Medicare Advantage

This week on "Podnosis," we discuss the rising tide of mental health concerns among young people. We also talk about how inflation and labor shortages will play out in Medicare Advantage.

Philips’ latest ventilator recall linked to inaccurate high-pressure oxygen delivery

Try as Philips might to forge a path out of its two-year-long saga of a slew of respiratory device recalls, the company is facing yet another—linked to more than 62,000 of its ventilators.

AstraZeneca says Lynparza, Imfinzi combo excels in first look at ovarian cancer trial

AstraZeneca is touting the results of a phase 3 trial in patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer who have advanced disease but no BRCA mutations. An interim analysis of the DUO-O study showed that a combination of AZ’s Lynparza and Imfinzi, added to chemotherapy and bevacizumab, significantly improved progression-free survival.

#FierceMadness: And the winner is...

The NCAA basketball tournament is officially underway, and that means the Fierce Healthcare team is back with another bracket competition as well.

Intra-Cellular crowned your winner of the Fierce Madness Drug Ad Tournament 2023

Intra-Cellular’s 2022 commercial for its bipolar depression therapy Caplyta “Let in the Lyte” has been crowned this year’s winner.

J&J proposes $8.9B talc settlement deal but some plaintiffs decry 'woefully inadequate' offer

After already spending billions to defend itself against claims its talc products cause cancer, J&J is moving to end the litigation altogether. But lawyers for some plaintiffs have said the offer is "woefully inadequate."
 
Fierce podcasts

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'The Top Line': Biotech's 2023 trends, plus this week's headlines

This week on "The Top Line," we discuss how 2023 is shaping up to be much the same as last year when it comes to financing trends for biotechs. We also cover Emergent's Narcan winning the first over-the-counter approval for an opioid-overdose drug and more of this week's top headlines.

 

Resources

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The Hematopoietic Colony Forming Cell (CFC) Assay for Drug Safety and Toxicity

The preclinical hematotoxicity screening method that helps clients eliminate bad players earlier in the drug development process

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Accessing and Analyzing Relevant Content in Today’s Information Chaos – R&D Challenges and Opportunities

We’ve identified four must-have tools to manage today’s scientific information chaos. How many are you utilizing?

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Blueprint for Commercializing Cell and Gene Therapies

How advanced medicines commercial readiness differs and the resources needed to maximize potential.

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Coming to America: Keys to Success for ex-US Digital Health Companies Entering the US Market

This paper outlines an approach that digital health / therapeutics companies can use when developing a go-to-market strategy for the complex US market.
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Plan for scalable process liquid and buffer preparation

Preparation of critical process liquids and buffer components shifts resources away from core activities and can be filled with inefficiencies and risks that can increase time and costs across your workflow. Learn about the framework to help reduce your total costs beyond capital and operational expenditures and set a solid foundation for successful scale-up of buffer preparation.

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Running Decentralized Trials at Scale

Explore how clinical supply can be scaled up as decentralized programs progress, and how technological solutions can accelerate trial deployment.
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Key Clinical Supply Issues Sponsors Should Consider with their CRO

As sponsors increasingly look to CROs to support their clinical studies, making and addressing certain clinical supply considerations at the outset of the relationship can reduce the risk of potentially unforeseen impact to budget and time later. Discover key issues sponsors should consider to help their CRO or partner of choice better understand their clinical supply needs.

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Specialized Expertise for Management of Clinical Supply Budgets

For sponsors, cost is a key concern when it comes to managing the supply of their clinical trials. A financial project analyst (FPA) is a specialized expert who can help control clinical supply costs and keep the project within budget. Explore the critical role that a Financial Project Analyst plays in clinical trial supply and budget management.
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Clinical Supply Solutions for the Asia-Pacific Region

Learn how Catalent’s extensive network across APAC can meet a wide range of clinical supply needs for sponsors conducting trials within the region.
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Designing an Optimal APAC Clinical Supply Chain

Discover key considerations that every trial sponsor should know when navigating the complex clinical supply distribution landscape across Asia-Pacific.
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Roles and Responsibilities of Specialized Clinical Supply Experts

How can specialized expertise help you optimize your clinical supply chain? Learn about the roles and responsibilities of unique experts such as clinical supply management, project management, and financial project analysis.
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Supply Services to Support Clinical Trials in Japan & Beyond

Explore Catalent’s newest clinical supply facility in Japan, including the comprehensive services & solutions it offers to help support trials both in-country & around the world.
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Questions You Need to Ask Your CRO About Clinical Supply

Planning on using a CRO to support your next clinical study? This infographic outlines critical areas to address at the start of the relationship in order to ensure that budget and timelines keep on track for the duration of the trial.
 

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