Opthea lays off 65% of staff

Today’s Big News

Apr 10, 2025

Biotech leaders urge Senate to restore FDA’s key functions, cite funding concerns for small companies


Large drugmakers spent millions protecting their CEOs last year amid 'heightened risk environment'


Opthea lays off 65% of staff after back-to-back phase 3 eye disease flops


Merck granted Rob Davis a pay boost to $23.2M, inching CEO’s 2024 compensation closer to large pharma peers


Dexcom wins FDA clearance for 15-day G7 CGM sensor


Sun Pharma snags appeals win over Incyte, clearing way for US launch of alopecia med Leqselvi

 

Featured

Biotech leaders urge Senate to restore FDA’s key functions, cite funding concerns for small companies

More than 200 biotech leaders have penned a letter voicing concerns over the FDA’s capacity after mass layoffs, specifically for small biotechs that depend on investor backing to meet agency standards.
 

Top Stories

Large drugmakers spent millions protecting their CEOs last year amid 'heightened risk environment'

With fears increased in the healthcare industry that top executives could be targets of violence, some pharma companies have been beefing up security protocols for their CEOs. As U.S. drugmakers have released their proxy statements over the last few weeks, several reported large expenditures to protect their top execs.

Opthea lays off 65% of staff after back-to-back phase 3 eye disease flops

Opthea’s staff are paying for its clinical failures. Days after back-to-back flops sank an eye disease asset, the biotech revealed plans to lay off 65% of its staff and operate with a skeleton crew to save money.

Merck granted Rob Davis a pay boost to $23.2M, inching CEO’s 2024 compensation closer to large pharma peers

Merck has handed out another hefty raise to CEO Rob Davis, boosting his compensation by 13% to $23.2 million in 2024, according to the company’s 2025 proxy statement.

Dexcom wins FDA clearance for 15-day G7 CGM sensor

The new system, for people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes ages 18 and up, boosts wear time by 50% over the current G7 sensor.

Sun Pharma snags appeals win over Incyte, clearing way for US launch of alopecia med Leqselvi

After Sun Pharma appealed an injunction handed down in New Jersey federal court in November that blocked the U.S. launch of its alopecia med Leqselvi, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Wednesday ruled in favor of the Indian drugmaker. Sun is no longer under any court order delaying or restricting Leqselvi’s market debut.

Few psych drugs from past decade are on HCPs' radars: survey

Ask a healthcare professional to name a psychiatric medicine and chances are they’ll say a brand approved at least 10 years ago. That finding, which comes from a ZoomRx survey, points to the challenge facing new market entrants as they try to wrestle mindshare from incumbents through marketing.

Alzheon Alzheimer's drug knocked down in pivotal APOLLOE4 bout

Alzheon’s attempt to rescue a once-failed idea for treating Alzheimer’s disease has flopped. Sixteen years after tramiprosate flunked a phase 3 trial, Alzheon’s prodrug form of the molecule has joined the lengthy list of pivotal Alzheimer’s failures.

Alzheimer's Association expands PSA campaign about early dementia signs to focus on Black Americans

After the success of a public service advertisement campaign aimed at improving recognition of the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease in Hispanic and Latino communities, the Alzheimer’s Association is expanding the PSAs’ reach to another group disproportionately affected by the disease.

Jazz Pharma forks over $145M to shake off antitrust claims tied to narcolepsy drug Xyrem

The company settled with several purchaser plaintiffs in an antitrust case that involved Jazz and generic Xyrem maker Hikma Pharmaceuticals.

Intuitive snags FDA clearance for its single-port surgical stapler

The company’s SP SureForm 45 was greenlighted for use with its da Vinci SP system, spanning minimally invasive thoracic, colorectal and urologic procedures.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

How Oura is making the jump from consumer wellness to healthcare

This week on "Podnosis," Senior Writer Paige Minemyer chats with Jason Oberfest, vice president of healthcare at Oura, to discuss how the company is approaching its push into healthcare.
 

Resources

eBook

Through a CRO's perspective: Innovative, Agile Solutions In Vaccine Efficacy Testing

Typical vaccine development timelines have averaged 10 years, but the time from the SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequence’s release to the submission of the first vaccine clinical trial data for regulatory review was a mere 314 days. In IQVIA Laboratories’ Vaccine eBook we focus on how contract research organizations (CROs) can best leverage strategic partnerships with sponsors to prepare for the next pandemic.
Whitepaper

Protect Your Trial Data: Endpoint, Imaging, and Safety Review

Avoid costly mistakes and ensure your clinical development program meets the highest standards by reading WCG’s whitepaper on Imaging Core Labs, Endpoint Adjudication Committees (EAC), and other safety reviews.
Research

Best Practice Customer-Facing Organization Study Report

We interviewed 15 biopharma leaders on the critical success factors for building a Best Practice customer-facing organization. This report shares what we learned.
 

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