2024’s Fierce 15 is here

Today’s Big News

Aug 5, 2024

BioNTech ends work on Genmab-partnered bispecific antibody acasunlimab


'Clinical intuition' led FDA advisors to back Zevra's rare disease med 


Introducing Fierce Biotech's 2024 Fierce 15 


BMS ditches TIGIT, walking away from $200M bet on Agenus bispecific


FDA sinks Actinium's radiotherapy blood cancer filing plans, prompting pivot to partnering


Nuvation halts BET inhibitor program after considering phase 1 solid tumor data 


Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker '24: MBX Bio bags $63M series C; Outpace overtakes series B goal with $144M


Potential new antibiotic passes preclinical test against flesh-eating bacteria 


3 Big Pharma companies, 33 phase 3 trials: The race to supremacy in an ADC field 

The Top Line Podcast: Don’t miss out on the newest episode. Listen now.

 

Thank you to Bridge Bank for sponsoring our editorial feature: Fierce 15

 
 

Featured

BioNTech ends work on Genmab-partnered bispecific antibody acasunlimab

BioNTech may still claim that the bispecific antibody acasunlimab has an “encouraging” clinical profile, but the mRNA leader has opted to end its involvement and allow partner Genmab to go solo for phase 3 trials.
 

Top Stories

'Clinical intuition' led FDA advisors to back Zevra's rare disease med

Zevra Therapeutics’ rare disease drug seems to be on the path to approval this fall after gaining the backing of an FDA advisory committee, although the experts were split, with some voting yes simply to address an unmet need.

Introducing Fierce Biotech's 2024 Fierce 15

This year's Fierce 15 features companies pushing the envelope in the lab, clinic and boardroom.

BMS ditches TIGIT, walking away from $200M bet on Agenus bispecific

Bristol Myers Squibb is axing another big bet from the Caforio era, terminating a deal for Agenus’ TIGIT bispecific antibody three years after paying $200 million to buy into the program.

FDA sinks Actinium's radiotherapy blood cancer filing plans, prompting pivot to partnering

The FDA has torpedoed Actinium Pharmaceuticals’ hopes of winning a blood cancer approval based on existing data. With the agency requesting an additional head-to-head randomized clinical trial, Actinium is planning to try to partner the program and switch its attention to other candidates.

Nuvation halts BET inhibitor program after considering phase 1 solid tumor data

After taking a look at phase 1 data, Nuvation Bio has decided to halt work on its one-time lead BD2-selective BET inhibitor while considering the program’s future.

Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker '24: MBX Bio bags $63M series C; Outpace overtakes series B goal with $144M

Welcome to Fierce Biotech's Fundraising Tracker, 2024's version.

Potential new antibiotic passes preclinical test against flesh-eating bacteria

Flesh-eating bacteria sound like something an enterprising science fiction author would dream up, but they are in fact real—and the infections they cause can lead to disfigurement, loss of limbs, and even death.

3 Big Pharma companies, 33 phase 3 trials: The race for supremacy in an ADC field

On June 14, Merck & Co. posted a new entry on ClinicalTrials.gov. The study marked the 10th global phase 3 trial that the New Jersey pharma has logged for its Kelun Biotech-partnered ADC, sacituzumab tirumotecan, in about eight months. And Merck isn’t finished.

BioNTech posts €808M loss as company continues to come to grips with seasonal COVID vaccine market

While Pfizer’s German mRNA partner BioNTech has high hopes for its post-COVID future, the company continues to feel the squeeze from the changeover to a seasonal vaccine market.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

What 'The Next Berlin Patient' and a PrEP’s 100% efficacy mean for HIV drug development

This week on “The Top Line,” we dive into two studies in HIV research that were presented at the 25th International AIDS Conference in Germany.
 

Resources

Whitepaper

Launching a Product in Europe: Understanding Supply Chain Cost Drivers

This paper explores the costs of setting up a supply chain in Europe for a new biopharma therapy. It outlines key cost drivers & the various levers decision makers can use to affect those costs.
Whitepaper

Efficient-Pro Medium and Feed 1 enable rapid and seamless upstream process development and scale-up for CHO-K1 cells

Download the white paper to learn how this innovative solution can help optimize your mAb production processes. The findings demonstrate the system's robust capability to sustain strong cell growth and high productivity, facilitating a smooth transition from laboratory to production scale.
Whitepaper

2024 Life Sciences Industry Outlook

The definitive report on the state of our industry.  Readers will gain an understanding of key indicators to monitor, future predictions, and guidance for investors and founders navigating the therapeutic enabling tools and services, healthtech and techbio sectors through 2024 and beyond.
 

Industry Events

On Helix

Date: ‌4 ‌July ‌2024 ‌- ‌Location: ‌Babraham ‌Research ‌Campus, ‌Cambridge ‌UK

 

Upcoming Fierce Events

9-12
Sep
Philadelphia, PA
11
Sep
Philadelphia, PA
17-19
Sep
Virtual Event
25-26
Sep
San Diego, CA
25-27
Sep
Philadelphia, PA

View all events