The 2023 Biotech Graveyard

Editor’s Note: Happy Halloween!

Today’s Big News

Oct 31, 2023

Amgen stops trial of Teneobio cancer candidate, taking $650M BiTE out of earnings


Lilly beams up Verve gene therapy programs for $600M from deal-hungry Beam


The 2023 Biotech Graveyard 


‘This field is in its infancy’: Amgen noncommittal on oral obesity med until ph. 1 data arrives


Pfizer sends 5 pipeline programs packing amid cost-savings overhaul


Pfizer's mRNA flu vaccine hits primary goals in phase 3 trial, but secondary miss raises questions


After J&J limbo, Arrowhead finds a new (old) partner for hep B program: GSK


Daiichi-Sankyo ups revenue forecast thanks to massive Merck deal


Blue Owl Capital adds $1B in assets with Cowen Healthcare Investments acquisition 


4DMT gets closer to lifting FDA hold on Fabry disease program


Blue Water changes tides again, dropping all vaccine programs and 6 approved drugs


MeiraGTX gene therapy for ALS rescues deficits in rodents with sporadic and familial forms


Prime Medicine's prime editing tech corrects liver disease gene mutation in primates

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

 

Featured

Amgen stops trial of Teneobio cancer candidate, taking $650M BiTE out of earnings

Amgen’s Teneobio misadventure has taken a $650 million BiTE out of its earnings. The Big Biotech took the hit after stopping a phase 1 trial of the PSMA bispecific it picked up in the $900 million acquisition of Teneobio two years ago.
 

Top Stories

Lilly beams up Verve gene therapy programs for $600M from deal-hungry Beam

Beam Therapeutics is selling off opt-in rights to Verve's cardio work to Lilly for up to $600 million. The three-way deal has been worked on in parallel with Beam's larger recently announced restructuring, CEO John Evans said in an interview.

The 2023 Biotech Graveyard

More than 20 biotechs entered the biotech graveyard this year, spurred by a difficult financing environment. There were more than three times as many companies that closed or wound down in 2023 compared to 2022.

Debunking 7 Common Myths About Data Quality in Clinical Trials

The clinical trial landscape has seen a seismic shift in recent years, spurred by technology-driven data collection. Yet there are some opportunities…

‘This field is in its infancy’: Amgen noncommittal on oral obesity med until ph. 1 data arrives

Amgen is wary of placing too much confidence in early obesity candidates, cautioning investors that it'll have a better sense of how much to invest in an oral option once a phase 1 trial reads out next year.

Pfizer sends 5 pipeline programs packing amid cost-savings overhaul

Pfizer’s new cost-saving agenda will see five pipeline programs in oncology, rare disease and immunology packed off to the graveyard.

Pfizer's mRNA flu vaccine hits primary goals in phase 3 trial, but secondary miss raises questions

Pfizer has capped off a landmark six weeks for the push to apply mRNA to influenza. Following a flurry of positive updates from Pfizer and chief mRNA rival Moderna, the Big Pharma has revealed a phase 3 trial of its mRNA flu candidate met both primary endpoints—but a secondary endpoint miss raises questions.

After J&J limbo, Arrowhead finds a new (old) partner for hep B program: GSK

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals finally knows the future of its hepatitis B med: Johnson & Johnson has offloaded the rights to GSK.

Daiichi-Sankyo ups revenue forecast thanks to massive Merck deal

Daiichi-Sankyo, coming off a successful trip to Madrid that included a mega deal and a data drop to set the record straight on its next ADC candidate’s safety, is setting up for a lucrative few years.

Blue Owl Capital adds $1B in assets with Cowen Healthcare Investments acquisition

Blue Owl Capital is expanding its nest, inking a deal to acquire funds managed by Cowen Healthcare Investments (CHI), an acquisition that will add about $1 billion in assets across several funds with a specific focus on mid-to-late-stage equity investments in biopharmas and healthcare companies.

4DMT gets closer to lifting FDA hold on Fabry disease program

4D Molecular Therapeutics has offered to add an immunosuppressive regimen during administration of a Fabry disease gene therapy in order to continue with human testing and lift an FDA clinical hold placed earlier this year.

Blue Water changes tides again, dropping all vaccine programs and 6 approved drugs

With a new CEO in charge, Blue Water is reprioritizing its pipeline, dropping six-FDA approved drugs and a wide-ranging vaccine portfolio.

MeiraGTx gene therapy for ALS rescues deficits in rodents with sporadic and familial forms

New data from mouse and rat studies show that MeiraGTx’s ALS gene therapy repairs a key cell-killing process that’s common in both genetic and sporadic forms of the disease.

Prime Medicine's prime editing tech corrects liver disease gene mutation in primates

Prime Medicine’s prime editors have corrected a gene mutation that causes a rare liver disease in primates, a step toward taking the tech to humans.

Sarepta's Elevidys fails on primary endpoint, but executives see path to wider DMD approval anyway

After Sarepta overcame several regulatory hurdles to finally win FDA approval for its DMD gene therapy Elevidys, the company now faces the prospect of more FDA scrutiny because a pivotal study on the drug has failed on the primary endpoint.

FDA links Olympus insufflation hardware recall to 10 injuries, 1 death

Olympus has told healthcare providers to stop using its insufflation hardware for laparoscopic surgery until further notice, while it examines reports of over-inflation.

Galapagos plans to cut 100 jobs after striking deal to transfer Jyseleca, 400 staffers to Alfasigma

For 50 million euros plus potential milestones of 120 million euros, Galapagos agreed to transfer its Jyseleca marketing authorizations and support staff to Alfasigma. Galapagos will cut another 100 jobs as part of its streamlining efforts.

Cleveland Clinic to launch prescription delivery via drone in 2025, starting with specialty and rush medications

Cleveland Clinic plans to launch a drone delivery service to bring certain medications directly to patients’ homes, starting in 2025. 
 
Fierce podcasts

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Resources

Webinar

From Lead Optimization to Drug Candidate Triage: A Data-Driven Approach to Drug Discovery

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Accelerate drug discovery with high-performance computing powered by the cloud

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Discover Strategies for Combatting Disruptions in Gene Therapy Development

Cell and gene therapy development has exploded, with Q4 2022 showing more FDA approvals than over the past five years combined.[1]
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Understanding the hidden value of quality

Uncover the keys to efficient bioprocessing, including how outsourcing quality management can reduce risk, save time and money, and expedite biologics development.
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Biology Informatics Solutions Brochure

From Assay Development Through Large Molecule Development. Streamline your R&D workflows and gain valuable insights with our Biology Solutions Brochure. Download now to discover how to control your laboratory workflows across various assay techniques, modalities, and data types.
 

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