Layoffs at Gilead, Adaptimmune

Today’s Big News

Nov 15, 2024

Halozyme offers $2B for Evotec to expand beyond delivery tech used by J&J and Roche


Boston Pharma hits phase 2 MASH goal, positioning monthly prospect to follow Akero, 89bio into pivotal trials


Gilead lays off 72 workers in Seattle, plans to shutter R&D support site


Fierce Biotech Layoff Tracker 2024: Adaptimmune will axe 33% of roles; Sensei says goodbye to 46% of staff


Omega halts sole clinical-stage program to prioritize Novo Nordisk collab and liver, obesity work


With RFK Jr. appointment for HHS, biopharma industry could face powerful adversary in government


Chutes & Ladders—Flagship-backed biotechs name new leaders


Biotechs behind J&J-bought Yellow Jersey partner on another immunology asset


Misconduct and the future of neurodegenerative disease research

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

 

Featured

Halozyme offers $2B for Evotec to expand beyond delivery tech used by J&J and Roche

Halozyme Therapeutics has bid to buy Evotec for around 2 billion euros ($2.1 billion). Evotec confirmed it received an offer and said it is analyzing the proposal before deciding on the next steps.
 

Top Stories

Boston Pharma hits phase 2 MASH goal, positioning monthly prospect to follow Akero, 89bio into pivotal trials

Boston Pharmaceuticals has linked its metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis prospect to improved outcomes in a midphase trial, positioning the biotech to advance the ex-Novartis candidate toward late-stage development in 2025.

Gilead lays off 72 workers in Seattle, plans to shutter R&D support site

Gilead will lay off 72 staffers in Seattle, the company confirmed Thursday. Gilead’s lone Seattle office, which the company is also closing down, focuses on “supporting research and clinical development," according to Gilead's website.

Vaccinating Against Cancer Cells and Reprogramming the Tumor Microenvironment That Protects Them

Making the tumor microenvironment hostile to cancer cells and immune-suppressive cells may transform the cancer treatment landscape.

Fierce Biotech Layoff Tracker 2024: Adaptimmune will axe 33% of roles; Sensei says goodbye to 46% of staff

We really didn't want to have to create another Layoff Tracker this year. But here we are, launching the third annual iteration tracking biopharma layoffs. 

Omega halts sole clinical-stage program to prioritize Novo Nordisk collab and liver, obesity work

Omega Therapeutics is halting work on its only clinical-stage candidate as part of a strategic refocus centered on three preclinical epigenomic controller programs including a collaboration with Novo Nordisk.

With RFK Jr. appointment for HHS, biopharma industry could face powerful adversary in government

Trump's appointment follows his pre-election promise to allow Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to "go wild" on the issue of health and medicines.

Chutes & Ladders—Flagship-backed biotechs name new leaders

Two industry veterans are taking the reins at Apriori Bio and Valo Health, biotechs backed by VC firm Flagship Pioneering. Craig Williams has been promoted to CEO-partner at Flagship and is now CEO of Apriori Bio, while Brian Alexander, M.D., is joining as CEO-partner and will lead Valo Health.

Biotechs behind J&J-bought Yellow Jersey partner on another immunology asset

After seeing success with the acquisition of Yellow Jersey Therapeutics by Johnson & Johnson this year, Kaken Pharmaceutical and Numab Therapeutics have signed another inflammation-focused collaboration.

Misconduct and the future of neurodegenerative disease research

This week on "The Top Line," we explore a neuroscientist's alleged misconduct and its impact on the future of neurodegenerative disease research.

Muscular dystrophy gene therapy uses cells to stitch together mRNA strands in mice

Gene therapy for some diseases, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy, can be tricky because the needed gene is often too large to fit inside the viral vector used for delivery. Researchers at the University of Rochester have now taken advantage of a basic cell biology discovery to deliver therapeutic muscular-dystrophy-related genes to mouse cells in two pieces, which the cells can then stitch together into a functional gene.

EMA changes tune, endorses Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi in restricted Alzheimer's population

Upon reexamination, the EMA has made a U-turn on Eisai and Biogen’s Alzheimer’s disease drug Leqembi. But the recommendation for approval has a restriction.
 
Fierce podcasts

Don’t miss an episode

Misconduct and the future of neurodegenerative disease research

This week on "The Top Line," we explore a neuroscientist's alleged misconduct and its impact on the future of neurodegenerative disease research.
 

Resources

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Single Cell RNA Profiling FFPE Tissue

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7 “Make or Break” Factors for Emerging Biopharma Companies

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Intensified Biomanufacturing

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Is That Heart Attack Really an Adverse Event?

Discover how independent adjudication can safeguard your clinical trials from misidentified adverse events and enhance the credibility of your results.
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Planning for success in cell-based manufacturing

Learn how to evaluate quality documentation to help you select the right raw materials at early decision points for your cell-based manufacturing processes.
 

Industry Events

On Helix

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

 

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