Today's Pharma Pulse
Ona lands $86.6M Series B, one of Spain’s biggest biotech rounds
Spanish biotech firm Ona announced an $86.6 million Series B financing, ranking among the largest venture rounds in Spain’s life‑science sector this year. The round was led by Seventure Partners with participation from existing backers and new strategic investors. The funding will be used to scale Ona’s AI‑driven drug discovery platform and accelerate its pre‑clinical programs.
Novo Reports More Triple-G Data From China; Grifols Plots IPO for Biopharma Unit
Novo Nordisk announced that its triple‑agonist candidate UBT251 achieved a mean HbA1c reduction of up to 2.16% after 24 weeks in a phase‑2 study of Chinese patients with type‑2 diabetes. The trial, involving roughly 200 participants, underscores the drug’s potential to address unmet glycemic control needs in a rapidly growing market. Meanwhile, Spanish plasma‑products group Grifols disclosed plans to spin off its biopharma division via an initial public offering, targeting a valuation around €2 billion. The IPO is intended to raise capital for global expansion and to sharpen focus on high‑growth plasma therapeutics.
STAT+: Sarepta Therapeutics Shares Rise on Early Promise for Rare Disease Drugs
Sarepta Therapeutics reported that early‑stage trials of two experimental drugs, SRP‑1001 and SRP‑1003, demonstrated safety and signs of efficacy for rare muscle‑wasting disorders. The data sparked a more than 20% surge in the company’s stock during early trading. The results...
UCB Investing $2B To Build Manufacturing Facility in Georgia
UCB announced a $2 billion investment to build a 460,000‑square‑foot biologics manufacturing plant in Gwinnett County, Georgia, its first U.S. production site. The facility will create about 330 permanent jobs and over 1,000 construction positions, leveraging AI, robotics and automation. Georgia...
Xaira’s First Virtual Cell Model Is Largest To-Date, Toward Complex Biology
Xaira Therapeutics unveiled X-Cell, a 4.9‑billion‑parameter virtual cell model that predicts transcriptome‑level responses to genetic perturbations. The model leverages the company’s 25.6 million‑cell X‑Atlas/Pisces CRISPRi Perturb‑seq dataset and demonstrates zero‑shot performance on unseen T‑cell and iPSC contexts. X-Cell uses a diffusion...
GSK’s Two-Speed Strategy: Broad Sourcing and Selective Bets
GSK has accelerated its pipeline build‑out by pairing broad early‑stage partnerships with selective, later‑stage acquisitions such as the up‑to‑$950 million purchase of 35Pharma’s pulmonary‑hypertension candidate HS235. After spinning off Haleon, the company now leans on specialty medicines—accounting for over 40% of...
Why Maze Therapeutics Plunged 20%-Plus Despite 'Overwhelming Positive' Data
Maze Therapeutics reported Phase 2 results for its kidney drug MZE829, showing a 35.6% average reduction in proteinuria after 12 weeks and a 61.8% drop in the FSGS subgroup. The data were hailed as "overwhelmingly positive" but the stock fell more...
Pharma M&A Roundup: Merck to Acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals, Shionogi to Acquire 50% of Apnimed’s Ownership of Shionogi-Apnimed Sleep Science
Merck announced a $6.7 billion cash deal to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals, paying a 31% premium and targeting the oral BCR::ABL1 inhibitor TERN‑701 for treatment‑resistant chronic myeloid leukemia. The transaction, slated to close in Q2 2026, adds an orphan‑drug‑designated oncology asset to Merck’s...
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re Reading About a Merck Acquisition, the Rise of Former Loxo Execs at Lilly, and More
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has filed a proposed settlement with CVS Caremark, accusing the pharmacy‑benefit manager of artificially inflating insulin prices and limiting patient access. The deal, which still requires FTC chair approval, mirrors a recent settlement with Cigna’s...
Merck & Co. Nears $6 Billion All‑Cash Deal for Terns Pharma, Boosting Oncology Portfolio
Merck & Co. is in advanced negotiations to acquire U.S. biotech Terns Pharma for an all‑cash price of about $6 billion. The news lifted Merck shares 0.5% to $116.99 and sent Terns stock soaring 12% to $55.97, underscoring the deal’s market...
Microneedle Vaccine Patch Company Raises $50M for Pivot to GLP-1 Delivery
Terrestrial Bio, the microneedle vaccine patch pioneer originally founded as Vaxess Technologies, announced a $50 million Series B financing round to shift its focus from vaccines to GLP‑1 peptide delivery. The capital, led by a consortium of biotech investors, will fund clinical...
FDA Halts Elevidys Trial, Fueling New Right‑to‑Try Debate for Duchenne Families
A mother’s plea after the FDA halted the Elevidys gene‑therapy trial for her son with Duchenne muscular dystrophy has reignited criticism of the 2018 Right‑to‑Try Act. The agency’s decision, triggered by two deaths in a broader trial, cuts off a...
AI ROI Arrives as Billions Adopt Health Wearables
The view from my hotel room in Chamonix is quite spectacular. I spoke yesterday at a global event organized by a major pharma company. They organized it near Mt. Blanc to make the country managers literally aim higher and higher. I...
Regeneron and Sanofi Report MHLW’s Approval of Dupixent to Treat Bullous Pemphigoid
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare approved Dupixent (dupilumab) for adults with moderate-to-severe bullous pemphigoid, marking the first targeted therapy for the disease in the country. The approval is based on the phase II/III ADEPT trial, which enrolled 106...
Maze Meets Own Expectations in Phase 2 Kidney Disease Trial in the Same Arena as Vertex
Maze Therapeutics reported that its Phase 2 trial of the genetic kidney disease candidate MZ‑001 achieved its primary efficacy and safety goals, showing a roughly 30% slowdown in eGFR decline versus placebo. The double‑blind study enrolled 150 patients with autosomal dominant...
WuXi Biologics Reports Record 2025 Annual Results, Operational Excellence Driven by Digital-Native Architecture
WuXi Biologics reported record 2025 results, with revenue up 16.7% and IFRS gross profit climbing 30.9%, lifting its gross margin to 46%. The growth was driven by expanding research, development and manufacturing contracts and tighter cost control across its global...
Metformin’s Hidden Brain Pathway Revealed After 60 Years
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have identified a brain‑based pathway that underlies metformin’s glucose‑lowering effect. The study shows that metformin suppresses the Rap1 protein in the ventromedial hypothalamus, a region critical for whole‑body glucose regulation. Mice lacking hypothalamic Rap1...
How GLP-1 Agonists Affect Gene Expression and Promote Pancreatic Health
Researchers at the Salk Institute identified the protein Med14 as the molecular bridge that links GLP‑1 agonist drugs to broad genomic responses that enhance pancreatic beta‑cell health. The team showed that phosphorylation of Med14 is essential for activating gene programs...
The United Laboratories and Novo Nordisk Report P-II Trial Data on UBT251 in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Novo Nordisk and United Laboratories reported Phase‑II data for the GLP‑1 agonist UBT251 in 211 Chinese patients with type‑2 diabetes. Over 24 weeks, UBT251 achieved a 2.16 % HbA1c reduction, outperforming semaglutide’s 1.77 % and placebo’s 0.66 % from a baseline of 8.12 %....
Gilead’s Ouro Buy, J&J/Protagonist’s Approval, Aurinia’s Revamp, ACIP Confusion, More
Gilead announced a $2.1 billion acquisition of Ouro Medicines and its T‑cell engager OM336, planning to split the deal with long‑time partner Galapagos. Johnson & Johnson and Protagonist Therapeutics secured FDA approval for Icotyde, an IL‑23 receptor blocker that becomes Protagonist’s...
Basecamp Research Unveils Trillion Gene Atlas to Boost Longevity Drug Discovery
Basecamp Research has launched the Trillion Gene Atlas, a platform that will collect and model genetic information from more than 100 million species, expanding known evolutionary diversity by roughly 100‑fold. The initiative aims to give AI models a vastly broader biological...
Merck Nears $6B All‑Cash Deal for Terns Pharma to Boost Oncology Portfolio
Merck & Co. is in advanced talks to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals in an all‑cash transaction valued at about $6 billion. The deal would add a promising rare‑cancer therapy to Merck’s portfolio and could be announced as early as Wednesday.
Magnetic Silk‑Iron Nanoparticles Offer Precise Drug Delivery to Inaccessible Tissues
A multinational research team has created magnetic silk‑iron nanocomposite particles that can be steered with external magnetic fields to deliver therapeutics directly to otherwise inaccessible tissues. The breakthrough promises higher efficacy and lower side‑effects for treatments ranging from cancer to...
Pfizer and Valneva's Lyme Vaccine Shows 73.2% Efficacy in Late‑Stage Trial
Pfizer and French biotech Valneva announced that their experimental Lyme disease vaccine, PF-07307405, achieved 73.2% efficacy in a Phase III trial, marking the most advanced effort to bring a U.S. Lyme vaccine to market despite missing its primary statistical benchmark. The...
Genomic Mapping of E. Coli Capsules Identifies High-Risk Types for Vaccines
A genomic survey of over 18,000 *Escherichia coli* genomes has mapped 90 capsular K‑loci, revealing that five capsule types (K1, K5, K52, K2, K14) cause more than half of bloodstream and urinary‑tract infections in Europe. The study links these high‑risk...
World-First Portable Multi-Pathogen CRISPR Test Seeks to Improve STI Diagnostics
Researchers at Australia’s Peter Doherty Institute have created a portable, CRISPR‑based diagnostic that simultaneously detects syphilis, HSV, chlamydia and gonorrhea in under an hour. The assay also identifies a key antibiotic‑resistance gene in gonorrhea, delivering 97‑100% accuracy compared with laboratory...
MSD and Quotient Collaborate on IBD Drug Targets
Merck (MSD) has entered a multi‑year research partnership with Quotient Therapeutics to uncover new drug targets for inflammatory bowel disease using Quotient’s somatic genomics platform. The deal provides Quotient with $20 million upfront and up to $2.2 billion in regulatory, development and...
STAT+: How an Outsider Crept Into Eli Lilly’s Top Ranks — and Plans to Drive Its Business Forward
Jacob Van Naarden, formerly COO of Loxo Oncology, joined Eli Lilly after its $8 billion cash acquisition of Loxo in 2018. He now serves as president of Lilly Oncology and head of business development, overseeing the company’s dealmaking and pipeline expansion. The purchase...
Ionis’ Zilganersen Receives US FDA Priority Review for Alexander Disease
Ionis Pharmaceuticals received FDA acceptance of its new drug application for zilganersen and a priority‑review designation for treating Alexander disease, with a PDUFA target action date of September 22, 2026. The Phase III trial enrolled 54 patients aged 1.5 to 53...
A Class Action Suits Moves RICO From Mobsters to Medicine
In this episode, attorney Harrison James explains how the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), originally aimed at organized crime, is being used in a landmark civil class action against Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly over the diabetes drug Actos....
Imaging Manufacturer Guerbet Faces Financial Challenges Following Recent FDA Warning
French imaging contrast agent maker Guerbet is confronting a severe FDA warning after inspectors found significant good manufacturing practice violations at its Raleigh, North Carolina plant. The citation has already depressed Americas revenue by 4% year‑over‑year and reduced MRI‑related sales,...
Cybin Inc (HELP) Reports Positive Phase 2 Anxiety Study Data
Cybin Inc. announced topline results from a Phase 2 trial of its anxiety drug candidate HLP004, showing a 10‑point reduction on a standard anxiety rating scale. The study involved 36 patients already on antidepressants, and the benefit persisted for at least...
Trace Unites ALS Teams Behind a Target That Could Broaden Treatment Access
Trace Neuroscience, launched Nov 2024, is developing an antisense drug, TRCN‑1023, to restore UNC13A protein function in ALS patients. The target emerged from parallel discoveries at UCL and Stanford, and the company plans intrathecal delivery and biomarker‑guided trials. Leveraging lessons...
As Antibiotics Fail, a New Treatment Targets the Host, Not the Bacteria
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have demonstrated that a single dose of interferon‑gamma can “train” human macrophages to more effectively kill drug‑resistant bacteria such as MRSA and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The IFN‑γ‑trained cells undergo epigenetic reprogramming, rely on glutamine metabolism, and...
D+Q Senolytic Linked to Brain Demyelination, Prompting Safety Concerns
The recent study showing D+Q causes demyelination in brain cells leads to more questions than it answers: (I only read the abstract cause paper new & paywalled.) D+Q has been used a lot in mice & humans. Why hasn't this been noticed...
Engineered Immune Cells Target Refractory Myeloma, Broader Cancer Potential
Steady progress towards engineering immune cells in the body now for refractory myeloma , with major implications for many autoimmune diseases and cancers https://t.co/K3IksrCFlg https://t.co/1AQ5rLuH1g
Cancer Drug Can Treat Drug-Resistant Herpes, Too
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have repurposed the FDA‑approved cancer drug doxorubicin to combat drug‑resistant herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‑1). Using their AI‑driven platform HerpDock, they identified doxorubicin’s ability to block the PI3K‑AKT‑mTOR pathway that the virus exploits,...
CEO Amy Burroughs Discusses M&A Post‑ASH25 Data
I asked $TERN CEO Amy Burroughs right after the #ASH25 data was out how she felt about M&A. Congrats to her and her team. https://t.co/2HemPoiqWO
MRK Likely to Rerun TERN Study for Data
Based on previous form $MRK will probably now rerun the $TERN study, just to prove to itself that the data were real.
FBI Indicts Two China Pharma Firms for Supplying Fentanyl Precursors
The FBI announced indictments against Shandong Believe Chemical Company, Shandong Ranhang Biotechnology and six Chinese citizens for exporting fentanyl precursors to the Gulf Cartel. The charges, part of Operation Box Cutter, highlight a new level of cooperation between U.S. and Chinese...
TERN's Termination Terms Hint MRK Could Be Outbid
For those wondering if $MRK might be outbid, here are the deal termination terms from $TERN https://t.co/TbM3rWyEoG
Merck Spends $6.7B on CML Drug Despite Gleevec Era
It's amazing that 25 years after Gleevec we are still watching drug companies pay billions for new drugs for CML. And that, in Adam's previous story, a once deadly cancer was referred to as a chronic disease. Anyway, $MRK buys $TERN...
Lenz Therapeutics Misses Q4 Forecast, Shares Slide 11.2%
Lenz Therapeutics reported a Q4 loss of $1.16 per share on $1.6 million in revenue, far below analysts' expectations of a $0.90 loss on $3.1 million. The miss sent the biotech’s shares down 11.2% as investors reacted to higher SG&A costs and...
AVXL Withdraws Alzheimer's Drug From EMA After Rejection
$AVXL pulled its blarcamesine Alzheimer's application from the EMA after regulators there said there was no fking way it was going to approve a drug that does not work.
Novo
$NVO triple G drug at 2.16 A1c reduction at only week 24 vs a lower 1.9 A1c reduction at a longer 40 weeks for the max dose of the $LLY triple G. But Novo has no pipeline…? 🤷🏻♂️ https://t.co/CFcnGZGMqt
AL-S Pharma Tests How Far SOD1 Biology Extends Into Sporadic ALS
The article outlines BioCentury’s cookie policy, detailing the categories of cookies used on its website—strictly necessary, functional, marketing, advertising, and analytics. Each type is described in terms of purpose, activation status, and impact on user experience. The policy emphasizes that...
Hybrid PandaOmics‑Lobster Platform Accelerates Disease Target Discovery
PandaOmics and Lobster hybrid for novel target discovery and disease hypothesis research. @steipete will have serious impact on human life
Penn Engineers Unveil aroLNPs Cutting Liver Delivery Tenfold While Boosting Lymph‑Node Targeting
University of Pennsylvania bioengineers have created a redesigned lipid nanoparticle, aroLNP, that delivers at least ten‑fold less mRNA to the liver while preserving lymph‑node uptake. The breakthrough could lower the dose needed for effective vaccination and expand mRNA therapeutics.
Towards Intelligent and Miniaturized Drug Delivery Devices
Intelligent and miniaturized drug delivery devices (IMDDDs) combine biotechnology, AI, electronics, and novel materials to provide precise, programmable drug release inside the body. These platforms integrate real-time sensing with adaptive control, enabling dose adjustments based on biomarkers such as glucose...
U.S. FDA Approves Label Update to Accelerate Thaw Time for ADSTILADRIN® (Nadofaragene Firadenovec-Vncg)
The U.S. FDA has approved a label update for Ferring Pharmaceuticals' ADSTILADRIN® (nadofaragene firadenovec‑vncg) that permits an accelerated water‑bath thawing process completed in roughly 25 minutes. The therapy, the only FDA‑approved non‑replicating intravesical gene‑therapy for high‑risk BCG‑unresponsive non‑muscle invasive bladder...
Proposed FTC, CVS Agreement Underway To Settle Inflated Insulin Costs Allegations
The Federal Trade Commission and CVS Caremark have reached a settlement that resolves all claims alleging the pharmacy‑benefit manager inflated insulin prices through anticompetitive rebate practices. Court filings on March 23 indicate the agreement ends the FTC’s lawsuit in its...