Get the Daily Brief
Latest Biotech News
Non‑GM immortalization of bovine cells opens path for scalable cultivated beef
Scientists at Hebrew University and Believer Meats reported a Nature study demonstrating a non‑genetically modified method to induce stable self‑renewal in bovine cells by activating telomerase...
DeepTarget: AI predicts anti‑cancer drug mechanisms of action
Researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys unveiled DeepTarget, a machine‑learning platform published in npj Precision Oncology that predicts anti‑cancer mechanisms of small molecules by integrating...
AMP 2025 spotlights next‑gen blood cancer diagnostics; AI tools front and center
At AMP 2025, researchers unveiled advances in blood cancer diagnostics and placed AI‑driven pathology front and center. Presentations showcased highly sensitive ctDNA NGS panels for AML/other...
Merck pays $9.2B for Cidara’s long‑acting flu biologic
Merck agreed to acquire Cidara Therapeutics for $9.2 billion to secure CD388, a late‑stage, long‑acting antiviral designed to prevent seasonal influenza. The deal, announced Friday, values Cidara...
Pfizer closes up to $10B Metsera buy — fast‑acting obesity assets onboarded
Pfizer completed its acquisition of Metsera in a deal worth up to $10 billion, securing fast‑acting amylin and long‑acting GLP‑1 assets aimed at the obesity market. The transaction ends a heated...
FDA adds boxed warning to Sarepta’s Elevidys: ambulatory use restricted
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated the label for Sarepta Therapeutics’ Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy Elevidys to include a boxed safety warning and to limit use to ambulatory...
FDA approves Kura/Kyowa’s Komzifti — first oral menin inhibitor for NPM1‑mutant AML
The U.S. FDA granted approval to Kura Oncology and Kyowa Kirin’s ziftomenib (Komzifti) for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia with NPM1 mutations, clearing the drug ahead of its PDUFA...
Novartis’ GanLum meets Phase‑3 goal: a candidate against drug‑resistant malaria
Novartis reported Phase 3 results showing GanLum (ganaplacide + lumefantrine formulation) met its primary non‑inferiority endpoint versus standard artemisinin‑based therapy across 1,688 adults and...
Multi‑omics maps immune drivers of pig‑to‑human kidney xenotransplant rejection
Researchers performed comprehensive multi‑omic profiling after transplanting a genetically edited pig kidney into a brain‑dead human donor and tracked immune dynamics over 61 days. The team...
BMS/J&J’s factor‑XI inhibitor fails key Phase‑3: milvexian trial stopped
Bristol Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson halted a Phase 3 trial of their factor‑XIa inhibitor milvexian for acute coronary syndrome after an interim analysis showed the drug was unlikely to meet...
Twist reframes reporting as AI‑driven drug discovery lifts revenues
Twist Bioscience reorganized its revenue reporting into a single 'DNA synthesis and protein solutions' segment as AI‑driven drug discovery increased cross‑product demand. CEO Emily Leproust cited...
Scientists immortalize bovine cells without genetic edits — cultivated beef barrier drops
A team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Believer Meats reported a method to immortalize bovine cells without genetic modification, published in Nature. The investigators activated...
Magnetic microrobots navigate vasculature to release drugs with surgical precision
Researchers at ETH Zurich described a clinically oriented magnetically guided microrobotic system that navigates complex vasculature to place and dissolve drug‑loaded capsules at target sites,...
Merck shells out $9.2B for Cidara — buys late‑stage flu prophylactic
Merck agreed to acquire Cidara Therapeutics for $9.2 billion, paying $221.50 per share in cash to obtain CD388, a late‑stage, long‑acting antiviral designed to prevent seasonal influenza. Cidara’s...
Pfizer closes Metsera buyout — ends Novo’s late bid
Pfizer closed its takeover of obesity biotech Metsera after a contested bidding period, securing Metsera’s pipeline including a fast‑acting amylin analog alongside a long‑acting GLP‑1. The deal...
FDA sketches ‘plausible mechanism’ path: bespoke drugs get a roadmap
FDA leaders outlined a new regulatory framework to accelerate approvals for individualized and ultra‑rare therapies by allowing plausible‑mechanism evidence in lieu of traditional randomized...
FDA clears Kura’s ziftomenib — first menin inhibitor approved for NPM1‑mutant AML
The U.S. FDA approved Kura Oncology and Kyowa Kirin’s ziftomenib (Komzifti) for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia with NPM1 mutations, granting the drug full approval based largely on...
Multi‑omics of pig‑to‑human kidney transplant reveals immune drivers — rejection reversible
Researchers published comprehensive multi‑omic analyses following a gene‑edited pig kidney transplanted into a brain‑dead human recipient and tracked immune responses over 61 days. Teams...
Medicxi closes €500M fund V to back asset‑centric biotech creation
London‑based venture firm Medicxi raised €500 million for Fund V to finance asset‑centric biotech startups and selective later‑stage opportunities. The oversubscribed fund continues Medicxi’s...
Novartis’ GanLum meets Phase III goal — a new tool against resistant malaria
Novartis reported Phase III non‑inferiority results for GanLum (ganaplacide + lumefantrine), meeting WHO efficacy thresholds and showing high cure rates across study arms in sub‑Saharan Africa....