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Merck’s $10B Bet on Verona Pharma and COPD Drug Ohtuvayre
Merck completed a $10 billion acquisition of Verona Pharma to strengthen its cardiorespiratory portfolio with Ohtuvayre, a selective dual inhibitor targeting PDE3 and PDE4 enzymes, intended as a...
AI-Driven Advances in Protein Modeling and Virtual Cell Systems
New AI models revolutionize understanding of protein dynamics and cellular gene networks, enhancing drug discovery and disease research. Microsoft Research developed BioEmu, a generative deep...
Capricor’s Cell Therapy CRL Marks Regulatory Setback in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Capricor Therapeutics received a Complete Response Letter (CRL) from the FDA regarding its deramiocel cell therapy for cardiomyopathy associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The agency...
Biopharma Funding and Dealmaking Trends in 2025
Biopharma dealmaking hit a record $35 billion in June 2025, marking the highest monthly total of the year and bolstering H1 figures to $138 billion, surpassing full-year totals from pre-2020...
AbbVie’s $700M Acquisition of IGI’s Trispecific Antibody for Multiple Myeloma
AbbVie secured exclusive rights to IGI Therapeutics’ early-stage trispecific antibody ISB-2001 targeting BCMA, CD38, and CD3 for multiple myeloma and autoimmune indications in a $700 million...
Novel Technologies Accelerate Disease Detection and Research
Innovative tools and diagnostic platforms are advancing early disease detection and research capabilities. Scripps Research scientists developed a microchip that rapidly maps antibody-virus...
Biotech Workforce Challenges and Talent Retention
The biomanufacturing industry faces an impending 'talent singularity' by 2028, where the demand for uniquely skilled workers will exceed supply due to evolving technological needs. Jason Beckwith...
FDA Approvals and Regulatory Developments in July 2025
The FDA started July strongly with multiple approvals and pending decisions. Three new molecular entities (NMEs) were approved in June, bringing the yearly total to 19 with additional approvals...
Breakthroughs in Neuroscience and Rare Disease
New research points to innovative approaches in neuroscience and rare disorders. AAV-OTOF gene therapy shows promise restoring hearing in children and adults. Studies reveal microglia replacement...
Merck bolsters respiratory pipeline with $10B Verona Pharma acquisition
Merck & Co. struck a $10 billion deal to acquire Verona Pharma, expanding its portfolio with the COPD drug Ohtuvayre. The medication, an inhaled dual inhibitor of PDE3 and PDE4, combines...
FDA unveils drug rejection letters signaling shift toward transparency
In a historic policy shift, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released over 200 complete response letters (CRLs) outlining reasons behind drug and biologic rejection decisions between 2020 and...
Capricor’s Duchenne cell therapy rejected by FDA amid trial data concerns
Capricor Therapeutics received a Complete Response Letter from the FDA rejecting its biologics license application for deramiocel, an allogeneic cell therapy aimed at treating cardiomyopathy in...
AI accelerates protein dynamics modeling to boost drug discovery
Researchers from Microsoft Research AI unveiled BioEmu, a generative deep learning model capable of rapidly predicting protein conformational ensembles with high accuracy. Published in Science,...
AbbVie inks $700M deal for trispecific antibody targeting multiple myeloma
AbbVie secured exclusive rights to ISB-2001, a trispecific antibody developed by IGI Therapeutics that simultaneously engages BCMA, CD38, and CD3 to treat relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The...
Soleno’s rare disease drug Vykat XR beats sales expectations
Soleno Therapeutics reported early sales figures for Vykat XR, the first approved treatment for hyperphagia in Prader-Willi syndrome. The medicine’s net revenue for Q2 2025 is forecast between $31...
GREmLN AI model maps gene regulatory networks to decode cell behavior
Scientists from Columbia University and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative developed GREmLN, a graph-based artificial intelligence model that better captures complex gene regulatory interactions than...
Juniper Genomics raises C$4.6M to expand IVF genomics testing
Juniper Genomics secured $3.5 million USD (approximately C$4.6 million) in seed funding to commercialize its genomics testing platform tailored for in vitro fertilization (IVF). The startup aims...
Biomanufacturing faces talent shortage risk by 2028, experts warn
Industry experts highlight a looming 'talent singularity' in biomanufacturing by 2028, driven by a shortage of skilled workers aligned with evolving technological demands. Jason Beckwith of...
Merck’s $10B Bet on Verona Expands COPD Pipeline
Merck & Co. has completed a $10 billion acquisition of Verona Pharma, adding the fast-growing COPD drug Ohtuvayre to its cardio-pulmonary portfolio. This inhaled dual inhibitor of PDE3 and PDE4...
FDA Unveils Drug Rejection Letters in Transparency Shift
The FDA has published over 200 complete response letters (CRLs), revealing reasons for drug application rejections between 2020 and 2024. These letters, for products later approved, provide...