BioCentury This Week

Ep. 392 - Biotech markets: Pause before the storm?

Ep. 391 - China deals, Beam lawsuit, MFN models, Nobel winners

Ep. 390 - Live from Amsterdam: Grand Rounds Europe takeaways

The European biotech sector is evolving as it seeks to bridge the gap between academic research and commercial drug development. While Europe possesses world-class science, researchers often lack the entrepreneurial training necessary to navigate funding and business strategy compared to their US counterparts. Industry...

Ep. 389 - IgA nephropathy, Overton hearing, reverse mergers' new look

IgA nephropathy has transitioned from a neglected rare disease to a high-priority drug development area, driven by academic innovation and FDA regulatory agility. Seven global drug approvals in five years highlight this shift, with next-generation therapies targeting APRIL, BAF, and CD38 to improve patient outcomes and...

Ep. 388 - Biotech IPOs, CAR T safety & pharma tariffs

Ep. 387 - Psychedelics at FDA, Mike Davis’ CDER & tRNAs

Ep. 386 - Novartis misses, pharma deals analysis, MFN carve-outs

Novartis faces a $40 billion market cap decline following three failed clinical trials, including the high-profile Pelicarcin study, which raises questions about the efficacy of antisense oligonucleotides versus siRNA in cardiovascular disease. While the broader pharmaceutical sector continues to embrace disruptive tec...

Ep. 385 - MFN deals, Lilly takeout, FDA pick Overton

Ep. 384 - Back to School Special: The global FIH trials race

Ep. 383 - Moderna, Genentech obesity deal, Trump's FDA pick

Moderna and Merck’s Phase III success with personalized neoantigen vaccines marks a significant shift for mRNA therapies beyond infectious diseases, though questions remain regarding manufacturing burdens and broader clinical applicability in non-melanoma tumors. South Korea’s biotech sector continues to attract Wester...

Ep. 382 - Summer’s venture wave; drugging beta-catenin; Capricor & FDA

Biotech venture activity remains robust despite the summer season, with 13 rounds securing $791 million last week, bringing third-quarter totals to $6.5 billion. Key developments include the launch of Cardis, which is developing an oral IGF-1R inhibitor to challenge Amgen’s Tepeza, and the expansion of the "newco" mode...

Ep. 381 - FIH urgency in the U.S. Plus: federated learning, biotech IPOs

Ep. 380 - AZ-BMS rumors, Replimune, psychedelics

Ep. 379 - Argenx M&A, AI giants and biopharma, catalyst scorecard

Argenx’s $2.2 billion acquisition of Forte Biosciences marks a strategic expansion of its immunology pipeline, signaling a growing trend of mid-cap biotechs acting as active acquirers in the industry. Beyond deal-making, the integration of generative AI into biopharma R&D workflows is reshaping the tech stack, with com...

Ep. 378 - U.K. cabinet shuffle, Taiwan biotech and Biogen data

The UK biotech sector faces significant transition following the appointment of a new government and the departure of Science Minister Patrick Vallance, though the selection of John Healey as Chancellor provides some stability for industry stakeholders. Regional economic development remains a strategic focus, with pote...

Ep. 377 - Trends in life sciences talent with CBRE's Ian Anderson

Ep. 376 - M&A momentum: 3Q public markets preview

Ep. 375 - Novartis' ADC gambit & regulation as catalyst for U.K. biotech

Novartis’s $1.1 billion acquisition of Myricx signals a strategic pivot toward NMT payloads in antibody-drug conjugates, marking a significant advancement in oncology. Simultaneously, the U.K. life sciences sector faces a regulatory evolution as MHRA CEO Lawrence Tallon advocates for proportionate oversight to accelera...

Ep. 374 - Parkinson's deep dive & FDA trial reforms

Ep. 373 - AbbVie M&A, FDA reversals, a CAR T first

AbbVie’s $10.9 billion acquisition of Apogee signals a strategic expansion in immunology, leveraging Apogee’s half-life extension technology to improve dosing frequency for atopic dermatitis treatments. Regulatory dynamics at the FDA are shifting as the agency moves toward a reversion to the mean, correcting previous d...