Q&A
Eli Lilly's Sustainability Goals Run in Parallel with Capacity Expansion: ESG Head Discusses Long-Termism
Eli Lilly has rapidly become the world's most valuable pharmaceutical company by market cap, thanks to drugs like Mounjaro and Zepbound, but rapid growth also brings environmental and social responsibility challenges. The company's ESG head, Jim Greffet, says that Eli Lilly is advancing its 2030 carbon neutrality goal while expanding production through measures such as solar energy and AI-driven efficiency optimization, and is incorporating drug accessibility and affordability into its sustainability framework.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Appoints New Oncology R&D Head and Reshapes Strategic Layout
Dr. PK Morrow, the new head of Takeda Pharmaceutical's oncology therapeutic area, is driving the company's strategic transformation, focusing on thoracic tumors, gastrointestinal tumors, and specific hematological malignancies, relying on four platforms: antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific antibodies, small molecules, and cell therapy. Previously, the company had terminated development of some myeloma candidate drugs.
23andMe Advances Cancer Immunotherapy with Genetic Database
As a consumer genetic testing company, 23andMe is leveraging its genetic database of over 15 million people to develop cancer immunotherapies. Its first antibody drug targeting the CD200 pathway, 23ME-00610, has shown preliminary clinical benefit in mid-stage studies for neuroendocrine cancer and ovarian cancer. Despite challenges such as data breaches and layoffs, Dr. Jennifer Low, head of the therapeutics division, remains optimistic about the potential of genetic data in drug discovery.
A biotech’s difficult journey to bring a new kind of Parkinson’s drug to patients
Gain Therapeutics, a Maryland biotech developing GT-02287 for Parkinson's disease, is navigating a difficult financing landscape while awaiting phase 1 results by the end of Q3. The company has appointed a new interim CEO and chief medical officer in H1, priced an $11 million public offering, and is pursuing a disease-modifying approach targeting the GBA-1 gene mutation. CMO Dr. Jonas Hannestad discusses the science, competitive landscape, and industry collaboration in an interview with PharmaVoice.
Autobahn Therapeutics receives investment from multiple renowned pharmaceutical companies to advance novel depression therapy development
The depression treatment field has long lacked breakthrough innovations. Autobahn Therapeutics, with its lead candidate drug ABX-002, successfully attracted investment from renowned institutions such as Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Pfizer Ventures during a downturn in biotech investment. The company has completed a $100 million Series C financing round, bringing total funding to $225 million, and plans to advance ABX-002 into Phase II clinical trials.
The New Normal of Biotech Investment: What This Investor Focuses On
Biotech investment is entering a new normal after the capital influx of 2021 and the downturn of 2022. Mubadala Capital Partner Ayman AlAbdallah states that investment should be based on fundamentals rather than chasing trends, emphasizing platform companies that address major problems, and noting that precision oncology and AI applications in drug development are areas deserving more innovation.
Avian flu outbreak pushes BARDA back into the spotlight
As H5N1 avian flu cases slowly increase, the U.S. government has injected $176 million into Moderna's mRNA vaccine program. BARDA Director Gary Disbrow explains that the program began in October 2023 and is not a direct response to the current outbreak. Over its 15 years, BARDA has facilitated 61 FDA approvals, invested approximately $1.6 billion to address antimicrobial resistance, and supported companies of various sizes through multiple pathways. This article also explores how companies can partner with BARDA and its emphasis on platform technologies.
Amylyx CEO on ALS Setbacks and Pipeline Reshaping: From Market Withdrawal to New GLP-1 Antagonist Strategy
Months after withdrawing its ALS drug Relyvrio, Amylyx Pharmaceuticals acquired the GLP-1 receptor antagonist avexitide for $35 million through a bankruptcy auction, planning to initiate a Phase III trial in the first quarter of 2025. In an interview, co-CEOs Josh Cohen and Justin Klee reflect on lessons from Relyvrio's failure, emphasize biomarker application, and express optimism about avexitide's potential in post-bariatric surgery hypoglycemia and congenital hyperinsulinism.
BeiGene challenges mature blockbuster drugs with expanding hematologic oncology pipeline
BeiGene is challenging mature blockbuster drugs in hematologic oncology with its next-generation BTK inhibitor Brukinsa, while advancing a pipeline of novel mechanisms including the BCL2 inhibitor sonrotoclax and BTK degraders. The company's Chief Medical Officer for Hematologic Oncology, Mehrdad Mobasher, elaborated on its research-driven, cross-pipeline synergistic differentiation strategy.
Can Moderna's combination vaccine boost sluggish flu vaccination rates?
Moderna's combined COVID-flu vaccine showed positive efficacy in late-stage studies, and the company hopes to improve adult vaccination rates with it, planning a launch in the fall of 2025.