At Fierce Biotech, we love a big M&A deal, but valuation does not always equal the most exciting.   In this week's episode of "The Top Line," Fierce Biotech’s Annalee Armstrong and James Waldron discuss what they think are the best and smartest acquisitions in recent years.   From obesity to radiopharmaceuticals, they give you the Fierce Biotech team’s thoughts on who got the best deal.  To learn more about the topics in this episode:   Top 10 smartest deals in biopharma  See...

In this week’s episode of “The Top Line,” Fierce Pharma’s Zoey Becker sits down with Bobby Sheng, the CEO of Bora Pharmaceuticals, to discuss the concept of “friend-shoring” in drug manufacturing. "Friend-shoring" involves conducting manufacturing processes in countries considered friendly or allied. Sheng discusses the criteria for deeming a country “friendly” and explores whether this strategy could help address drug supply shortages. To learn more about the topics in this episode: Bora...

Each June, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) hosts a conference that gathers physicians, researchers and the cancer community to share their latest research on treatments, technologies and more.  The Fierce team is always on the ground at the ASCO meeting, and this year, Fierce Biotech’s Gabrielle Masson and Fierce Pharma’s Angus Liu covered the event.  In this week's episode of "The Top Line," they discuss the most talked-about data drops at ASCO and share on-the-ground...

The Fierce Pharma Marketing team publishes a special report each year on the top pharmaceutical drug ad spenders. This year’s report, which includes numbers for 2023, was published on Monday.   AbbVie was the standout in this edition, having spent heavily on ads for Skyrizi and Rinvoq. Overall spending on the top 10 ads also experienced a sizable increase compared to the previous year.  In this week’s episode of “The Top Line,” Fierce Pharma Marketing Senior Editor Ben Adams and Deputy...

The Fierce Biotech team published a four-part series this week exploring cell therapy, a modality that has faced clinical challenges, manufacturing constraints and multiple practice-changing events.   In today’s episode, Fierce’s Annalee Armstrong and Gabrielle Masson discuss the series of special reports and key insights from their interviews with multiple experts.   To learn more about the topics in this episode:  Cell therapy reckoning: How a 'remarkable resolution of lupus' carried...

This week’s episode of “The Top Line,” is the final part of a three-part series diving into the latest advancements in cell and gene therapy manufacturing.  In this episode, Fierce Pharma’s Fraiser Kansteiner is joined by Bruce Levine, Ph.D., who is the co-inventor of Kymriah and the Barbara and Edward Netter Professor in Cancer Gene Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania. He’s also joined by executives from CGT technology provider ScaleReady and regenerative cell therapy developer...

Agilent execs discuss the regulatory challenges and technological opportunities of digital pathology and companion diagnostics.

What is the transformative potential of digital health technologies in advancing health equity? Rabin Martin, a global health consulting firm, explores those possibilities.

This week’s episode of “The Top Line” is the second part of a three-part series exploring the latest advancements in cell and gene therapy manufacturing. In this episode, Fierce Pharma’s Fraiser Kansteiner interviews Delara Motlagh, head of cell therapy at Catalent; Becky Butler Cap, senior vice president of biotherapies at Vitalant; and Kevin Kyle, CEO of Germfree. The conversation covers cell collection, the critical first step in advanced therapy manufacturing. They also discuss the...

This week’s episode of “The Top Line,” kicks off a series diving into the latest advancements in cell and gene therapy manufacturing.  In this episode, Fierce Pharma’s Fraiser Kansteiner sits down with Ori Biotech CEO Jason Foster and the Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center's CEO, Jason Bock. They delve into the current state of cell and gene therapy manufacturing and consider if the existing production methods can keep up with the potential of personalized medicines. They also dive into past...

This week on "The Top Line," we're diving into the details of the spree of big-money biopharma deals in 2023 and examining what that means for this year. Fierce Pharma Senior Writer Kevin Dunleavy sits down with Cody Powers, a consultant who advises companies on business development and franchise growth strategy, to discuss the reasons behind the numerous high-value deals in 2023, which companies are primed to make major moves this year, and whether the trend of acquiring ADCs and obesity...

Fierce Pharma publishes a yearly special report highlighting the top 20 pharmas based on their revenue. The most recent edition, published this month, ranks each pharma based on their total revenues for 2023.   This week on "The Top Line," Fierce Pharma Senior Editor Eric Sagonowsky and Senior Writer Kevin Dunleavy break down the numbers, highlight key trends and share some of the biggest changes at the top and bottom of the rankings year over year.   To learn more about the topics in this...

This week on “The Top Line,” we're joined by Fierce Biotech Senior Editor Annalee Armstrong and Fierce Pharma Marketing Senior Editor Ben Adams. We're diving into our recent spin on March Madness at Fierce. This time around, Fierce Biotech kicked off its inaugural Best Biotech Name tournament, while over at Fierce Pharma Marketing, we held our biannual Drug Names tournament. The editors discuss what makes a company or drug name tick, what to steer clear of, and how the entire competition...

Jeff Beck of BioCare offers his insight on patient-centric models, complex therapies, data needs, seamless product access and much more.

This week on "The Top Line," we explore biopharma layoffs in the first quarter of 2024.  Using data from Fierce Biotech's layoff tracker, Gabrielle Masson and Max Bayer analyze the trends of layoffs in the first quarter of 2024, comparing them to previous years. With a notable number of layoff rounds marking the start of the year, they examine the factors behind this ongoing challenge while also highlighting positive industry developments. To learn more about the topics in this...

This week on “The Top Line,” we explore peripheral arterial disease, a serious health issue that is often overlooked and undermanaged.   Join Editor-in-Chief of Fierce Life Sciences and Healthcare Ayla Ellison as she sits down with Kumar Madassery, M.D., Director of the Peripheral Vascular Intervention & CLI Program at Rush University Medical Center. They discuss the hidden dangers of PAD, and Dr. Madassery emphasizes the importance of early detection. He also discusses the launch of the...

This week on "The Top Line," we explore our annual special report on the top money raisers in the biotech industry. Which company raised the most funding in 2023? What does the biotech financing landscape look like for this year? Fierce Biotech's Annalee Armstrong and Max Bayer answer those questions and many more in today's episode. They also discuss the details of the special report and share some of the stories behind the numbers.  To learn more about the topics in this episode:...

This week on “The Top Line,” we explore the European biotech investment landscape.  Fierce Biotech’s James Waldron sits down with Maina Bhaman, a Partner at Sofinnova Capital Strategy, who provides insights into how investors are approaching the European biotech sector.  To learn more about the topics in this episode:  'The fundamentals are really strong': Why investors are staying loyal to European biotech in 2023 'Optimism' at Jefferies conference, but don't expect biotech IPO boost...

This week on “The Top Line,” we’re diving into the topic of diversity in clinical trials, examining both the progress made and the ongoing work needed to ensure inclusivity.  In this episode, Fierce Biotech Senior Editor Annalee Armstrong engages in a conversation with Karen Correa, Ph.D., Head of Global Clinical Operations at Takeda and Executive Sponsor of Trial Diversity. Correa shares her insights into why it's imperative for pharmaceutical companies to adapt and prioritize diversity in...

In this week's episode of "The Top Line," join Conor Hale, Senior Editor of Fierce Medtech, and Andrea Park, Deputy Editor of Fierce Life Sciences, as they share the highlights of this year's Fierce Medtech Fierce 15.  To learn more about the topics in this episode:  Fierce Medtech's Fierce 15 of 2023 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jared Baeten, MD, Ph.D., Vice President, HIV Clinical Development, Gilead Sciences discusses advancements in HIV treatment research.

The FDA recently asked the six marketed CAR-T therapies to add a new boxed warning item on their labels to reflect the risk of secondary T-cell cancers. This decision follows an investigation into the new safety signal from postmarketing adverse event reports and clinical trials.  In today’s episode, Fierce Pharma’s Angus Liu talks with regulatory experts Mwango Kashoki, M.D., SVP, Global Head of Regulatory Strategy at Parexel, and Steve Winitsky, M.D., VP, Technical, Regulatory Strategy at...

This week on “The Top Line,” we explore the impact of environmental, social and governance measures, commonly known as ESG, on the pharmaceutical industry.  Fraiser Kansteiner of Fierce Pharma engages in a conversation with Jim Greffet, Head of ESG Strategy at Eli Lilly, to gain insights. Greffet makes a compelling business case for integrating ESG into the core of drugmakers' DNA. He also discusses Eli Lilly’s specific ESG initiatives, illustrating how these strategies connect to the...

Gene editing’s therapeutic application has transitioned from hypothetical to reality, marked by the recent approval of a CRISPR-based therapy for sickle cell and beta thalassemia. In the wake of these developments, new biotech companies are springing up spurred by advancements that redefine what conditions might soon become treatable.   One contender in this rapidly changing landscape is Verve Therapeutics. This week on "The Top Line," Fierce Biotech’s Max Bayer sits down with the company’s...

This week on “The Top Line,” we explore the most anticipated drug launches of 2024. Editor-in-Chief Ayla Ellison engages in a conversation with Fierce Pharma Marketing Senior Editor Ben Adams about the drugs likely to launch this year with the most significant sales potential by 2028. To learn more about the topics in this episode: Top 10 most anticipated drug launches of 2024 BMS unwraps $14B deal for Karuna, adding a schizophrenia drug awaiting FDA OK Bristol Myers Squibb has targeted...