This year kicks off the second decade of Fierce Medtech’s annual Fierce 15 report. Not surprisingly, the startups featured on this year’s list are raising the bar for medtech developers everywhere. Staff writer Andrea Park and Editor-in-Chief Ayla Ellison discuss a few of the 15 startups that made the cut.  Plus, in this episode, we cover Illumina and Carl Icahn's proxy battle, Sanofi slashing insulin prices and more of this week's top headlines.  To learn more about the topics in this...

Is it all bad news in the bear market? Not necessarily. After a tumultuous couple of years, many biotechs are looking for signs of improvement in 2023. After all, the biotech sector felt the market pain acutely, particularly over the last 18 months: 2022 marked the longest period of net negative performance for biotech stocks, with the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF XBI extending net losses over a 70-week period.  But things are looking up: the XBI was 7% up in January of this year, and investor...

The sudden failure of Silicon Valley Bank sent shock waves across global markets. Fierce Biotech Senior Editor Annalee Armstrong talked with Kiah Haslett, managing editor of the publication Bank Director, about how SVB’s failure came to be and what to expect next. Armstrong and Fierce staff writer Max Bayer chat about how the biotech sector reacted given that SVB served almost half of all venture-backed technology and life sciences companies. They reflect on what surprised them...

Some expect the next few years will be an overall down period for pharma growth. So, Fierce’s Kevin Dunleavy invited Harietta Eleftherochorinou, Ph.D., of IQVIA to "The Top Line" to discuss why pharma needs to employ artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to stay ahead of the curve. To learn more about the topics in this episode:  2023 forecast: An 'inflection point' for biopharma, fueled by a flood of AI and machine learning products Covis finally pulls preterm birth drug...

M&A plummeted in 2022 compared to the previous year. But some medtech companies were still able to pull off multibillion-dollar megadeals. We tracked it all on Fierce Medtech’s list of the 10 biggest M&A moves in 2022. In this episode, we discuss some high points from the roundup.  To learn more about topics in this episode: The top 10 medtech M&A deals of 2022 Acquisitive Pfizer to strike again? Seagen back in M&A talks after Merck walked away: WSJ Eli Lilly slashes...

In October 2022, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer released a checklist for running phase 3 cancer immunotherapy combination studies. SITC's aim with these guidelines is to maximize the value of these trials. In this episode, Fierce Pharma staff writer Angus Liu discusses the checklist with Dr. Michael Atkins, the first author. To learn more about topics in this episode: Moderna checks a few boxes in phase 3 mRNA flu shot trial, but misses on B strains and safety BD issues...

Last August, Moderna filed a lawsuit against Pfizer and its COVID-19 vaccine partner, BioNTech. Moderna claims that the partners copied its mRNA technology and infringed its vaccine patents. Pfizer wasn’t going to sit back and take that. In September, the pharma giant dismissed the claims and accused Moderna of trying to rewrite the pandemic story to place itself in the “single, starring role,” the company’s attorneys wrote in a scathing countersuit.    Kevin Noonan, Ph.D., is an...

In this podcast, learn why we’re bringing forward boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) as an approach to treat malignant tumors, and how it may become a powerful option for cancer patients. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2022’s slate of life sciences M&A deals didn’t meet expectations. But the year still featured tens of billions of dollars worth of biopharma acquisitions. Querida Anderson and Eric Sagonowsky discuss the top deals of the year.  Also on the show, Kevin Dunleavy and Fraiser Kansteiner reflect on last year’s largest buyout—Amgen's $28 billion deal for Horizon Therapeutics. They explore what it potentially means for the buyer's market this year. Plus, this week's top headlines and Max...

After a complicated 2022, the new year offers a course correction for the obesity market. We'll hear from Fierce's Fraiser Kansteiner and Querida Anderson on the numerous opportunities ahead in the obesity market.  Also on the show, Fierce's Kevin Dunleavy and Eric Sagonowsky reflect on the the 37 new drugs approved in 2022. Plus, this week's headlines.  To learn more about topics in this episode: 2023 forecast: With Novo's Wegovy on a supply rebound, 2023 offers course correction and...

Just last year, congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act. The law contains several drug pricing measures hated by the pharmaceutical industry, including restrictions to price increases and Medicare negotiations. Eric Sagnowsky talked with Stacie Dusetzina, a professor at Vanderbilt University's Department of Health Policy, about what we can expect.  Also on the show, Fierce's Analee Armstrong and Gabrielle Mason reflect on the biotech industry last year and our expectation for 2023—plus,...

Fierce’s JPM Week event was packed full of informative panels, executive interviews and fireside chats. So for today’s episode, we’ve pulled out a couple of snippets to take you inside the gathering. First up, listen in on Fraiser Kansteiner’s lively panel discussion on how companies will keep their bottom lines strong while navigating the drug pricing policies that the Biden administration rolled out just last year. You will also hear from Zoey Becker’s interview with Bayer’s Christine...

The FDA is making some changes in the accelerated approval process. In this episode, we’ll discuss the recent changes with the FDA’s regulation of cancer drugs and how these shifts will impact the biopharma industry.   Also in this episode, we cover the week's biggest headlines from the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference.  To learn more about topics in this episode: Fierce JPM Week Podnosis: The Pulse of the Healthcare Industry FDA wants confirmatory trials to be underway before...

There were a lot of moments in 2022 that left us scratching our heads. In this episode, we’ll recap biotech’s top blunders, boondoggles, gaffes and missteps in our "Rotten Tomatoes" report—plus, we highlight two ripened tomatoes that gave us hope.   Also in this episode, we cover the week's biggest headlines including drug approvals late in the last stretch of 2022, Moderna's first buy and why Biogen and the FDA are in hot water.  To learn more about topics in this episode: Fierce...

We totaled the salaries, stock options and bonuses awarded to various medtech CEOs to figure out who the highest paid chiefs were. And our top 10 list saw a few ups and downs over the past year. We'll hear from Connor Hale and Andrea Park as they discuss medtech's highest paid CEOs. Also in this episode, we cover the week's biggest headlines including Theranos' COO's jail sentence, highlights from the American Society of Hematology annual meeting, and an update on the Horizon Therapudics...

Last week, senior editor Annalee Armstrong and staff writer Gabrielle Mason covered the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease conference. We'll hear from them as they discuss the latest news and what surprised them.   Also in this episode, we cover the week's biggest headlines including an investigation into Neuralink, Google’s DeepMind and why things aren't working out for PI3Ks. To learn more about topics in this episode: Eisai, Biogen rocked by 2nd lecanemab death report ahead of...

Biogen recently named Christopher Viehbacher its new CEO, ending a monthslong search to replace Michel Vounatsos. Fraiser Kansteiner and Kevin Dunleavy talk about the current state of the company and recent investor reactions to the new hire. Plus, they discuss a string of other biopharma CEO appointments.  And, in this episode, we cover the week's news including what Albert Bourla, Ph.D., said that has him in hot water along with a $3.5 million drug, and we tease a possible major...

Learn how Slope’s eClinical Supply Chain Management platform provides robust technology to the clinical trial space, covering all areas of supply management without losing sight of the chain of custody. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on "The Top Line," we discuss 2022’s Fiercest Women in Life Science honorees. Each year, we spotlight women who are leading the way in life sciences—women who stand out as leaders, innovators and mentors. We’ll hear from Andrea Park and Querida Anderson on what it took to make the cut for this year's class of fiercest women in life sciences. Plus, this week's headlines.  To learn more about topics in this episode: 2022's Fiercest Women in Life Sciences Eli Lilly issues rare...

This week on "The Top Line," we'll share highlights from the Cell & Gene Therapy Forum. Lack of access and multimillion-dollar costs have stirred debate over the appropriate price of potentially lifesaving cell and gene therapies. Fierce’s Max Bayer spoke with a panel of stakeholders at the forum. They discussed the state of play for cell and gene therapies and how they can become a genuine game changer for the many, not the few. We also talk with executives from Poseida Therapeutics...

After more than a year of respirator recalls, it’s probably no surprise that Philips reported lower-than-expected revenues for the third quarter of this year. But that announcement also came with the revelation that the company is now laying off 4,000 workers and planning for even more restructuring. Fierce Medtech's Andrea Park discusses this latest news and digs into the long line of problems that led to this decision. Philips' downward slide started last June, with the recall of CPAP and...

It’s earnings season again. Biogen offered a look at its second foray into Alzheimer’s disease during its investor call, but listeners were still left dubious. All eyes—and ears—are on whether its lecanemab partnership with Eisai can outperform the ill-fated Aduhelm. In this episode, we chat about what went down during the earnings presentation, including rumors of a shaky relationship between the two drugmakers. We also explore AstraZeneca finally claiming an FDA approval for its...

We just released a special report on the top 10 vaccine companies. We haven’t published this report since 2017, when we only profiled five manufacturers. But five years and one COVID pandemic later, that order has been completely shuffled with many new faces. It’s clear that the vaccine industry is changing fast. In today's episode we'll discuss those global rankings, plus this week's headlines. To learn more about topics in this episode:  The top 10 vaccine companies worldwide Pfizer...

The world’s most productive biopharmas have gone through some major changes in the past five years. In Fierce Pharma’s latest analysis, BioNTech and Moderna beat their biopharma peers with the highest 2021 revenues per employee. The 2021 cohort as a whole showed improved productivity over 2016, although several companies experienced declines. In this episode, we'll discuss our special report on the most productive pharmas. Also under discussion is Biogen's tumultuous year, which was spurred...