Novartis’ $12B Avidity deal shows a willingness to take big swings in neuroscience

A premium paid for RNA candidates reflects what the pharma giant has sought to do for the last few years: aim at revolutionary technology that fits into their own expertise.

By Michael Gibney • Oct. 28, 2025

Takeda stakes more than $11B on cancer drugs from China

The Japanese pharma is licensing up to three next-generation cancer drugs from Innovent Biologics in a deal it believes to be “transformative” for its oncology portfolio.

By Ben Fidler • Oct. 24, 2025

Explore the Trendline➔

Oncology R&D

Cancer research remains a prime focus for the industry and often leads to pharma’s most impactful breakthroughs.   

By PharmaVoice staff

Massachusetts biotech hub is limping amid layoffs and low investment

The state’s difficulties in the last year are indicative of wider industry problems during a time of market trepidation, as optimism gives way to resilience.

By Michael Gibney • Oct. 23, 2025

AI giants Nvidia, Microsoft and Google are making critical moves in pharma R&D

With market caps in the trillions, these tech behemoths are establishing a growing presence in drug development. Here’s what they’re up to.

By Alexandra Pecci • Oct. 22, 2025

In the Salesforce vs. Veeva saga, the clock is ticking for drugmakers

The CRM platform split will be official in 2030, but that still doesn’t leave much time for pharmas and biotechs that have yet to choose which way to go.

By Michael Gibney • Oct. 21, 2025

Ultra-rare diseases got a boost from recent FDA approval signalling more regulatory flexibility

Stealth BioTherapeutics’ FDA win could help build momentum in the broader rare disease space.

By Alexandra Pecci • Oct. 15, 2025

Too much of a good thing? A flood of data is slowing clinical trials.

Pharma companies want to know it all — but cutting out unnecessary data collection could speed drug R&D.

By Kelly Bilodeau • Oct. 15, 2025

What a gene therapy win means for the Huntington’s disease pipeline

Recent results for a Huntington’s gene therapy confer a hopeful sign for R&D in the space.

By Kelly Bilodeau • Oct. 14, 2025

Beyond dire wolves: Could Colossal’s de-extinction work transform human health?

While resurrected animal species grab headlines, Colossal’s behind-the-scenes R&D may be poised to make an impact for humans as well.

By Meagan Parrish • Oct. 10, 2025

Nobel Prize victory spotlights immunology’s value in pharma

While saturated with mature blockbusters, the immunology space is vibrating with new potential breadwinners from the top companies.

By Michael Gibney • Oct. 9, 2025

Vertex’s quest for a breakthrough in Type 1 diabetes

The race is on for an insulin-producing treatment that doesn’t require immune suppressing drugs.

By Kelly Bilodeau • Oct. 8, 2025

As setbacks plague other companies, MindMed becomes a front-runner in the psychedelics race

Challenges faced by other drugmakers have reinforced, rather than discouraged, MindMed’s approach to psychedelic drug R&D for anxiety and other disorders.

By Alexandra Pecci • Oct. 7, 2025

AstraZeneca’s at-home flu vaccine is a breakthrough that could pave the way for others

FluMist Home could be a test case for at-home vaccines against a backdrop of challenging regulatory shifts.

By Alexandra Pecci • Oct. 1, 2025

Top pharma industry conferences in 2026

Where pharma leaders will converge, discuss and navigate the industry’s shifting landscape in 2026.

By Meagan Parrish • Oct. 1, 2025

Will the first fibromyalgia drug in 15 years deliver a breakthrough in pain?

The new treatment may only offer modest benefits, but could gain traction in a market with few other options.

By Kelly Bilodeau • Sept. 30, 2025

As obesity M&A heats up, pharmas could get ‘blinded by opportunity’

With companies racing to secure GLP-1-related assets, there may be risks for moving too fast.

By Kelly Bilodeau • Sept. 29, 2025

Can a multibillion-dollar deal put Pfizer in the obesity big leagues?

After a couple failed attempts on its own, Pfizer is hitting the M&A gas to bring in candidates that could help it become a weight loss heavyweight.

By Michael Gibney • Sept. 25, 2025

Why Xoma, a drug royalty firm, is hunting biotech ‘zombies’

The collapse in value of many biotechs over the past few years has created an opportunity for specialists like Xoma to “do the right thing” for the ecosystem and liquidate them, its executives say.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Sept. 25, 2025

Pharma’s next generation of blockbuster antibodies takes a ‘more is better’ approach

Why multi-specific antibodies are seeing a fresh surge of industry buzz.

By Kelly Bilodeau • Sept. 24, 2025

Lilly’s Alzheimer’s efforts depend on newer, better biomarkers and diagnostics

The pharma giant’s R&D in Alzheimer’s didn’t end with last year’s Kisunla approval, and diagnostics could define where the company goes next.

By Michael Gibney • Sept. 23, 2025

3 FDA approval firsts that could be around the corner

Several market-altering decisions are on the agency’s docket for the rest of 2025.

By Meagan Parrish • Sept. 19, 2025

Biotech’s VC slowdown forces young drugmakers to adapt in the ‘valley of death’

Amid the sector’s long winter, startups are shifting gears to extend their cash runways.

By Michael Gibney • Sept. 17, 2025

Moderna and BioNTech pioneered mRNA vaccines. But who will make a mark in therapeutics?

While mRNA changed the game in vaccines, leveraging the technology to develop treatments has been trickier to navigate.

By Kelly Bilodeau • Sept. 15, 2025

4 years from clinic to approval — Precigen’s ‘unprecedented’ FDA nod and what comes next

The company scored the first-ever approval to treat a potentially deadly infection leveraging its gene therapy platform.

By Meagan Parrish • Sept. 12, 2025

Pharma’s new boomtown? Why drugmakers are setting up shop in a small Swiss city.

While the EU and UK attempt to lure scientists with new financial incentives, Basel’s stable economy and emphasis on science remains a draw.

By Alexandra Pecci • Sept. 10, 2025