Research & Development


  • A sign spelling Merck hangs on the side of an office building
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    No one-trick pony in oncology, Merck’s cancer footprint is expanding

    The three key therapeutic approaches Merck is leveraging to craft its next era in cancer care.

    By Feb. 20, 2026
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    Pharma could be on the cusp of finally breaking the blood-brain barrier

    Denali’s brain shuttle technology is poised for a potential landmark approval in April, and other options are gaining ground. 

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Feb. 18, 2026
  • Trendline

    Artificial intelligence & machine learning

    After years of excited buzz around the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning, pharma has begun to realize the true implications and potential value of these technologies.

    By PharmaVoice staff
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    More drugmakers are turning to cancer combos. Will it help patients live longer?

    Researchers are increasingly trying multi-pronged approaches to stop tumors in their tracks, leaving monotherapies to the wayside.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Feb. 17, 2026
  • Meg Alexander
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    Q&A // First 90 Days

    Ovid takes another big swing in neuroscience under a new CEO

    After multiple setbacks, the company is chasing a CNS target it believes has “revolutionary” potential.

    By Feb. 13, 2026
  • A sign with Eli Lilly's logo sits outside of the company's headquarters on March 17, 2024 in Indianapolis.
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    Lilly’s $2.4B bet on off-the-shelf cell therapy is part of a wider Big Pharma shift

    The pharma giant’s acquisition of in vivo CAR-T specialist Orna Therapeutics follows similar deals from AbbVie, Gilead, Bristol Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca.

    By Feb. 12, 2026
  • Jordana Blackman, co-founder, CEO, Omnigeniq
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    Profile

    A protein model designed for space could expand pharma’s definition of ‘druggability’

    A computational biology company that started in space tech is looking to change how biopharma finds disease targets by modeling how proteins behave.

    By Feb. 11, 2026
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    In a tough market, biotechs can be their own worst enemy

    Even with sound science, startups can struggle to make their candidates go the distance.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Feb. 10, 2026
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    New FDA guidance that’s a ‘huge deal’ for clinical trials

    Why using Bayesian statistics could transform trial design for rare diseases and beyond.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Feb. 10, 2026
  • Brain scans of a person with Alzheimer's are seen in this conceptual image.
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    New diagnostics define drug targets for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and beyond

    Emerging tests offer a bridge to pharma aiming to treat neurodegenerative diseases in their earlier stages.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Feb. 9, 2026
  • Christine Roth
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    Bayer sets the stage for a pharma comeback

    The pharma giant’s drug sales haven’t wowed in recent years. But that could soon change.

    By Feb. 6, 2026
  • Three people in suits sit on a dias at a Congressional hearing.
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    Big Pharma CEOs set sights on massive growth in years to come

    The CEOs at Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Merck have big plans for future revenue even as they face difficult odds in the here and now.

    By Feb. 5, 2026
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    The most valuable up-and-coming GLP-1s

    Late-stage GLP-1 candidates from Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Amgen have a combined net present value of $68 billion.

    By Alivia Kaylor • Feb. 5, 2026
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    Investors crave safer, market-ready biotech bets, widening the early-stage funding gap

    In these difficult financial times, venture capital dollars favor later-stage biotechs, forcing drugmakers with earlier-stage candidates to find alternative funding routes.

    By Feb. 3, 2026
  • Chris Peetz, CEO, Mirum Pharmaceuticals
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    Mirum doubles down on diversified rare disease strategy

    With the purchase of biotech Bluejay, Mirum stays focused on building a company with a broad pipeline and portfolio devoted to rare diseases.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Feb. 3, 2026
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    Year in Preview

    Pharma’s outlook in 2026: Smoother sailing ahead?

    After a turbulent year, the industry has a clearer picture of its new landscape and how to navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead. 

    By Jan. 30, 2026
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    How Big Pharma is navigating a $300 billion patent cliff

    Drugmakers like J&J, Merck and AbbVie are making gains by not relying on one single strategy to shore up losses. 

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Jan. 30, 2026
  • A sign with Eli Lilly's logo sits outside of the company's headquarters on March 17, 2024 in Indianapolis.
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    Eli Lilly, BioAge chase NLRP3 inhibitors with ‘pipeline in a pill’ potential

    The promising anti-inflammation target could be the next big thing in cardiovascular and other diseases.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Jan. 29, 2026
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    Has Novavax cracked the code for survival in the vaccine arena?

    The company’s new partnership with Pfizer is worth up to $530 million — and could be just the beginning.

    By Jan. 28, 2026
  • Ronald Li, CEO, co-founder, Medera
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    A potential gene therapy for heart failure is an approach decades in the making

    Medera’s mid-stage heart failure gene therapy leverages a “master switch” that could widen the aperture of genetic medicine.

    By Jan. 27, 2026
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    Big Pharma shops Chinese biotechs to stock GLP-1 pipelines

    Novo, Regeneron and Pfizer all landed weight loss deals with China-based companies last year.

    By Alivia Kaylor • Jan. 23, 2026
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    Cancer R&D is thriving. Here are the areas to watch in 2026.

    ADCs, radioligand therapies and multispecifics are leading the way in cancer innovation.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Jan. 21, 2026
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    Texas, N. Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania — where pharma manufacturing investments have surged

    Pledged projects have landed in a handful of hotspots while giving rise to potential new hubs across the U.S.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Jan. 20, 2026
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    The clinical candidates pharma execs are tracking

    Industry leaders at JPM this week revealed which up-and-coming assets they’re watching from other companies in oncology and neuroscience.

    By Jan. 16, 2026
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    3 positive trends for Massachusetts’ biopharma sector

    Despite a rocky landscape for the biotech industry nationally, Massachusetts has shown innovation growth and stronger funding than expected, which could bode well for the future.

    By Jan. 13, 2026
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    Biotech Spotlight

    A biotech’s snakebite pill is drawing the US military’s interest

    Backed by the Department of Defense, Ophirex is developing the first oral snakebite treatment, making on-the-ground treatment possible for the first time.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Jan. 13, 2026