Research & Development


  • A BioNTech logo hangs on the side of an office building.
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    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
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    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 Sept. 12, 2025
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    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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    aprott via Getty Images
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    Ozempic for cancer? Signs point to potential benefits of GLP-1s in oncology.

    Growing research suggests various ways weight loss drugs could have an impact in cancer care.

    By Sept. 11, 2025
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    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
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    Dragos Condrea via Getty Images
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    A new class of sleep drugs draws Wall Street’s attention

    Clinical trial data presented this weekend show drugs from Takeda, Alkermes and Eisai significantly helped people with narcolepsy, heralding a new era of sleep medicine.

    By Jacob Bell • Sept. 10, 2025
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    Q&A

    Can new Alzheimer’s tests help clear the way for the next generation of therapies?

    A tau-related blood test could offer more insight in early-disease pathology to the complicated Alzheimer’s disease space.

    By Sept. 9, 2025
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    Inside pharma’s race to deliver new treatments for dwarfism

    By targeting the underlying genetic mutation that drives the condition, researchers hope to increase height and address debilitating complications.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Sept. 8, 2025
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    International appeal: Europe and UK lure US scientists with financial incentives

    With slashed budgets and decimated research programs, American scientists are increasingly looking for career opportunities abroad.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Sept. 4, 2025
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    How AI advances will shape the drugmaker of the future

    An AI revolution is taking place, and leaders from tech to Big Pharma are forecasting what drugmakers of the future will look like.

    By Sept. 2, 2025
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    How a SpaceX mission could speed drug discoveries on Earth

    Research enabled by blasting off into space could lead to better treatments for diseases such as ALS and Parkinson’s.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Aug. 28, 2025
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    A brewing GLP-1 showdown, from Big Pharma pills to a biotech implant

    Newcomers looking for a way into the obesity space are developing unique methods to snag market share.

    By Aug. 27, 2025
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    AbbVie dives back into the neuro pool with a $1.2B psychedelics play

    Following a major clinical failure last year, AbbVie’s purchase of a psychedelic depression treatment has the potential to revive a touch-and-go market.

    By Aug. 26, 2025
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    And just like that... pharma’s breakups reveal pain points in cancer R&D

    Biotech tie-ups with Gilead, Genetech and Ipsen that have recently been let go.

    By Aug. 22, 2025
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    Q&A

    In cell therapy, cost is a hot issue. The industry might need a cold solution.

    The logistical linchpin of cryopreservation could make a challenging space more accessible.

    By Aug. 19, 2025
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    Merck KGaA ventures into new territory in the US

    How the president of EMD Serono, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s U.S. arm, is leading the charge to “double down” on new innovation.

    By Alexandra Pecci • Aug. 15, 2025
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    With scrapped mRNA funding, a vaccine maker finds a silver lining

    While mRNA is suffering the brunt of the MAHA movement with $500 million in funding cuts, other vaccine makers could fill some of that void.

    By Aug. 14, 2025
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    3 ways the GLP-1 market has changed shape this year

    Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly’s quarterly earnings revealed shifting dynamics in the lucrative obesity space.

    By Aug. 12, 2025
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    Are stem cell therapies ready for pharma’s prime time?

    Stem cell therapies are thriving on the fringes of healthcare — but science-backed treatments are also poised to make an impact in pharma R&D.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • Aug. 11, 2025
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    As gene therapies falter on the market, this biopharma is aiming to defy the odds

    After a strong launch for its cancer gene therapy, Ferring Pharmaceuticals is setting the stage for long-term growth.

    By Aug. 8, 2025
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    Q&A

    Inside AstraZeneca’s long-game strategy in lung cancer

    New long-term results for Tagrisso in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer showcase a precision approach the company has honed for decades.

    By Aug. 7, 2025
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    Permission granted by Vertex Pharmaceuticals
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    David Altshuler, geneticist who helped transform Vertex, to retire next year

    Since becoming Vertex's top scientist in 2015, Altshuler has helped the company become an industry powerhouse. He’ll depart next year in a “planned transition.”

    By Ben Fidler • Aug. 5, 2025
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    Courtesy of Merck & Co.
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    Merck & Co. assembles an Alzheimer’s comeback with a next-gen precision focus

    With two molecules in mid-stage trials, the pharma giant is taking another swing at the difficult disease with a greater understanding of its drivers.

    By Aug. 1, 2025
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    Roche pushes ahead with late-comer strategy in obesity

    The Swiss pharma company announced several updates to its obesity portfolio in its latest earnings report.

    By July 30, 2025
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    Biotech investing is down, but some VC firms are bucking the trend

    Discipline is the name of the game after a glut of over-investing burst the biotech bubble.

    By Alexandra Pecci • July 29, 2025
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    Could bispecifics unseat Keytruda from its oncology throne?

    Signals suggest the drugs could improve on the standard of care, but the market may not make it easy for another megablockbuster to rise to the top.

    By Kelly Bilodeau • July 28, 2025