Emily Schoenthaler

This week’s BioPharm Brief looks at FDA Fast Track designation for BioInvent’s BI-1808, Neurocrine’s Phase 1 obesity study of a GLP-1/GIP/glucagon triple agonist, and Replimune’s accelerated approval for Tudriqev plus nivolumab in advanced melanoma.

Moderna's mFLUSIVA approval offers a regulatory case study for mRNA vaccine sponsors, covering comparator selection lessons from the FDA's reversed refusal-to-file, competitive implications for Pfizer and Sanofi's mRNA flu programs, and what the accelerated approval pathway means for long-term regulatory risk.

Neurocrine Biosciences has dosed the first participants in a Phase 1 study of NBIP-'1968, an investigational GLP-1/GIP/glucagon receptor triple agonist for obesity, marking the company's entry into the increasingly competitive multi-agonist incretin therapeutics space.

The European Commission has approved an expanded indication for Bavarian Nordic's IMVANEX (MVA-BN) mpox and smallpox vaccine, extending eligibility down to children 2 to less than 12 years old, based on phase 2 data showing an immune response and safety profile comparable to adults.

Moderna expands the reach of mRNA technology with the first FDA-approved mRNA influenza vaccine, Merck seeks to extend RSV protection for vulnerable children, and AstraZeneca and CSPC deepen their manufacturing footprint in China.

Biotech companies entering new markets must consider talent availability, reimbursement strategy, and regional expertise early in development, according to Kirsten Detrick, chief representative, USA, at the Basel Area Life Sciences Supercluster.

Laurent Levy, founder and CEO of Nanobiotix, explains how a physics-based approach to drug delivery could complement existing therapeutic platforms by improving particle behavior in the body while avoiding added complexity.

Mediar Therapeutics has signed a collaboration and option agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical to co-develop novel antibody therapeutics targeting myofibroblast biology in fibro-inflammatory diseases, building on Mediar's existing three-program antifibrotic antibody pipeline.

Sanofi has suspended a phase 2 trial of SAR445399, an anti-IL-1R3 monoclonal antibody, in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, part of new ceo Belén Garijo's ongoing portfolio review rather than a safety concern.

Today’s BioPharm Brief highlights new advances in engineered tissues, regenerative medicine, and biologics delivery, including clinical progress for a tissue-engineered therapy, late-stage wound healing data, and a major subcutaneous delivery licensing deal.

The FDA has cleared Satellite Bio's IND application for SB-101, an off-the-shelf hepatocyte cell therapy for urea cycle disorders, marking the company's transition to clinical-stage status ahead of a planned Phase 1/2 trial in infants later this year.

Kyverna Therapeutics and ElevateBio have entered a commercial manufacturing and supply agreement for miv-cel, Kyverna's autologous CD19-targeting CAR T-cell therapy, securing scalable production ahead of a planned launch in stiff person syndrome.

This episode of The BioPharm Brief explores three stories shaping biopharma today: an AI-driven licensing deal for a next-generation bispecific ADC, an FDA regulatory milestone for BOTOX Cosmetic, and the first patients dosed with a trispecific T-cell engager for autoimmune disease.

ConcertAI executives discussed how the company's integration of CancerLinQ has expanded the platform beyond quality reporting, using artificial intelligence to deliver faster clinical insights, improve trial matching, and support oncology practices with real-time data.

Dash Bio has raised $30 million in Series A financing led by Oak HC/FT to scale its automated, GLP-compliant bioanalysis platform, bringing total funding to $47.5 million as the company works to compress preclinical and clinical sample-testing timelines.

The FDA has accepted Allergan Aesthetics' supplemental Biologics License Application for BOTOX Cosmetic to treat masseter muscle prominence, a submission that could make it the first neurotoxin approved for this indication in the US.

New clinical updates this week highlight progress across rare disease gene therapy, food allergy immunotherapy, and immuno-oncology, with developers advancing treatments for high unmet need through regulatory milestones and early clinical development.

In an interview with BioPharm International, Stephanie Fradette, head of Biogen’s Rare Neurology Development Unit, discussed FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for salanersen and early Phase 1b data evaluating the therapy in individuals with spinal muscular atrophy who had suboptimal responses following gene therapy.

Laurent Levy, founder and CEO of Nanobiotix, discusses why physics-based therapeutics could complement traditional biology-driven drug development and explains how the company's NanoPrimer platform is designed to improve delivery of complex medicines.

Opus Genetics has enrolled the last patient in its registrational Phase 3 trial of OPGx-LCA5, an AAV8 gene therapy for LCA5-associated inherited retinal disease, keeping the program on track for a potential first-in-disease approval.

China's NMPA has approved an IND for a Phase Ib/II trial combining Leads Biolabs' PD-L1/4-1BB bispecific antibody opamtistomig with standard regimens in metastatic colorectal cancer, extending the drug's reach into one of oncology's most immunotherapy-resistant tumor types.

Three major regulatory milestones highlight this week's biopharmaceutical news, from a biosimilar advancing through FDA and EMA review to a new first-line breast cancer approval in Europe and fresh Phase 3 cardiovascular data that could reshape inflammatory disease drug development.

Polpharma Biologics and Fresenius Kabi announced that the FDA and EMA have accepted for review PB016, a proposed biosimilar to Takeda's Entyvio (vedolizumab), with Fresenius Kabi holding exclusive global commercialization rights outside the Middle East and North Africa.

This episode of The BioPharm Brief explores how next-generation biologics are reshaping oncology and autoimmune disease, from a first-line antibody-drug conjugate filing and a novel ADC entering the clinic to a major investment in in vivo CAR-T technology.

Iksuda Therapeutics has received FDA clearance of its IND application for IKS04, a CA242-directed antibody-drug conjugate paired with a novel dosing approach designed to improve solid tumor penetration, enabling a Phase 1 trial in gastrointestinal cancers.

Johnson & Johnson has entered a collaboration and equity investment agreement with Sail Biomedicines to advance in vivo CAR-T therapies for immune-mediated diseases, securing an exclusive option to acquire the company for $2.58 billion.

Today's episode explores how FDA expedited pathways continue to shape advanced therapy development, from new RMAT designations for cell and gene therapies to an advisory committee review that underscores the agency's evolving expectations for clinical evidence.

The FDA has granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation to Ocugen's OCU410, a one-time AAV gene therapy for geographic atrophy secondary to dry age-related macular degeneration, based on Phase 2 data showing a statistically significant reduction in lesion growth.

Carrie Bracco, head of business development, US, Novartis Contract Manufacturing, explains why manufacturing flexibility is becoming as important as capacity for emerging biotechnology companies navigating biopharmaceutical development and contract manufacturing decisions.

Paul Romness, chair, chief executive officer, and president of OS Therapies, discusses how advances in linker chemistry, payload design, and evolving regulatory approaches could shape the next generation of antibody–drug conjugates for oncology.