Podcasts

FDA approvals, biotech acquisitions, and clinical trial updates are shaping today’s biopharma landscape. This episode of The BioPharm Brief covers the first approved PROTAC therapy for breast cancer, UCB’s planned acquisition of Candid Therapeutics, and new clinical data from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company in primary immunodeficiency.

The BioPharm Brief covers three recent FDA developments shaping the autoimmune and inflammatory disease landscape. The agency cleared a subcutaneous autoinjector for anifrolumab in systemic lupus erythematosus, enabling at-home administration. It also granted Priority Review to nipocalimab for warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia, highlighting its potential as a targeted treatment for a rare condition. In addition, a supplemental application has been submitted for subcutaneous risankizumab as an induction therapy in Crohn disease, which could reduce the need for infusion-based initiation. Together, these updates reflect a growing focus on patient convenience, expanded access, and more precise treatment approaches in immune-mediated diseases.

AstraZeneca reported consistent Phase III results for its IL-33 biologic in COPD, while Boehringer Ingelheim continues expanding its use of AI to accelerate drug discovery and disease research. Meanwhile, the FDA has accepted a biologics license application for Gazyva as a potential treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus, signaling progress in addressing unmet patient needs.

BioPharm International sat down with Mary Blenn, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Avantor, to discuss how superior manufacturing and supply chain performance are key to delivering a consistently exceptional customer experience. Blenn walks us through strategic investment strategies in capabilities and operational design. These initiatives validate how modernized ways of working translate into better reliability, faster delivery, higher quality and more predictable performance for customers across the globe.

The October 2025 FDA draft guidance for biosimilars marks a major shift toward greater reliance on analytical data. Most notably, it signals a move to reduce or even eliminate comparative efficacy studies when robust analytics can provide equivalent insight, detecting subtle differences that clinical studies often miss. Biosimilar development will continue to require comprehensive analytical packages, with emphasis on orthogonal techniques. This session features Colette Quinn from Waters Corporation, who discusses how analytics support biosimilar development and help meet the FDA’s “totality-of-evidence” expectations.