About this episode

This episode discusses Moderna's FDA advisory committee meeting, record-setting biotech IPOs, and significant layoffs in the biopharma sector.

Moderna’s mRNA-based flu vaccine made headlines in February when the FDA declined to even review the application. Days later, the agency reversed course, setting a decision date for August and later scheduling an advisory committee meeting for June 18. In documents released ahead of that meeting, the FDA and Moderna seem to have reached alignment , though the agency did flag certain data gaps for advisors to review. Biotech IPOs are off the charts—literally. This past month has seen not one but two record-setting public debuts. First there was Kailera Therapeutics , which hit the market with $625 million in April, outpacing Moderna’s 2018 IPO of $600 million. And now we have Parabilis Medicines , which last week dethroned Kailera as the largest biotech IPO of all time, with $670 million. Meanwhile, the number of employees laid off spiked by almost 50% year-over-year in May, though that jump is mostly due to significant cuts at Takeda and BioNTech. Genentech also made a big change last week. Eli Lilly continued its dealmaking spree with AlzeCure, striking a licensing agreement worth up to $1 billion centering on a small-molecule asset for Alzheimer’s disease. But the bigger Lilly…

People in this episode

Host: BioSpace

Topics covered

• Moderna
• biotech IPOs
• biopharma layoffs
• FDA advisory committee
• Alzheimer's disease
• clinical results

Keywords

• Moderna
• FDA
• biotech IPO
• biopharma layoffs
• Eli Lilly
• Alzheimer's disease
• clinical results

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Moderna, FDA, Kailera Therapeutics, Parabilis Medicines, Takeda, BioNTech, Genentech, Eli Lilly, AlzeCure, Ajax Therapeutics

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