Lilly to buy pain drug developer SiteOne, challenging Vertex

The acquisition expands Lilly’s pain pipeline with a slate of drugs targeting ion channel proteins like NaV1.7 and NaV1.8.

By Jacob Bell • May 28, 2025

What’s next for Trump’s ‘most favored nation’ policy?

HHS set drug price targets last week for pharma manufacturers, while lawmakers proposed new reforms.

By Amy Baxter • May 27, 2025

Explore the Trendline➔

Oncology R&D

Cancer research remains a prime focus for the industry and often leads to pharma’s most impactful breakthroughs.   

By PharmaVoice staff

Turning the page: Novo’s CEO transition reflects Big Pharma’s era of change

Turnover of the top execs at pharma giants like J&J, AbbVie and Merck in the last few years illustrates the seismic industry shifts that often accompany leadership changes.

By Michael Gibney • May 22, 2025

Lilly’s former small molecule head makes the leap to a rising biotech in obesity

Utpal Singh joined the peptide-focused biotech Zealand Pharma last month after it notched a massive obesity deal with Roche.

By Amy Baxter • May 21, 2025

Regeneron wins bid to buy 23andMe out of bankruptcy

The biotech, which has for years invested in genetics research, plans to acquire "substantially all" of testing firm 23andMe's assets for $256 million.

By Ned Pagliarulo • May 20, 2025

The placebo effect: How a new FDA rule could pile more strain onto vaccine developers

The proposed plan would require placebo testing for all new vaccines and could mean additional costs and time for R&D.

By Alexandra Pecci • May 20, 2025

With the third round of Medicare price negotiations on the way, here’s how the policy is shifting

HHS issued guidance for the third cycle, teeing up another 15 drugs to be selected by early next year.  

By Amy Baxter • May 19, 2025

Tracking a moving target: Drugmakers brace for a looming tariff impact

With policies in flux, companies seek to be proactive and understand their supply chain.

By Kelly Bilodeau • May 19, 2025

A startup with Theranos ties has another blood test in the works. This time, competition is waiting.

A stealth startup built by the partner of disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is taking a shot at a new blood test — an area where other companies are already making strides.

By Meagan Parrish • May 16, 2025

Women’s health faces growing headwinds, despite jump in venture investment

While venture funding is rising, federal policy upheaval may affect women’s health research more acutely than other fields, one biotech CEO said.

By Delilah Alvarado • May 14, 2025

Trump’s ‘most favored nation’ policy is back. Here’s why it failed the first time.

The controversial plan aims to lower drug prices and will surely trigger another fight with pharma.

By Amy Baxter • May 14, 2025

FDA’s future in MAHA hands: How leadership is changing the agency’s trajectory

Who’s in, who’s out and which key positions are still left to be filled in an agency upended.

By Alexandra Pecci • May 13, 2025

With the breakneck speed of cancer breakthroughs, oncologists feel left behind. Can Big Pharma chime in?

Community oncologists do their best to keep up with new treatments, but with the pace of cancer approvals, drugmakers need to team up with doctors on the front line.

By Michael Gibney • May 13, 2025

Lupus R&D has come a long way, and the next breakthroughs could come from cell therapy

But the therapies will need to prove their worth in the clinic over the next few years.

By Kelly Bilodeau • May 12, 2025

AI is already delivering pharma value — and not just in drug discovery

While AI-generated drugs grab headlines, the technology is making more of an impact doing less “glamorous” tasks.

By Meagan Parrish • May 12, 2025

RFK Jr.’s autism fixation hearkens back to his stance on vaccines

The head of HHS is seeking the “root causes” of autism spectrum disorder through a large government research project.

By Amy Baxter • May 9, 2025

Alnylam keeps pushing the rare disease paradigm as RNAi promises even wider indications

With another rare disease approval under its belt, Alnylam is still revving up the R&D engines for new indications.

By Michael Gibney • May 8, 2025

Prasad’s FDA appointment pressures cell and gene therapy stocks

A vocal opponent of his predecessor Peter Marks, Dr. Vinay Prasad will now lead the office tasked with reviewing some genetic medicines, adding more uncertainty to an already struggling field of research.

By Ben Fidler • May 7, 2025

With TV ads under threat, here’s how pharma can leverage social media

RFK Jr.’s plan to ban TV advertising may shift more marketing attention to online platforms.

By Amy Baxter • May 7, 2025

On tariffs and pricing, Big Pharma CEOs are waiting out the storm while planning for the worst

Chief executives at the largest drugmakers in the world are confident tariffs and pricing measures won’t be a major problem. But they’re still poised for change.

By Michael Gibney • May 6, 2025

After an up and down year, pharma’s R&D landscape is shifting again

While clinical trial funding was up, deal-making was down, and new uncertainties are coming into the picture.

By Kelly Bilodeau • May 5, 2025

With compounders out of the way, Lilly and Novo go after each other

The two obesity leaders are pulling on all levers to stay on top of the market.

By Amy Baxter • May 5, 2025

Is pharma ready to let go of animal testing?

Regulators have signaled their willingness to embrace alternative tests and guide the industry in new directions.  

By Meagan Parrish • May 2, 2025

J&J scores FDA OK for immune drug touted as future blockbuster

The company has predicted that Imaavy — now approved for myasthenia gravis — could eventually earn more than $5 billion in annual sales at its peak.

By Ned Pagliarulo • May 1, 2025

Can real-world evidence bear some of the burden left by NIH cuts? This CEO sees an opportunity.

Turmoil at the NIH has led to handwringing among researchers and drugmakers who rely on public funding. 

By Michael Gibney • May 1, 2025