👋 Hey, let’s get into it. CAR-T therapies have already rewritten the playbook in cancer. Now they are starting to take a swing at the immune system itself.

In a first-of-its-kind case, a single CAR-T treatment pushed three separate autoimmune diseases into remission in one patient. Not improved. Not managed. Gone.

The therapy works by wiping out rogue B cells and essentially rebooting the immune system from scratch. Eleven months later, the patient is living normally, no transfusions, no constant hospital visits. If this holds up in larger studies, we might be looking at a future where autoimmune disease is not treated… it is reset.

🏄 Regeneron Rides Radiopharma Wave With $2.1B Telix Pact
Regeneron is diving deeper into radiopharmaceuticals with a deal that could be worth up to $2.1 billion in milestones for Telix. The collaboration starts with four solid tumor programs, with an option to expand, and pairs Regeneron’s antibody portfolio with Telix’s radiopharma manufacturing muscle. If successful, the companies will split profits globally, signaling real conviction in the modality. With radiopharma heating up across the industry, Regeneron is clearly positioning itself early before the space gets overcrowded.

🏆 Lilly Stacks Another CLL Win With Jaypirca Combo
Eli Lilly’s BTK inhibitor Jaypirca just delivered its fourth phase 3 win, this time in a first-of-its-kind fixed-duration combo regimen for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). When added to venetoclax and rituximab, the drug significantly improved progression-free survival compared to the standard approach. Notably, this is the first phase 3 trial to outperform a venetoclax-based regimen, a major benchmark in blood cancer treatment. Lilly plans to take the data to regulators this year, adding more momentum to an already strong oncology run.

💰 AbbVie Bets $745M on Non-Opioid Pain Future
AbbVie is betting big on non-opioid pain therapies, licensing two NaV1.8 inhibitors from China’s Haisco in a deal worth up to $745 million. These drugs target a key pain signaling pathway in nerve cells, aiming to reduce pain without the addiction risks tied to opioids. AbbVie gets ex-China rights and will fund development through early clinical stages. With regulators and society pushing hard for opioid alternatives, this could be a timely addition to AbbVie’s pipeline.

🏁 Revolution’s RAS Drug Extends Survival in Pancreatic Cancer
Revolution Medicines just hit a major milestone with its pan-RAS inhibitor, showing a nearly doubled overall survival in late-stage pancreatic cancer patients. Treated patients lived 13.2 months on average versus 6.7 months on chemotherapy, a meaningful improvement in one of the toughest cancers to treat. The company plans to take the data to regulators and leverage the FDA’s priority voucher program. With blockbuster projections already floating around, this could be one of biotech’s most closely watched approvals.

🏃 Roche Joins DAC Race With $1B+ C4T Deal
Roche is officially entering the degrader-antibody conjugate (DAC) space, teaming up with C4 Therapeutics in a deal worth over $1 billion in milestones. The partnership combines Roche’s antibody expertise with C4T’s targeted protein degradation platform to create next-gen cancer therapies. Unlike traditional ADCs, these DACs aim to destroy disease-causing proteins more precisely, potentially reducing toxicity and resistance. The message is clear: the next evolution of targeted oncology is already underway.

🧬 Gilead Expands Protein Degrader Pipeline
Gilead paid $45M to license Kymera’s CDK2 molecular glue degrader, with up to $665M in milestones on the table.

📈 Allogene Stock Surges on CAR-T Data
Off-the-shelf CAR-T cleared residual lymphoma in 41.6% more patients, sending shares up over 50% premarket.

🚫 Replimune Hit With Second FDA Rejection
FDA again rejected melanoma therapy RP1, citing insufficient evidence and trial design concerns. Replimune to reduce workforce as a result.

💰 Garda Buys Assertio for $125M
Deal includes chemo support drug Rolvedon as Assertio offloads remaining assets separately.

⚖️ HHS Lawsuit Moves Forward
Federal judge allows states’ lawsuit challenging RFK Jr.’s agency overhaul and layoffs to proceed.

💊 Vanda Targets GLP-1 Side Effects
Phase 3 trial will test Nereus to prevent nausea and vomiting linked to GLP-1 therapies.

📊 Kailera Eyes $528M IPO
Obesity-focused biotech looks to fund GLP-1 pipeline with major Nasdaq debut.

👁️ Ideaya Sets Up FDA Filing for Eye Cancer Drug
Ideaya and Servier-partnered eye cancer drug hits PFS endpoint, positioning for accelerated approval later this year.

Back in the 1960s, a Norwegian scientist stumbled on a strange cholesterol-like particle that did not quite fit the rules. Decades later, that molecule, lipoprotein(a)—abbreviated as Lp(a), is shaping up to be one of the biggest untapped opportunities in medicine.

Here is the setup. About 20% of the global population has elevated Lp(a), putting them at higher risk for heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular issues. Unlike cholesterol, you cannot fix it with diet or exercise (sorry Peloton). It is almost entirely genetic, which makes it both frustrating and incredibly attractive as a drug target.

That is where things get interesting. New therapies using siRNA and antisense technology are showing they can reduce Lp(a) levels by 70% or more. Some next-gen approaches are pushing that number past 90%. If lowering Lp(a) translates into fewer cardiac events, these drugs could rival or even surpass statins in scale.

The first real test is coming soon. Novartis and Ionis are preparing to read out a massive phase 3 trial that could validate the entire field. A win would not just greenlight one drug, it would trigger a wave of testing, prescribing, and pipeline investment across the industry.

But there is still uncertainty. Scientists are not even fully sure what Lp(a) does in the body, or whether driving levels close to zero could have unintended consequences. Even so, the momentum is undeniable. Big Pharma is already piling in, chasing what could become the next mega-blockbuster category.

Obesity drugs were the last gold rush, Lp(a) might be the next one.

Read the full story

That is how many semaglutide copycat brands have flooded India following the drug’s patent expiration, instantly reshaping the weight-loss market. Eli Lilly’s market share slipped from 61% to 56% in just one month, while Novo Nordisk held steady at 25%. With India supplying roughly 20% of the world’s generics and housing over 100 million diabetes patients, this is an early glimpse at what happens when blockbuster biologics meet global pricing pressure.

Here’s what biotech Redditors are talking about:

🤔 Startup Salary vs Stability
One biotech Reddit thread tackled a classic dilemma: take a $60K raise at a risky startup or stay in a stable academic role. The community split quickly. Some argued the long-term upside of industry experience and equity is hard to ignore, especially with academia’s salary ceiling. Others pointed out the hidden math, where higher cost of living and longer hours can quietly erase that pay bump. The consensus: this is less about money and more about your risk tolerance and where you want your career to land in 5 to 10 years.

😬 When the Good Manager Gets Cut
Another thread captured the shock of a beloved manager getting laid off despite strong team performance. The responses were blunt. Great managers are rare, and losing one often signals deeper organizational shifts, not isolated decisions. Some advised staying heads down and leveraging the moment for internal growth, while others took it as a clear signal to start job hunting. Either way, the tone was consistent: when leadership stability disappears, everything else tends to follow.

🎙️ RFK Jr. Launches Health Podcast
HHS Secretary says new show will expose “corruption” and feature controversial voices across science and medicine.

🏛️ PhRMA CEO Steps Down
Longtime industry leader Steve Ubl plans to retire after more than a decade leading pharma’s top lobbying group.

💊 Drug Supply Risks Expanding
USP flags Tamiflu and Trulicity among medicines vulnerable to supply chain disruptions due to sourcing dependencies.

🦠 Measles Antibody in Development
Invivyd is testing a potential alternative to vaccines as measles cases rise alongside growing vaccine hesitancy.

🎯 Sidewinder Targets Tumors With Dual-Lock ADCs
Sidewinder Therapeutics just raised $137 million to advance a new class of bispecific antibody-drug conjugates designed to hit tumors with greater precision. By targeting two receptors at once, the approach aims to both identify cancer cells and force drug payloads deeper inside them. The company is focusing on solid tumors like lung and colorectal cancer, with plans to enter the clinic by 2027. In a crowded ADC space, Sidewinder is betting that smarter targeting wins.

🧬 April 14, 2003 — The Human Genome Project Is Completed
After 13 years of work, scientists announced they had successfully sequenced 99% of the human genome with 99.99% accuracy. The Human Genome Project unlocked the blueprint of human biology and laid the foundation for modern genomics, precision medicine, and countless biotech breakthroughs that followed. At the time, it was one of the most ambitious scientific collaborations ever attempted. Today, it feels like the starting line.

We went from sequencing the entire human genome… to rebooting the immune system with a single infusion. Not a bad 20-year run.

Meanwhile, scientists are still trying to figure out what Lp(a) actually does before we turn it into a trillion-dollar drug class.

Biotech never waits for full understanding.

See you Thursday for the next issue. 👋

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