Roche’s Genentech cut at least 489 jobs last year, new disclosure reveals
On top of 348 known job cuts across the organization last year, Genentech laid off an additional 141 staffers last August that are just now being disclosed.
Medical News
Lilly likens relentless work of scientific and athletic progress in Winter Olympics ad
As the 2026 Winter Olympics get underway in Italy this week, Eli Lilly—a partner of both Team USA and the Milan Cortina Games as a whole—is rolling out a new corporate campaign inspired by the event.
STAT+: Roivant immune drug significantly outperformed placebo in treating rare skin disease
In a small trial, Roivant's immune drug significantly outperformed placebo in clearing lesions caused by a rare skin disease.
Biogen pins SMA recovery on high-dose Spinraza amid projected 2026 revenue slump
Biogen recorded declining sales for Spinraza in each of the four quarters of 2025, but the Massachusetts drugmaker sees positive signs with the recent launch of its high-dose version of the spinal muscular atrophy treatment in Japan.
Scientists found a hidden fat switch and turned it off
Researchers have discovered a previously unknown enzyme that plays a crucial role in fat production. By blocking it, they stopped weight gain, reduced liver damage, and lowered harmful cholesterol levels in animal studies. The finding opens the door to a new kind of medication that could tackle obesity, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease all at once.
Why colorectal cancer breaks the immune system’s rules
Colorectal cancer has long baffled scientists because, unlike most tumors, patients often do better when their cancers are packed with immune-suppressing regulatory T cells. New research finally explains why. Scientists discovered that these T cells aren’t all the same: one subtype actually helps keep tumors in check, while another shields cancer from immune attack. The balance between these “good
Protecting access to today’s treatments and tomorrow’s cures
NPC President and CEO John O’Brien discusses the impact of policy on patient access and innovation.
BridgeBio shares slide as Pfizer's tafamidis patent revoked in Europe
The stock price of BridgeBio plunged 15% Thursday on Pfizer's reported decision to withdraw a tafamidis patent in the EU, triggering fears of earlier generic entry in the blockbuster ATTR-CM market.
UPDATE: FDA's Makary pledges crackdown on mass marketing of 'illegal copycat drugs' in wake of Hims' Wegovy pill push
“FDA will take swift action against companies mass-marketing illegal copycat drugs, claiming they are similar to FDA-approved products,” FDA commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., said in a Feb. 5 post on X. The comments mark a clear and sharp rebuttal to Hims’ announcement earlier in the day that it had launched a compounded version of Novo Nordisk’s new Wegovy pill for obesity, just weeks after Novo&#
Doctors test brain cell implants to restore movement in Parkinson’s
Scientists at Keck Medicine of USC are testing an experimental stem cell therapy that aims to restore the brain’s ability to produce dopamine, the chemical whose loss drives Parkinson’s disease. The early-stage clinical trial involves implanting lab-grown dopamine-producing cells directly into a key movement-control region of the brain, with the hope of slowing disease progression and improving mo
A hidden brain effect of prenatal alcohol exposure
New research using rhesus monkeys suggests that the brain’s relationship with alcohol may begin forming long before a person ever takes a drink. Scientists found that exposure to alcohol before birth reshaped the brain’s dopamine system, a key player in motivation and reward, and those changes were linked to faster drinking later in adulthood.
Scientists found a sugar that could defeat deadly superbugs
Scientists in Australia have uncovered a clever new way to fight some of the most dangerous drug-resistant bacteria by targeting a sugar that exists only on bacterial cells. By designing antibodies that recognize this unique sugar, researchers were able to guide the immune system to attack and eliminate deadly infections that normally shrug off antibiotics.
A new scan lets scientists see inside the human body in 3D color
A new imaging breakthrough combines ultrasound and light-based techniques to generate vivid 3D images that show both tissue structure and blood vessel activity. Developed by researchers at Caltech and USC, the system delivers detailed results quickly and without radiation or contrast dyes. It has already been used to image multiple parts of the human body. The approach could significantly improve
Regulatory tracker: Hansa’s kidney transplant prospect earns end-of-year FDA action date
In this tracker, Fierce Pharma is recording the regulatory progress of in-market products, including expansions into key geographies and new indications. Some of these updates may not meet the bar for standalone stories, but we think they are still worth mentioning.