Friday, October 2, 2026
← Back to archivePolicy
Policy•Fierce Biotech•Oct 1, 2026
Biopharma recruiters see ‘signs of recovery’ as layoffs remain cool in Q3’26
background ▾
- •Biopharma layoff announcements have declined to pre-crisis levels (Q3 2026: 21 announcements vs. Q2-Q3 2025: 62-64 announcements), indicating potential sector stabilization after 2025's avalanche of redundancies that cut over 22,000 roles across large pharma
- •Recruitment agencies report emerging signs of recovery and upward trajectory for 2026, with AI not driving job losses but instead creating new roles like 'AI drug discovery scientist' that blend technical and scientific expertise
NovoNovartisBristol Myers Squibb
→ Read original articlePolicy•Fierce Biotech•Oct 2, 2026
Immmunotherapy startup Adecto blames ‘risk-adverse funding environment’ for closing down
background ▾
- •Early-stage biotechs pursuing novel, unvalidated therapeutic targets face severe funding constraints in the current environment, forcing promising science to stall or be abandoned
- •Adecto relied entirely on NCI small business innovation research grants rather than venture capital, highlighting limited commercial interest in de-risked but pre-clinical assets
- •The company's ADAM8 intellectual property (provisional patent filed August 2024) remains available for potential acquisition or licensing, but transition uncertainty persists
Adecto PharmaceuticalsTufts UniversityAD100
→ Read original articlePolicy•STAT News•Oct 2, 2026
Opinion: The law has to catch up on orphan-designated drugs with multiple uses
background ▾
- •The 340B exclusion for orphan-designated drugs applies to the molecule's designation, not the actual indication being treated, creating perverse pricing outcomes when multi-indication drugs are used off-label for non-orphan conditions.
- •HRSA's proposed rebate pilot (effective Jan. 1, 2027) shifts financial risk to covered entities by requiring full-price purchases upfront with rebates arriving later, problematic for small hospitals with minimal operating margins.
- •Watch for congressional action on clarifying 340B statute language to distinguish between orphan designation and actual orphan use, and for manufacturer participation rates and rebate approval timelines in the HRSA pilot program.
AbbVieRinvoq
→ Read original articlePolicy•STAT News•Oct 2, 2026
Opinion: I treated heat stroke at the NYC Marathon. Marathons need to prepare for a climate-changed world
background ▾
- •Large-scale endurance events face increasing heat-related medical emergencies but lack standardized preparation protocols and epidemiologic data collection systems
Policy•KFF•Oct 1, 2026
Medicare 101
background ▾
- •Medicare enrollment projected to grow 37% from 68 million (2024) to 93 million (2060), with increasing racial/ethnic diversity and higher prevalence of multi-morbidity and functional impairment
Market Access
Market Access•Fierce Biotech•Oct 2, 2026
Abbott launches SimpleScreen CRC blood test in the US
background ▾
- •SimpleScreen CRC is the first blood-based CRC screening test from Abbott, positioned as an option for patients declining preferred screening methods, addressing a significant market gap in non-invasive alternatives.
- •PREEMPT CRC trial enrolled 48,000+ asymptomatic adults and demonstrated clinically meaningful sensitivity (81.1% for CRC overall, 63.5% for Stage I) and specificity (90.4%), providing robust real-world evidence for a prospective screening population.
- •Watch for payer reimbursement coverage decisions and insurance formulary placement, as these will determine whether the test achieves significant market penetration relative to colonoscopy and stool-based screening in routine clinical practice.
AbbottFreenomeExact SciencesSimpleScreen CRCCologuard Plus
→ Read original articleMarket Access•Fierce Biotech•Oct 2, 2026
Novartis pens $7.8B deal for Abogen's in vivo autoimmune T-cell engager
background ▾
- •Novartis is betting $7.8B on in vivo mRNA-TCE platform as safer alternative to CAR-T following autoimmune CAR-T safety issues, signaling major shift in company's autoimmune strategy
- •ABO2203's in vivo manufacturing approach offers potential advantages: gradual systemic exposure, no lymphodepletion/premedication required, subcutaneous outpatient dosing, and lower cost versus cell therapies—but these benefits remain unproven in controlled trials
- •Watch for phase 1 autoimmune trial readouts from Ruijin Hospital and expansion into additional autoimmune indications; competitive landscape includes other in vivo CAR-T and bispecific TCE programs from major players
NovartisAbogen BiosciencesAmgenABO2203Blincyto
→ Read original articleMarket Access•KFF•Oct 1, 2026
The Average Medicare Beneficiary has 28 Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan Options for 2027
background ▾
- •Average Medicare beneficiary MA-PD options declined to 28 for 2027 from 32 in 2026, reversing years of growth and signaling early marketplace consolidation
- •Despite the decrease, 2027 option availability remains higher than every year from 2010-2021, indicating the Medicare Advantage market remains competitive and fragmented
- •Plan exits will force some beneficiaries into active re-enrollment decisions, potentially affecting drug formulary continuity and out-of-pocket costs for chronic disease management
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
→ Read original articleMarket Access•Fierce Biotech•Oct 1, 2026
Roche launches simultaneous screening test for SMA, SCID and SCD
background ▾
- •Roche's multiplexed assay is a workflow innovation that consolidates three separate competitor tests into one, reducing turnaround time for critical newborn diagnoses where delays directly impact morbidity and mortality.
- •The diagnostic launch strategically positions Roche to drive patient identification and early intervention pathways that feed into its SMA treatment ecosystem (Evrysdi) and potential future SCD therapies (crovalimab).
- •Watch for adoption rates across European newborn screening programs and whether regulatory approval expands to other geographies; also monitor clinical outcomes data demonstrating time-to-diagnosis improvements and whether this diagnostic advantage translates to increased Evrysdi uptake.
RocheRoche DiagnosticsTIB MOLBIOLEvrysdirisdiplamcrovalimab
→ Read original articleMarket Access•Endpoints News•Oct 1, 2026
Lilly pulls back from Foghorn's synthetic lethality work as biotech sheds 40% of staff
background ▾
- •Lilly has exited its synthetic lethality partnership with Foghorn, signaling reduced confidence in this therapeutic approach
- •Foghorn is cutting 40% of staff in response, indicating severe financial strain and strategic repositioning
- •Monitor Foghorn's ability to secure alternative funding or partnerships for its remaining pipeline
Eli LillyFoghorn Therapeutics
→ Read original articleClinical Trials
Clinical Trials•Fierce Biotech•Oct 1, 2026
Zealand's stock slides as Boehringer-partnered obesity drug underwhelms again in phase 3
background ▾
- •Survodutide met co-primary endpoints but showed inferior weight loss (13.1% vs 9.8% in intent-to-treat analysis) compared to Synchronize-1, raising questions about competitive positioning against GLP-1 agents already in market
- •Persistent tolerability issues (39% vomiting, 26% adverse event discontinuation) and unexceptional HbA1c reduction (1.21%) limit differentiation in a rapidly evolving obesity market
- •Boehringer's remaining hope hinges on hepatic benefits (63.1% liver fat reduction); regulatory approval pathway and commercial viability now depend on whether metabolic health advantages can offset efficacy and safety concerns in payer negotiations
Boehringer IngelheimZealand Pharmasurvodutide
→ Read original articleClinical Trials•Fierce Biotech•Oct 1, 2026
Patient death in BMS pulmonary fibrosis trial raises questions, but analysts unshaken
background ▾
- •Patient death from hepatic failure in BMS admilparant trial disclosed via protocol amendment, but unblinding incomplete; most hepatic events were mild and transient, associated with concomitant hepatotoxic medications.
- •Independent data monitoring committee endorsed trial continuation, and major analysts (William Blair, Leerink) concluded minimal on-mechanism risk, positioning event as molecule- or dose-specific rather than class-wide signal.
- •Admilparant remains potentially first-in-class LPA1 inhibitor after prior failures by BMS and Amgen; competitive landscape includes Contineum's PIPE-791 with different scaffold and lower dosing—watch phase 3 readouts (end 2026 for IPF, early 2027 for PPF) and investor sentiment toward rival LPA1 programs.
Bristol Myers SquibbContineum TherapeuticsAmgenadmilparantPIPE-791
→ Read original articleClinical Trials•Fierce Biotech•Oct 1, 2026
Foghorn lays off 40% of employees as Lilly cancer collab collapses over poor data
background ▾
- •SMARCA2/4 synthetic lethality biology failed to translate into clinical efficacy despite achieving preclinical target binding and safety objectives, challenging the viability of this mechanism across the industry
- •Major partnership collapse and restructuring: $380M Lilly-Foghorn collaboration terminated, 40% headcount reduction, and shift from clinical-stage assets to preclinical pipeline with uncertain timelines
- •Watch for: Foghorn's ability to advance EP300 and CBP degrader programs to IND stage (targeted for 2025); competitive landscape for other SMARCA-targeting programs and synthetic lethality approaches in oncology
Foghorn TherapeuticsEli LillyPrelude TherapeuticsFHD-909LY4050784CBPd-171
→ Read original articleClinical Trials•Endpoints News•Oct 1, 2026
#EASD26: Regeneron's antibody helps patients regain muscle after stopping GLP-1 therapy
background ▾
- •Regeneron's antibody candidate appears to mitigate lean muscle loss, a recognized side effect of GLP-1 therapy discontinuation
- •Data presented at EASD26 suggests a potential combination or sequential treatment strategy pairing GLP-1s with this investigational agent
RegeneronNovo NordiskWegovysemaglutide
→ Read original article