Takeda turns to AI drug designer for $1B biobucks deal after whittling down R&D focus (Oct 14, 2025) by Darren Incorvaia. After walking away from cell therapy and narrowing its focus to just three modalities, Takeda is doubling down on its remaining strategic commitment by reupping a pact with AI drug designer Nabla Bio. Nabla, a Harvard spinout from the

Hinge Bio Announces License and Collaboration with Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for the Development and Commercialization of HB2198 in Japan for Autoimmune Diseases Hinge Bio to receive $10 million upfront and is eligible to receive $95 million for the SLE indication and additional payments for other indications; includes contingent R&D investment, tiered sales royalties, and a portion of investment to

Roche to buy 89bio in deal worth up to $3.5B, picking up MASH drug The Swiss company said the 89bio candidate could complement its obesity pipeline (Sep 18, 2025) by Andrew Joseph. LONDON — Roche on Thursday said it would buy 89bio, the maker of an experimental drug for a liver disease that’s attracted increasing pharma interest, in a deal

Servier supercharges neuro pipeline with $450M deal for Fragile X syndrome candidate (Sep 8, 2025) by Darren Incorvaia. Servier is souping up its neurology pipeline with a clinical-stage candidate sourced from U.K. biotech Kaerus Bioscience for a rare genetic disease. The French pharma is offering as much as $450 million for KER-0193, a potential therapy for Fragile X syndrome. Kaerus

Congruence Therapeutics Announces Closing of $32M Financing to Advance First-in-Class Genetic Obesity Candidate Drug CGX-926 Through Phase 1b Proof of Concept Clinical Trial CGX-926 is the first clinical candidate addressing MC4R-deficient genetic obesity; CTA to be filed in 2H 2025 (Sep 04, 2025) by Congruence Therapeutics. MONTREAL, Sept. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Congruence, a computationally-driven biotechnology company building a unique

Novo Nordisk looks to next generation of obesity, diabetes drugs with $550M Replicate research deal (Aug 28, 2025) by Darren Incorvaia. As obesity pioneer Novo Nordisk loses ground in the race for next-generation drugs, the Danish pharma giant is betting on novel RNA technology to bolster its early-stage pipeline. Novo has inked a multiyear research collaboration with Replicate Bioscience, potentially

Lilly signs $1.3 billion deal with Superluminal to discover obesity medicines using AI (August 15, 2025) by Mariam E Sunny. Summary Superluminal to receive payments, equity investment, royalties Lilly, Novo pursuing GPCR-targeting drugs for obesity Superluminal’s lead candidate not part of deal with Lilly. Aug 14 (Reuters) – Eli Lilly (LLY.N), has signed a deal worth $1.3 billion with privately

Superluminal Medicines Announces Collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company to Advance Small Molecule Therapeutics for Cardiometabolic Diseases and Obesity Collaboration focused on undisclosed GPCR targets Company to receive an upfront and near-term payments, including an equity investment, as well as additional development and commercial milestones, and tiered royalties (August 14, 2025) by Sarah Sutton. Boston, MA — August 14, 2025

Madrigal pens $2B pact for CSPC’s preclinical GLP-1 with eye on Rezdiffra MASH pairing (Jul 30, 2025) by James Waldron. Summary Madrigal Pharmaceuticals is paying $120 million upfront for a preclinical GLP-1 receptor agonist that the biopharma plans to pair up with its approved fatty liver disease med Rezdiffra The GLP-1 drug, dubbed SYH2086, has been developed by China’s CSPC Pharmaceutical. Preclinical

Novartis puts $1B on the line to court preclinical biotech Matchpoint (July 24, 2025) by Gabrielle Masson. Novartis is serving up $60 million to partner with Matchpoint Therapeutics in hopes of getting an oral covalent inhibitor over the line for inflammatory diseases that have been historically difficult to treat. The exclusive option and licensing pact covers the development and commercialization