Gilead has penned a potential $1.5 billion synthetic lethality deal with a Chinese biotech. A cell therapy company could end a one-year-plus biotech IPO drought in Tokyo. | Gilead penned a potential $1.5 billion synthetic lethality deal with a Chinese biotech. Gilead penned a $1.5 billion cancer deal. A cell therapy firm could end a biotech IPO drought in Tokyo. Novo faces more GLP-1 competition in China. Gilead has penned a potential $1.5 billion synthetic lethality deal with a Chinese biotech. A cell therapy company could end a one-year-plus biotech IPO drought in Tokyo. Novo Nordisk faces increased GLP-1 competition in China. Japanese cell therapy company Innovacell aims to go public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Feb. 24. With a regenerative therapy for urge fecal incontinence in phase 3 development, the company plans to initially offer 8.4 million shares at a price of 1,350 Japanese yen apiece. There were no biotech IPOs on Tokyo's stock exchange last year. 2. Cell therapy company hopes to end Tokyo biotech IPO drought with $92M offering

Original title: “Fierce Pharma Asia—Gilead's synthetic lethality deal; A Tokyo biotech IPO; Novo’s Ozempic China sales dip”

Madrigal shares fell 11% despite again topping consensus sales numbers. Elsewhere, Daiichi Sankyo named a new research chief and J&J halted recruitment in an Alzheimer’s trial.

Original title: “Madrigal sees a stock sell-off; ex-Novartis exec heads to Daiichi”

Despite a wave of AI-fueled layoffs, the pharma and biotech industries could be spared from massive cutbacks for now.

Original title: “AI is slashing jobs across industries. Will pharma be next?”

Stem cell technologies company Axol Bioscience has acquired the ophthalmology business of Newcells Biotech. The acquisition of Newcells’ ophthalmology business includes its specialist team, facilities and intellectual property related to supply of proprietary iPSC-derived products and ophthalmology research services to biopharma, biotechnology and CRO customers across Europe and the US. The platforms encompass advanced retinal organoids and 2D retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) models designed to support preclinical research and translational drug development. Growing investment in research to discover new therapeutics for eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and rare disease has driven Axol’s strategic expansion into ophthalmology, with Phenocell previously acquiredin October 2024.

Original title: “Axol to progress eye disease treatments with new acquisition - Drug Discovery World (DDW)”

Innovacell seeks $92 million Tokyo IPO to fund Phase III trials for incontinence cell therapy as Japan boosts regenerative medicine “Other funds will be used to further the development of our second program, ICES13, a cell therapy treatment for stress urinary incontinence. Also, the commencement of a first-in-human trial for our third program, ICEF16, a cell therapy treatment for passive fecal incontinence.” · Related:Aktis Oncology sets sights on first IPO of 2026 · At approximately $92 million (14.17 billion yen), the offering is substantial for the Tokyo biotech market. “Beyond Japan, we intend to expand organically in the US and Europe, while pursuing partnership and licensing strategies in broader Asia and other regions such as the Middle East and North Africa region, and Latin America.” ... Connecting China’s Biotech Innovations with the Global Life Science Ecosystem through cross-border partnerships. According to its filing with the Japan Exchange Group (JPX), Innovacell intends to use the proceeds from the IPO to advance clinical development, manufacturing, and support the commercialization of its “regenerative medicine products.” · “The vast majority of the funding will be used to drive our multi-regional Phase III trial for our lead program, ICEF15, to completion. “We also expect to stand out as one of the few late-stage biotech initial public offering (IPO) candidates on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, where most peers remain in earlier phases of development.

Original title: “Innovacell plans $92m Tokyo IPO for cell therapy”

Led by Brett Giroir and GSK’s ex-chief medical officer, Altesa is advancing a medicine that’s changed hands multiple times and once failed a study in asthma.

Original title: “Altesa, run by former Trump official, raises $75M for well-traveled lung drug”

Funding from MJFF and Wellcome supports expansion into Parkinson’s and PTSD

Original title: “Lario Therapeutics awarded $2.4m to advance calcium channel platform”

Once fully operational, the Pennsylvania site will employ more than 500 people and make cell therapies for thousands of patients a year.

Original title: “J&J Plans $1B Investment in PA Cell Therapy Manufacturing Facility”

Novartis and Unnatural Products did not specify which disease targets they’re going after, only noting that the latter's macrocyclic platform can generate potentially next-generation therapies that could apply to cardiovascular conditions.

Original title: “Novartis Bets Up to $1.7B in Cardio-Focused Peptide Partnership”

The investors backing the hottest companies in today's highly competitive venture capital market have changed drastically since the 2021 funding peak, Crunchbase data shows. Here's more on what our analysis indicates. Health, Wellness & Biotech • IPO • M&A • Public Markets • Startups • Venture A host of venture capital firms have increased counts by more than 100% at this size including Khosla Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, Google Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Eclipse Ventures and Balderton. The firms also were all up by more than 100% in led or co-led counts when compared to 2021 for deals at this size, along with one private equity firm Forbion Capital Partners, which invests largely in biotech. Stay up to date with recent funding rounds, acquisitions, and more with the Crunchbase Daily.

Original title: “Crunchbase Data: The AI Boom Has Drastically Changed Who’s Funding The Hottest Companies In 2025 Vs. 2021”

In the incredibly hot obesity drug space, with more than 700 clinical trials ongoing, Verdiva Bio and MitoRx leaders discuss how next-generation therapies are targeting lean muscle preservation, extended efficacy and better safety profiles to enable lifelong weight management.

Original title: “Muscle Preservation, Tolerability and Alternative Administration Routes Define Obesity’s Drug Future”

In a competitive job market, how applicants present themselves in interviews is critical. Asking about promotions and expressing dislike for the work they’d be doing are just a few reasons hiring managers don’t extend job offers.

Original title: “8 Things Job Candidates Say—or Don’t Say—That Turn Hiring Managers Off”

Looking for a biopharma job in Pennsylvania? Check out the BioSpace list of nine companies hiring life sciences professionals like you.

Original title: “9 Companies Hiring Now in Pennsylvania”

Many scientists-turned-CEOs paradoxically abandon scientific principles when it comes to commercializing their innovations. But applying the scientific method to business decisions can help life science entrepreneurs avoid common pitfalls, attract investment and ultimately bring transformative technologies to market.

Original title: “Extending Scientific Rigor From Bench to Boardroom”

Korean biotech venture capital (VC) firms are shifting their focus from investing in unlisted early-stage companies to listed biotech firms.As the threshold for initial public offerings (IPOs) rises and exit routes narrow, funds are concentrating on listed companies, which offer relatively lower ris Korean biotech venture capital (VC) firms are shifting their focus from investing in unlisted early-stage companies to listed biotech firms. As the threshold for initial public offerings (IPOs) rises and exit routes narrow, funds are concentrating on listed companies, which offer relatively lower risk and greater liquidity. According to data from KoreaBio and venture capital firms, the share of seed-stage investments in total biotech funding has plummeted from about 25 percent in 2020 to around 5 percent recently. Conversely, the share of later-stage investments, such as in listed companies or pre-IPO companies, has approached 50 percent, intensifying capital concentration. “If this trend continues, biotech startups will shrink, potentially mirroring Japan's trajectory.” · However, the VC industry also argues that the IPO market's threshold has become excessively high, making it difficult to rely solely on technology-based special listings to justify investments in unlisted companies. [Reporter’s Notebook] Korea’s IPO overcorrection could choke its biotech future

Original title: “IPO bottlenecks push Korean VC funds toward listed biotech firms”

IPO units began trading as RFAMU on Feb. 13; proceeds will fund a blank-check search for Asian deep tech targets in AI, quantum computing and biotech. The underwriters were granted a 45-day option to buy up to 1,500,000 additional units at the IPO price. According to the company, this represents a potential 15% increase over the base 10,000,000-unit offering. RFAM is a blank-check company formed to complete a business combination; it intends to focus on deep technology companies in Asia. According to the company, target areas include artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology. IPO proceeds of $100 million raised at $10.00 per unit · Nasdaq listing initiated with units trading under RFAMU · Focus on deep tech Asia including AI, quantum computing, biotechnology While the Company’s efforts in identifying prospective target businesses will not be limited to a particular geographic region, the Company intends to focus its search on businesses in Asia within the deep technology sector, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology. They assess the risk and determine the price at which these securities should be sold, acting like a bridge between the company and the investors. Their role helps ensure that the company raises the needed funds while providing investors with options that reflect the level of risk involved.

Original title: “RF Acquisition Corp III closes $100M Nasdaq IPO | RFAM Stock News”

A personal bankruptcy. Two industry veterans. And two potentially groundbreaking drugs. Where is this freshly filed IPO going? EIR Biopharma seeks $14.9 million to develop eye disease treatments, but the CEO's recent bankruptcy filing could raise investor questions. The company was started in 2022 by a biotech veteran who filed for personal bankruptcy the next year. This IPO keeps going on and off like a light switch

Original title: “EIR Biopharma IPO seeks $14.9 million for eye-disease drugs - San Francisco Business Times”

Jay Bhattacharya will become the latest leader of the CDC on an acting basis, days after Jim O’Neill stepped aside.

Original title: “NIH’s Jay Bhattacharya Steps In as Acting CDC Chief”

The Australian company will retain rights for an end-stage kidney disease indication currently being tested in a Phase 3 trial while Lilly explores other uses.

Original title: “Lilly to pay CSL $100M to license monoclonal antibody targeting IL-6”

FDA vouchers are normally a coveted prize for biopharma companies, but a surprise rejection for Disc Medicine’s rare disease drug has biopharma reconsidering.

Original title: “Disc’s FDA Rejection Raises Questions About Commissioner’s Vouchers”