Each week we highlight five things affecting the life sciences industry. Here’s the latest.
UK life sciences industry urges government support at Autumn Budget
- Over 200 biotech CEOs, led by the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA), have signed an industry-wide letter urging the chancellor to boost research and development tax relief and investor access ahead of the Autumn Budget, according to the BIA.
- Following the BIA’s recent Q3 UK biotech financing report, the letter highlights that the global funding drought is taking a toll, leaving many investible companies locked out of growth.
Major Medicare pricing deal for weight loss drugs
- The current administration secured sweeping cost reductions from two large pharmaceutical companies for GLP-1 weight loss drugs, with average monthly prices set at $350 and some doses as low as $150. In return, Medicare will now cover these drugs for patients with qualifying obesity-related conditions.
- Both companies agreed to “most favored nation” pricing for future drugs and received a three-year tariff reprieve. Additional discounts were announced for diabetes, migraine and insulin medications, and GLP-1 oral drugs received U.S. Food and Drug Administration priority review vouchers to accelerate approval timelines, reports EndpointsNews.
FDA expands national priority voucher program
- The FDA announced its second round of “national priority voucher” recipients, which now qualify for accelerated one- to two-month reviews. These vouchers are awarded to drugs that address public health needs, improve affordability or enhance domestic manufacturing.
- While the program aims to fast-track critical treatments, critics argue it may compromise drug safety by bypassing standard advisory processes, reports Fierce Biotech. Legal experts also warn of potential litigation due to unclear selection criteria for voucher recipients.
Tidepool and Oura launch diabetes research partnership
- The nonprofit Tidepool will collaborate with Oura to combine biometric data from Oura Rings with data from diabetes devices like continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps. The goal is to build a comprehensive real-world dataset to support innovation in diabetes care, especially addressing overlooked physiological factors in women.
- The study is set to begin in 2026 with broad data sharing. Participants who opt into the study will contribute de-identified data to the project, which will be shared with researchers and industry to accelerate diabetes research, reports MedTech Dive.
AI-powered antibody design breakthrough
- Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center developed a protein language model called MAGE that can rapidly design monoclonal antibodies against viral threats like respiratory syncytial virus and avian influenza without needing a starting antibody sequence. This approach could revolutionize how biologics are created and deployed in clinical settings, reports News Medical.
- The study highlights how artificial intelligence-driven biologic design could extend to diseases like cancer and autoimmunity.
For more insights in life sciences, check out RSM’s industry outlook.
