This week’s episode of “The Top Line” is the second part of a three-part series exploring the latest advancements in cell and gene therapy manufacturing.

In this episode, Fierce Pharma’s Fraiser Kansteiner interviews Delara Motlagh, head of cell therapy at Catalent; Becky Butler Cap, senior vice president of biotherapies at Vitalant; and Kevin Kyle, CEO of Germfree.

The conversation covers cell collection, the critical first step in advanced therapy manufacturing. They also discuss the importance of locking in process decisions early and how to effectively scale projects from the lab to the clinic and eventually to the market. Additionally, they talk about Germfree’s recent asset acquisition from Orgenesis, which will allow the company to expand its mission of decentralized manufacturing.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• Fulfilling the promise of cell & gene therapies through manufacturing (Part I)
• With new partnership, Galapagos takes decentralized CAR-T manufacturing quest nationwide
• Catalent opens cell therapy production site at Belgian 'center of excellence'
• After recent troubles, Catalent expands its biologics services platform

 

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This week’s episode of “The Top Line,” kicks off a series diving into the latest advancements in cell and gene therapy manufacturing. 

In this episode, Fierce Pharma’s Fraiser Kansteiner sits down with Ori Biotech CEO Jason Foster and the Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center's CEO, Jason Bock. They delve into the current state of cell and gene therapy manufacturing and consider if the existing production methods can keep up with the potential of personalized medicines.

They also dive into past hurdles in the space and highlight the varied approaches—including their own—that a new generation of cell and gene therapy manufacturing companies have been pioneering. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Ori Biotech taps MD Anderson, National Resilience joint venture to put its automated cell and gene therapy manufacturing tech to the test

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This week on "The Top Line," we're diving into the details of the spree of big-money biopharma deals in 2023 and examining what that means for this year.

Fierce Pharma Senior Writer Kevin Dunleavy sits down with Cody Powers, a consultant who advises companies on business development and franchise growth strategy, to discuss the reasons behind the numerous high-value deals in 2023, which companies are primed to make major moves this year, and whether the trend of acquiring ADCs and obesity treatments will continue. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• The top 10 biopharma M&A deals of 2023
• 2024 forecast: M&A saw an uptick in 2023. Analysts expect the trend to continue
• For biopharma M&A, the best returns come from small deals: analysts

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Fierce Pharma publishes a yearly special report highlighting the top 20 pharmas based on their revenue. The most recent edition, published this month, ranks each pharma based on their total revenues for 2023.  

This week on "The Top Line," Fierce Pharma Senior Editor Eric Sagonowsky and Senior Writer Kevin Dunleavy break down the numbers, highlight key trends and share some of the biggest changes at the top and bottom of the rankings year over year.  

To learn more about the topics in this episode:  

• The top 20 pharma companies by 2023 revenue
• The top 20 pharma companies by 2022 revenue

 

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This week on “The Top Line,” we're joined by Fierce Biotech Senior Editor Annalee Armstrong and Fierce Pharma Marketing Senior Editor Ben Adams. We're diving into our recent spin on March Madness at Fierce.

This time around, Fierce Biotech kicked off its inaugural Best Biotech Name tournament, while over at Fierce Pharma Marketing, we held our biannual Drug Names tournament.

The editors discuss what makes a company or drug name tick, what to steer clear of, and how the entire competition played out. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• #FierceMadness: AstraZeneca and Ionis cruise to victory as Wainua trounces Lilly's Mounjaro for the tournament win
• #FierceMadness: The Best Biotech Name Tournament—A champion is CROWNED

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Jeff Beck of BioCare is in the hotseat for this edition of The Top Line.

Beck is the Chief Development Officer at the company, which stands tall as a pioneer in specialty product distribution with over 40 years of experience dating back to hemophilia therapies.

During the conversation, Beck provides an inside look at the rapidly evolving specialty distribution landscape. He outlines how the patient-centric model is working well and is supported by efficient supply chains. However, the future will demand increasing personalization to handle a wider range of complex product archetypes like cell and gene therapies. This, Beck says, calls for expanded data capabilities around inventory visibility, site analytics and dissecting the patient journey.

Beck also goes on to explain how new regulations like the Inflation Reduction Act will impact specialty distribution, and why emerging manufacturers will increasingly rely on experienced partners like BioCare.

Don't miss this insightful discussion on meeting today's specialty distribution needs while paving the way for tomorrow's innovations.

Tune in now.

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This week on "The Top Line," we explore biopharma layoffs in the first quarter of 2024. 

Using data from Fierce Biotech's layoff tracker, Gabrielle Masson and Max Bayer analyze the trends of layoffs in the first quarter of 2024, comparing them to previous years. With a notable number of layoff rounds marking the start of the year, they examine the factors behind this ongoing challenge while also highlighting positive industry developments.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• No reprieve for biopharma layoffs in Q1: Fierce Biotech analysis
• Fierce Biotech Layoff Tracker 2024

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This week on “The Top Line,” we explore peripheral arterial disease, a serious health issue that is often overlooked and undermanaged.  

Join Editor-in-Chief of Fierce Life Sciences and Healthcare Ayla Ellison as she sits down with Kumar Madassery, M.D., Director of the Peripheral Vascular Intervention & CLI Program at Rush University Medical Center. They discuss the hidden dangers of PAD, and Dr. Madassery emphasizes the importance of early detection. He also discusses the launch of the PAD Pulse Alliance, a collaborative effort among vascular health experts aimed at raising awareness, improving early detection and reducing amputation rates. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Philips-supported campaign wants Americans to 'get a pulse on PAD' amid ignorance of the disease
• Johnson & Johnson 'Save Legs. Change Lives.' campaign brings PAD amputation awareness to Black community
• Bayer and J&J's Xarelto reduces ischemia risk for PAD patients after revascularization surgery

 

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This week on "The Top Line," we explore our annual special report on the top money raisers in the biotech industry.

Which company raised the most funding in 2023? What does the biotech financing landscape look like for this year? Fierce Biotech's Annalee Armstrong and Max Bayer answer those questions and many more in today's episode. They also discuss the details of the special report and share some of the stories behind the numbers. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode:  

• Biotech's top money raisers of 2023
• Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker 2024
• Fierce Biotech Fundraising Tracker 2023

 

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This week on “The Top Line,” we explore the European biotech investment landscape. 

Fierce Biotech’s James Waldron sits down with Maina Bhaman, a Partner at Sofinnova Capital Strategy, who provides insights into how investors are approaching the European biotech sector. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• 'The fundamentals are really strong': Why investors are staying loyal to European biotech in 2023
• 'Optimism' at Jefferies conference, but don't expect biotech IPO boost soon, says Sofinnova chair

 

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