BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB

2024 saw highs and lows in neuroscience drug development, including FDA approval of BMS's Cobenfy for schizophrenia and Eli Lilly's donanemab for Alzheimer's, alongside failures like Sage Therapeutics' dalzanemdor in Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's. Despite setbacks, progress continues in treating intractable neurological diseases.

U.S. large-cap biopharma stocks underperformed the broader market for two consecutive years due to political uncertainty and sector rotation. JP Morgan analysts remain positive on key players like Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck & Co., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Sciences, and AbbVie Inc. Animal health stocks, including Zoetis Inc and IDEXX Laboratories, are also projected to rebound in 2025. Specialty pharmaceuticals showed early signs of stabilization in 2024.

FDA granted orphan drug designation to VGT-1849A, a selective ASO-based JAK2 inhibitor for treating polycythemia vera (PV). PV, a rare hematologic malignancy, affects 1 in 2000 individuals in the US and is caused by a JAK2 V617F mutation. VGT-1849A aims to reduce JAK2 activity, potentially offering targeted efficacy and improved safety over current JAK2 inhibitors.

Recursion Pharmaceuticals, an AI-focused biotech, could see significant progress in 2025. The company uses AI to accelerate drug discovery and development, potentially launching medicines faster and at lower costs. Collaborations with Nvidia and others, along with positive clinical trial results, suggest potential, though risks remain as no drugs are yet on the market.

Novo Holdings completes $16.5B Catalent Pharma Solutions buyout. Merck pays $112M upfront for obesity pill. Ottimo Pharma raises $140M for cancer therapy. Novo Nordisk invests $1.2B in Denmark factory. Angitia Biopharmaceuticals raises $120M for musculoskeletal candidates. Novartis closes MorphoSys sites, laying off 330. SiteOne Therapeutics secures $100M for non-opioid pain drugs. Novo Nordisk's obesity drug underperforms. Bristol Myers Squibb invests $100M in BioArctic's Alzheimer antibodies. Sudan's healthcare collapses. Tonix Pharmaceuticals files NDA for fibromyalgia drug. Neurocrine Biosciences wins FDA approval for Crenessity. Edgewise Therapeutics discusses accelerated approval for Becker muscular dystrophy. FDA places partial hold on PepGen's Duchenne therapy. Checkpoint Therapeutics' immunotherapy approved. WHO opens Academy in Lyon. GSK's Jemperli earns FDA Breakthrough status. Sanofi's duvakitug shows remission in ulcerative colitis. Sandoz agrees to $275M settlement over drug pricing. Pfizer projects 2025 earnings. Mesoblast's Ryoncil approved as 1st MSC therapy for graft-vs-host disease.

The global targeted protein degradation market is projected to grow from USD 0.548 billion in 2023 to USD 4.37 billion by 2034, driven by precision medicine, drug discovery investments, and technological advancements. PROTACs lead the market, with molecular glues expected to grow fastest. Therapy development dominates applications, particularly in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies are the largest end-users. North America leads in revenue, while Asia-Pacific shows the highest growth rate.

Aspargo Labs appoints Álvaro Fernández in Spain and Dr. Marc van Unen in Germany to accelerate global expansion, leveraging their pharmaceutical industry expertise.

Aspargo Labs appoints Álvaro Fernández and Dr. Marc van Unen as General Managers in Spain and Germany to drive global expansion. Both bring extensive pharmaceutical experience to accelerate the company's international growth.