Big Pharma needs more—not fewer—bold bets on rare and difficult diseases after Novartis’ efforts to invest in muscular dystrophy and ALS hit major roadblocks this month.

Novartis stands alongside Big Pharma peers that have similarly invested in technologies to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, including GSK, Roche and Eli Lilly.

The partners will focus R&D efforts on immunological and inflammatory conditions using Dualitas’ DualScreen Bispecific Discovery Engine platform.

As biopharma job openings rose this year, opportunities were greatest in Massachusetts and California and in the science/R&D and clinical disciplines, according to BioSpace data. Several other locations and functions have also been going strong.

As AI becomes more embedded in biotech R&D, companies are competing for professionals who can bridge biology, machine learning, data and engineering. Recruiting expert Darren Nelson explains which capabilities are becoming hardest to find—and why.

Follow along as BioSpace tracks job cuts and restructuring initiatives.

After inking a T cell engager pact with Chimagen Biosciences a few years ago, GSK is back for more, this time acquiring a multiple myeloma program from the antibody specialist.

GSK is consolidating its vaccine manufacturing operations to one site—located in Canada—amid the pharma’s recent $2.5 billion savings campaign.

BioNTech, Summit Therapeutics, GSK and Roche have made a splash at the ongoing World Conference on Lung Cancer taking place in South Korea. These companies and their partners have all shared new findings for their closely watched programs, highlighting overall survival benefits in various types of lung cancer.

Analysts tentatively welcomed Novo’s new corporate rebrand—so long as it comes with a larger change to the company’s overall business strategy.