Mandy Jackson
Verified
As seen in:
Scrip,
Dove Medical Press,
BioXconomy,
Citeline,
In Vivo,
Medtech Insight,
The Pink Sheet,
Clinical Leader,
In Vivo Podcasts
I am Managing Editor, US Commercial News, for the Citeline Commercial publication Scrip. Views expressed here are strictly my own.
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Mandy Jackson
Finance Watch: Proximal Ventures Backs AI-Based Life Sciences Solutions With New Fund
Private Company Edition: Proximal founder and managing partner Sahir Raoof discusses the firm’s first fund which has $27.5m for AI start-ups that may help deliver better drugs faster. Also, Delix closed a $100m series C round, while Graviton and CinRx launched CinRock.
Novartis’s Detailed Pelacarsen Data Leave Little Hope For Other Lp(a)-Lowering Drugs
Results At AHA Offer Grim Insights For Amgen, Lilly Drugs In Lp(a)HORIZON, lipoprotein(a) levels fell by 78.4% in pelacarsen-treated patients, but with a few more cardiovascular events than in the Phase III trial’s placebo group. A NEJM publication said other Lp(a)-reducing candidates may still deliver positive data, but analysts were skeptical.
uBiome, Inc.
Industry Biotechnology Drug Discovery Technologies Bioinformatics Genomics-Proteomics In Vitro Diagnostics Molecular Diagnostics & Genetic Testing Digital Health Disease Management Scrip Finance Watch: Morphic's 'Smooth' Progress With Oral Integrin Inhibitors Justifies $80m Series B Sep 26 2018 • By Coming from a fairly large firm – Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. – before its $8.4bn acquisition by Merck & Co. Inc. in 2014, Morphic Therapeutic Inc.
Amgen Sees Big Sales Growth But Multiple Products Face Threats
After Recent Clinical Wins, Major Cardiovascular Bets Remain Although Amgen’s revenue rose by more than 8% in the third quarter, some blockbusters are losing ground; drug candidates with recent positive late-stage readouts could help fill future gaps.
LIB Keeps Anti-PCSK9 Pricing Competitive As Lerochol Autoinjector Launch Nears
Product’s Monthly Direct-To-Patient Cost Is $199 For Both Versions LIB Therapeutics will launch its autoinjector for once-monthly Lerochol (lerodalcibep), available now in a prefilled syringe, with a $300 monthly list price – the lowest of the PCSK9 inhibitor class.
Finance Watch: Biotech Companies Scare Up Big VC Money As October Ends
Formation Bio Raises $600m To Buy Drug Candidates Private Company Edition: Dren Bio raised $350m, Pathos AI closed a $237m series E round and Warp Sciences emerged with $215m in recent venture mega-rounds. Also, Flagship combined three start-ups into one named Etcelera and the Jazz/Actio spinout Setara launched with $90m.
US Biopharma IPO Total Nears $9bn As Bambusa, Aspen Launch Offerings
While far off from a record number of initial public offerings, 2026 has been a remarkable year for IPOs, with Bambusa Therapeutics and Aspen Neuroscience the latest to go public in the US.
BMS Aims To Build Confidence In Pipeline As Growth Portfolio Sees Gains
Bristol Myers Squibb saw strong Q3 revenue growth and raised its full-year guidance, but with post-Opdivo/Eliquis growth in focus, its late-stage R&D pipeline remains under scrutiny. Bristol Myers Squibb reported $13.07bn in third quarter 2026 revenue, up 7% from Q3 of 2025, with a 12% gain for its growth portfolio helping drive overall growth.
Genmab’s Phase III Trifecta: Petosemtamab Halves Risk Of Death In Frontline Head And Neck
After positive Phase III readouts for Epkinly and Rina-S, Genmab reported that its EGFRxLGR5 bispecific petosemtamab plus Keytruda also succeeded in the first-line treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
Finance Watch: IPO Count Rises Again As Do Alternate Routes To Public Markets
Disc Medicine, Arcus, Verastem Price FOPOs Public Company Edition: Lycia raised $317.5m in its initial public offering, bringing the biopharma IPO count to 27 in the US. Also, Prana will gain a public listing through its reverse merger with Bolt, while Corxel and TriGemX will go public in SPAC mergers. • Source: Alamy Lycia Therapeutics is the latest to launch an initial public offering, bringing the number of biopharmaceutical company IPOs in the US to 27 so far this year.
Genmab’s Rina-S Succeeds In First Phase III Trial, Another Win For Late-Stage Portfolio
Follows First-Line Epkinly Results; Petosemtamab Data Due Soon Genmab’s rinatabart sesutecan (Rina-S) reduced risk of disease progression by 71% and risk of death by 57% in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) regardless of FRα expression, a competitive profile versus AbbVie’s first-in-class ADC Elahere.
Investors Bet That Star Can Repeat Past Successes With $200m Financing
Firm’s Past Wins Include Vega, DICE, True North, iPierian, Electra Star Therapeutics, which sold subsidiary Vega to Incyte for $1.26bn up front this year, raised $200m in private financing to take its next round of novel biologics into the clinic.
Finance Watch: Clinical Trial Setbacks And Strategic Shifts Lead To Job Cuts
Quince Rebrands As IRulya After Reverse Merger Restructuring Edition: EyePoint announced a Phase III trial failure and a 53% headcount reduction, Enlivex ended preclinical development and laid off 60% of its employees, Caribou cut jobs as it began a review of strategic alternatives and private Adecto shut down.
Amgen, AstraZeneca Detail Phase III Data For Tezspire’s Likely Third Indication
Partners Maintain Lead Among Anti-TSLP Drug Developers Cleared in the US for severe asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, new Phase III data should support approval for TSLP inhibitor Tezspire (tezepelumab) in eosinophilic esophagitis.
Roche Strikes Second Deal With Hansoh, Seventh With A China-Based Partner This Year
Companies’ First Alliance Was For A Single ADC Candidate Deal Snapshot: Roche continues its China partnering streak with seven alliances so far in 2026, paying Hansoh $400m up front and potentially more than $15bn under a deal for multiple antibody-drug conjugates.
26 In 2026: Biopharma US IPO Count Rises With City Therapeutics, Iambic Debuts
Average Offering Size Remains Relatively Modest City Therapeutics and Iambic Therapeutics raised $200m and $150m, respectively, in their initial public offerings, bringing the US IPO fundraising total for biopharma companies this year to more than $8bn.
Estuary Launches With $103m To Advance Kidney-Directed Gene Therapies
Series A Round Follows $10m Seed Financing Estuary Biotherapeutics raised a $93m series A round to take its two lead programs for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease into the clinic in 2027 and 2028. CEO Wayne Sackett self-funded Estuary before it raised $10m in seed funding then a $93m series A round (Shutterstock) Estuary Biotherapeutics came out of stealth mode on Oct.
Finance Watch: Venture Capital Investors Raise $6.2bn Across Five New Funds
$150m for Matchpoint, $135m For Soufflé In Series B Rounds Private Company Edition: OrbiMed raised $1.9bn for US and European investments and more than $1bn for an Asia-focused fund, while Forbion raised €2.3bn ($2.6bn) for its venture and opportunities funds, and TCGX closed a $600m fund for investment in Asia.
Biopharma VC Investment Slumps In Q3, But 2026 Still On Track For Growth
Venture capital investment in drug developers fell from $10.17bn in the second quarter to $6.44bn in the third, but year-to-date fundraising is just $1.1bn away from the full-year 2025 total.
Biopharma IPO Numbers Kept Rising In Q3 As Deal Sizes, Valuations Shrank
Third quarter data from Evaluate show nine biopharma initial public offerings on Western exchanges totaling $2.39bn. Average US deal sizes were down from prior quarters as falling valuations likely impacted investors’ IPO appetites. Nine biopharmaceutical companies launched initial public offerings on Western exchanges during the third quarter, raising a total of $2.39bn, according to data from Evaluate. The number increased from eight IPOs in Q2, while the fundraising total dropped from $3.8bn.
Finance Watch: 2026 Biopharma IPO Total Doubles Last Year’s Number
Alaunos Accesses $350m To Fund Acquired Velaris Assets ublic Company Edition: TRexBio and Retension grossed $116.7m and $45m, respectively, in the third quarter’s first two initial public offerings, bringing the US IPO total to 24 so far in 2026 versus 12 for all of 2025. In other financings, Vaxcyte closed a $1.15bn follow-on offering.
Finance Watch: Private Biopharma Companies Pursue All Fundraising Avenues
Kallyope Rebrands As TriGemX, Raises $94m Private Company Edition: It remains difficult to raise VC cash for early-stage drug development or big manufacturing needs. While Varda raised a $251m series D round for programs based in space, NorthStar entered into a $185m growth financing deal with Hercules Capital.
Finance Watch: Biopharmas Maintain Strong First-Day, Post-IPO Momentum
Public Company Edition: ADARx, the 22nd drug developer to go public in the US in 2026, closed its first day up 13.8% from its IPO price. Also, Viking closed a $575m offering, Pyxis priced an offering worth up to $282.6m and Scynexis inked a BARDA deal worth up to $214m.
Pfizer Prepares Litfulo Filings In Growing Vitiligo Market
On Track To Be Second Systemic Therapy, After AbbVie’s Rinvoq Detailed Phase III data for JAK3/TEC inhibitor Litfulo (ritlecitinib) in nonsegmental vitiligo were presented at EADV. Pfizer is talking to regulators about near-term filings for the drug, already approved for alopecia areata.
Pfizer’s Phase II Atopic Dermatitis Data Push Tilrekimig Into Pivotal AD, Asthma Trials
Phase IIb/III COPD Study Also Underway Mid-stage data presented at EADV support the targeting of IL-13, IL-4 and TSLP with Pfizer’s trispecific antibody, which the firm has moved into Phase III studies in two indications, including a head-to-head trial versus Sanofi’s IL-13/IL4 inhibitor Dupixent.
BMS Keeps Its Cardiomyopathy Lead, For Now, With Camzyos Pediatric Indication
Cytokinetics’ Competing Myqorzo May Soon Add nHCM To Label The US FDA approved Camzyos (mavacamten) for pediatric patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, giving the drug the broadest label of any cardiac myosin inhibitor.
Amgen Readies Daxdilimab For Phase III In Discoid Lupus After Mid-Stage Trial
Rare Disease Asset Acquired In Horizon Purchase Positive Phase II results for the ILT7-targeting antibody daxdilimab in discoid lupus erythematosus were presented at the EADV meeting. Preparations are underway for registrational studies. The US prevalence of discoid lupus is about 28 per 100,000 people (Shutterstock) Amgen is preparing to take daxdilimab into registrational studies in discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) based on Phase II presented on Sept.
AbbVie’s Juvmo Approval Adds More Fuel For Neuroscience Portfolio Growth
List Price Is About $4,900 Per Month The US FDA approved Juvmo (tavapadon) for Parkinson’s disease, as monotherapy or with levodopa, adding another driver for AbbVie’s second-largest and fastest-growing therapeutic area. Juvmo is the first D1/D5 agonist for Parkinson's disease (Shutterstock) Key Takeaways AbbVie’s third Parkinson’s disease product, Juvmo (tavapadon) received US FDA approval as the first ever selective D1/D5 dopamine receptor agonist for PD.
Ipsen Expands Its Rare Neurological Disease Pipeline With Skyhawk Deal
For Privately Owned Skyhawk, Alliance One Of Many Collaborations Deal Snapshot: Ipsen committed up to $1.8bn in upfront and milestone fees to develop novel treatments for rare neurological diseases with Skyhawk’s RNA-targeting small molecule platform. Skyhawk soars into another collaboration • Source: Shutterstock Who: Ipsen and Skyhawk Therapeutics What: The French oncology, neurology and rare disease specialist and private Boston-based biotechnology firm will discover and develop up to...
Finance Watch: Big Money Keeps Flowing To AI-Enabled Drug Discovery And Development
AI Headlined Five Of The Top 10 VC Rounds In 2026 Private Company Edition: Enveda, Basecamp Research and BigHat Biosciences raised $311m, $140m and $75m, respectively, showing investors remain interested in artificial intelligence-based strategies. Also, investor Flagship Pioneering garnered up to $47m in Department of War funding.
Acadia Alters Phase III Trials To Help Remlifanserin Succeed In Alzheimer’s Psychosis
After Phase II results fell slightly short of statistical significance, the company said it will test only a higher dose of the drug in Phase III trials and enroll patients with more severe psychosis.
Amgen’s Dazodalibep Outlook Is Brighter After First Phase III Readout
Second Pivotal Trial Dataset Due In Q4 2026 The CD40 ligand-targeted dazodalibep has been closely watched and viewed as high-risk based on past efforts in Sjögren's disease, but the Amgen drug’s first Phase III readout was positive.
J&J’s Multibillion-Dollar Caplyta Ambitions Backed By New Data In Bipolar Mania
The company reported results from the first of two Phase III clinical trials in bipolar mania, which could become the antipsychotic’s fifth US indication. Caplyta is approved for bipolar depression and may soon be available for bipolar mania (Shutterstock) Johnson & Johnson’s $14.6bn investment last year in Intra-Cellular Therapies continues to pay off, most recently with positive results reported on Sept.
Finance Watch: Fall’s First Biopharma IPO Brings 2026 Fundraising Total To $7.16bn
Reverse Mergers Take Marea, North Immunology Public Public Company Edition: Electra Therapeutics raised $350m, bringing the biopharma IPO total in the US to 21 offerings this year. Also, Halozyme priced a $1.3bn note sale and Tyra grossed $400m in a follow-on offering, while Longeveron, Sionna and Cellectis shift strategies. • Source: Alamy Electra Therapeutics grossed $350m on Sept.
Finance Watch: VC Mega-Rounds Begin A Comeback In September
Big Cash For Sling, Saol, Encoded, Solstice, BrainChild Private Company Edition: Five companies revealed $100m-plus venture capital mega-rounds during the first half of September, already matching totals in July and August. Also, Luma Group raised $410m for its first VC fund and Circle Pharma announced a $92.5m series E round.
Amgen Confident In Cardiometabolic Pipeline After Novartis’s Negative Lp(a) Readout
Amgen has not written off its Lp(a) inhibitor olpasiran after Novartis’s pelacarsen failure, but R&D leader James Bradner told a Morgan Stanley conference the company is awaiting detailed data to understand potential implications. Amgen’s late-stage pipeline is packed with multibillion-dollar investments in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, keeping investor attention closely focused on upcoming data.
Sling Raises $123m As It Takes Oral TED Drug Contender Into Phase III
Prior Data Show Advantages Over Existing Treatments Sling Therapeutics’ series C venture round will fund a pivotal trial for its IGF-1R inhibitor linsitinib in thyroid eye disease. The oral drug could be a key competitor to I.V. drugs from Amgen and Viridian.
Arrowhead Tackles Two Targets To Lower Multiple ASCVD-Causing Lipids
A Single Dose Lowers LDL-C, Triglycerides, ApoB Early clinical data for ARO-DIMER-PA, the first-ever dual-functional RNAi therapeutic, provide initial validation for the company’s approach to silencing two genes at once – in this case, PCSK9 and APOC3.
Scholar Rock Bringing First SMA Add-On Treatment To US Patients, At $310,000 Net Cost
Isembyld’s Fracture Warning Surprised Analysts, Investors The US FDA approved the myostatin inhibitor Isembyld (apitegromab) on top of SMN-targeted therapies for spinal muscular atrophy. Its wholesale acquisition cost is more than $450,000 per year.
Finance Watch: Frazier Ups Its Public Fund To Place More Bets On SMID Caps
Cash For Long Investments, Including IPO-Ready Private Firms Public Company Edition: Frazier Life Sciences raised another $1.1bn for its Public Fund, bringing total capital commitments to $2.8bn. Also, two companies and a SPAC make IPO plans, Teva sells $4.9bn worth of notes, Intellia secures $400m in debt and Yarrows raises $150m.
Biohaven’s Newly Out-Licensed Epilepsy Drug Put On A Partial Clinical Hold
SK Biopharmaceuticals Aware Of Issue Before Deal Biohaven said the US FDA put a partial clinical hold on pivotal trials of opakalim (BHV-7000) in focal epilepsy pending further characterization of metabolites observed in nonclinical studies.
Kura Spins Out Caspian With $50m To Test Menin Inhibition In Diabetes
Venture-Funded NewCo Has T1D Fund, Lilly Support Kura Oncology will keep its focus on menin inhibition in cancer as it spins out Caspian Therapeutics to develop KO-7246 in chronic metabolic diseases, including type 1 and 2 diabetes.
Amgen Stands To Broaden Imdelltra Market With First-Line Maintenance ES-SCLC Data
Drug Could Become A New Standard Of Care Topline Phase III results for DLL3-inhibiting bispecific Imdelltra plus AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi showed improved survival as a first-line maintenance regimen in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.
BrainChild Launches With $116m To Test CAR-T In Pediatric Brain Cancer
Company Testing Delivery To CSF BrainChild came out of stealth with $116m in series A cash and CAR-T programs for delivery to the central nervous system, starting with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).
Finance Watch: Few VC Mega-Rounds, But Summer Brings Several Smaller Deals
The pace of $100m-plus venture capital mega-rounds noticeably slowed in August, but AusperBio revealed a $120m series C round at the end of the month. Also, Superluminal raised $60m and Typewriter emerged with $56m, among other smaller VC deals. • Source: Shutterstock Venture capital fundraising, like other aspects of the biopharmaceutical industry, can be subject to summertime lulls.
Novartis’s Lp(a) Inhibitor Pelacarsen Fails Phase III Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial
Setback Sets Back Stocks For Competing Drugs The closely watched class of lipoprotein (a) inhibitors has the potential to be the next blockbuster class of cardiovascular disease drugs, but Novartis’s Ionis-partnered pelacarsen failed in Phase III. (Shutterstock) Key Takeaways The Novartis Lp(a) inhibitor pelacarsen failed in its Phase III cardiovascular outcomes study, showing that despite achieving lower Lp(a) levels patients did not have reduced cardiovascular risk.
Finance Watch: US Biopharma Job Cuts Hit The East And West Coasts
Recent Layoffs At Novartis, EMD Serono, Blueprint/Sanofi Restructuring Edition: A new MassBio report showed Massachusetts biopharma employment dropped in 2025, echoing job cuts outlined in two recent California industry updates. Also, TScan and ArsenalBio reduced their workforces to focus on in vivo cell therapies.
Lilly Lowers Some Foundayo Prices As Competition With Wegovy Pill Heats Up
Initial Medicare Bridge Numbers Also Boost GLP-1 Sales UBS analyst Michael Yee flagged reduced prices for two Foundayo doses on LillyDirect as it competes with Wegovy pill in the oral obesity drug market. Regardless, he predicted Lilly will maintain its overall GLP-1 agonist dominance.
Finance Watch: Multibillion-Dollar Debt Offerings Fuel Growth
Public Company Edition: Moderna sold $2.6bn worth of notes while Jazz sold $1.1bn in notes in private offerings after reporting key data and approvals expected to drive revenue growth. Also, Kazia launched an up to $120m follow-on offering and the SPAC JATT III closed its $69m IPO.
BioMarin Secures Double-Digit Yuviwel Royalties In Settlement With Ascendis
BridgeBio May Also Soon Enter Achondroplasia Market Ascendis will pay BioMarin a 20% royalty on US sales of Yuviwel and 18% in certain ex-US markets to settle patent disputes, giving BioMarin revenue that could offset competition for its own achondroplasia drug Voxzogo.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Mandy
Contact Mandy, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack