Behind the Headlines Episode 25: Major Big Pharma Moves, Pressures of Capital Markets at Intersection with Autologous Versus Allogeneic

Behind the Headlines bi-weekly episodes examine the ongoing trends, factors, and fashions that cause pharmaceutical news to happen. Panelists are a mix of consultants, venture capitalists, scientists, patient advocates, journalists, and editors. Each episode talks about the current of the preceding weeks that are on everyone’s lips but seeks to highlight the more enduring lessons that hide behind these headlines.

In episode 25, Alvin Jogasuria, Head of Marketing, Americas and Europe, ProBio; Matthew Lunning, DO, Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) Division of Oncology & Hematology; and Carl Schoellhammer, Partner, DeciBio, discuss the need for doing more with less as big pharma consolidates and rationalizes their pipeline. This equates to less waste, duplication, and inefficiency to lower costs, particularly in manufacturing aspects of cell and gene therapy. Layer on this the commercial exigencies of tariffs, Most Favored Nation pricing, rises in raw material and energy costs, and the business need to rationalize supply chain and materials pipelines further increases.

Novartis activity in acquiring Tourmaline Bio for cardiovascular disease treatment (1) and also Monte Rosa Therapeutics for degraders to treat immune-mediated diseases (in a deal worth up to $5.7B) (2) was examined from a portfolio perspective. A Pfizer announcement regarding acquiring Metsera Therapeutics for weight loss treatments with an up to $7.3 billion Metsera buyout (3) was another example of portfolio management via disease that the panel discussed.

Much of the remaining panel time was spent looking at CAR T-cell therapy expanding outside of oncology, as well as other advances in advanced therapy medicinal products, generally speaking, with UNMC patient Jan Janisch-Hanzlik being first in the world to receive a new allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy for multiple sclerosis serving as an example (4).

References

1. Jacobus, N. Novartis Acquiring Tourmaline Bio for Cardiovascular Disease Treatment Pacibekitug. PharmExec.com. Sept 5, 2025.
2. Monte Rosa Therapeutics. Monte Rosa Therapeutics Announces Collaboration with Novartis for Degraders to Treat Immune-mediated Diseases. Press Release. Sept 15, 2025.
3. Sunny, M; Erman, M. Pfizer Doubles Down on Weight-loss Treatments with Up to $7.3 Billion Metsera Buyout. Reuters.com. Sept 22, 2025.
4. Hough, S. World First: Multiple Sclerosis Patient Treated with Allogeneic CAR T Therapy. BioXconomy.com. Sept 5, 2025.