Dan Samorodnitsky

Minneapolis

Freelance Writer and Journalist at Freelance

i'm a science writer. i write about biology, genetics, the environment, stuff like that. my pronouns are he/him. cofounder @sequencermag

Articles

Vor Bio Looks for Exit in Challenging Funding Environment; Lays Off 95% of Staff

1 week ago | biospace.com | Dan Samorodnitsky

Cambridge, Massachusetts–based Vor Bio is bowing out amid a tough funding environment after examining the clinical data currently available for its assets. The company, co-founded in 2015 by oncologist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee based on work from his Columbia University laboratory, was focused on cell therapies for acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.
Vinay Prasad’s FDA Appointment ‘Anything But Status Quo’

1 week ago | biospace.com | Dan Samorodnitsky

Vinay Prasad is an oncologist and hematologist at the University of California, San Francisco, as well as a frequent health policy critic on his YouTube channel and various podcasts. Now, he can add chief of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research to his resume, becoming just the third person to lead the relatively new division, which reviews biological drugs, including cell and gene therapies and vaccines.
Trump’s US Manufacturing Push, New Vaccine Policy, Novo’s Weight Loss Pill up for FDA Review

1 week ago | biospace.com | Heather McKenzie |Jef Akst |Annalee Armstrong |Dan Samorodnitsky

> Listen on Spotify> Listen on Apple Products> Listen on Amazon Music> Listen on iHeartIn his effort to onshore manufacturing, President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday afternoon ordering the FDA to ease permitting processes for new and expanded U.S. facilities. The announcement comes as more and more Big Pharma companies commit billions to expanding their U.S. footprints.
PTC Nosedives Despite Claiming Phase II Win for Huntington’s Hopeful

1 week ago | biospace.com | Dan Samorodnitsky

PTC Therapeutics announced new data Monday from a Phase II trial showing that Huntington’s hopeful PTC518 could modify a key disease indicator of the disease. The data received mixed reviews, however, and shares of the biotech nose-dived. In a Monday afternoon note to investors, William Blair analysts said that a “question regarding correlation between [huntingtin] reductions and clinical benefit remains,” but added that the 24-month data should aid FDA dialogue.
Moderna Misses Q1 Revenue Expectations, Plans Another $1.5B in Cuts

2 weeks ago | biospace.com | Annalee Armstrong |Dan Samorodnitsky

Moderna’s sales continued to tumble in the first quarter, falling to $84 million compared to analyst expectations of $100 million. But the mRNA biotech managed to beat on earnings per share (EPS) thanks to aggressive cost cutting measures that lowered operating expenses. In that vein, the company on Thursday announced plans to cut another $1.5 billion by 2027, adding to billions in cuts that are already planned.
Tariffs Continue to Dominate Q1 Earnings, AACR Excites Cancer Space, CEO Pay Gaps, More

2 weeks ago | biospace.com | Heather McKenzie |Jef Akst |Annalee Armstrong |Dan Samorodnitsky

> Listen on Spotify> Listen on Apple Products> Listen on Amazon Music> Listen on iHeartPolicy issues—particularly tariffs—loom large as Q1 2025 earnings season rolls on, with Pfizer , Novartis, AstraZeneca and many more all reporting this week. On Pfizer’s call, CEO Albert Bourla called the Trump administration’s national security concerns “legitimate,” but objected to the proposed tariffs in general.
Abeona Gets FDA Nod for Rare Skin Disease Gene Therapy

2 weeks ago | biospace.com | Dan Samorodnitsky

Abeona got the FDA go-ahead Tuesday for its cell-based gene therapy prademagene zamikeracel for the rare skin disorder recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. The treatment, also known as pz-cel, will be marketed as Zevasykn. The Cleveland-based company’s stock jumped about 20% in early morning trading but has since returned to near its opening price of $5.35/share.
Caribou Changes Course Again, Lays Off 32% of Workforce

2 weeks ago | biospace.com | Dan Samorodnitsky

Caribou Biosciences’ latest pivot to immunology is not going to plan. The cell and gene therapy company is laying off nearly one-third of its workforce and ending work on its lupus pipeline, according to an SEC filing Thursday. That leaves the biotech with just two remaining assets, both allogeneic, or “off-the-shelf,” CAR T products for a variety of different cancers.
BMS Reports Mixed Earnings as Growth Portfolio Makes Up for Generic Pressure

3 weeks ago | biospace.com | Dan Samorodnitsky

Bristol Myers Squibb’s first quarter sales declined 6% to $11.2 billion as generics and the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Part D redesign took a bite out of profits, CEO Chris Boerner said Thursday. Nevertheless, BMS pointed to its growth portfolio, a group of 13 drugs including newer headline molecules like Opdivo and Cobenfy, where sales increased 16% year-over-year from $4.8 billion to $5.6 billion.
Etiome Steps Out of Stealth with $50M to Address Disease At The 'Silent Stage'

3 weeks ago | biospace.com | Dan Samorodnitsky

With a fresh tank filled with $50 million in cash, Flagship Pioneering’s newest biotech Etiome is looking to get ahead of diseases before they even progress into symptoms. The company is banking on an AI-powered discovery platform it calls Temporal Biodynamics. So named because Etiome is looking to plot what it sees as a more holistic, across-time view of disease progression.