#75 – Policy shifts, GLP plateaus, and pattern baldness
The coffee break biotech roundup, by SomX.
Hello, my follicle-forecasting fans,
This week: a first-in-human trial edges closer for a vaccine designed to neutralise fentanyl before it hits the brain; the UK shifts its pharma pricing playbook in a bid to win back investment; semaglutide fails to slow Alzheimer’s despite biomarker movement; Switzerland and India deepen ties with a $100B corridor in their sights; and Cosmo prepares filings after a win for its topical hair loss drug.
Keep your hairline hopeful,
Dodo
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Discover 🔍
💉 A fentanyl vaccine is about to get its first major test (WIRED): ARMR Sciences is preparing a first-in-human trial for a vaccine built to trap fentanyl before it reaches the brain. The shot uses a fentanyl look-alike hitched to a diphtheria-toxin carrier and an E. coli–derived adjuvant, coaxing the immune system into producing antibodies against a molecule usually too tiny to notice. Early animal work showed strong neutralisation, paving the way for the Netherlands Phase 1/2 study.
Our take: The centrepiece is the adjuvant architecture, the molecular machinery that gives B-cells the nudge they need to recognise a small, fast-moving target. The pairing of a toxin scaffold with a microbial adjuvant creates a miniature training ground for antibodies that rarely get to practise on molecules this small. If the system behaves as hoped, it may open a lane for vaccines that tackle other elusive chemical troublemakers.
📈UK hikes drug prices after pharma exodus (European Biotechnology Magazine): The UK has signed off on a 25% rise in branded-medicine prices and a gentler NHS rebate, falling from 23.5 to 15% between 2026 and 2028. NICE has been asked to stretch its QALY bar by £5,000, widening the runway for costly therapies. The move follows a year of investment flight, leaving Britain to use pricing policy as a diplomatic instrument to coax industry confidence.
Our take: The UK is reshaping drug pricing as part of a wider bid to steady its footing by using QALY shifts and rebate tweaks. NICE becomes a central actor in that effort, setting figures that feed directly into how partners assess the country’s industrial intent. Those numbers now sit inside negotiations that touch tariffs, future investment and the UK’s long-term place in pharma’s strategic planning.
🧠Obesity drug semaglutide fails to slow Alzheimer’s (BBC News): Novo Nordisk has reported that semaglutide showed no effect on cognitive decline in the two large Evoke trials involving more than 3,800 participants with early Alzheimer’s. Biomarkers shifted in encouraging directions, yet clinical progression stayed the same as placebo. The data will be presented next month, adding a sizeable entry to a field exploring more than 130 experimental Alzheimer’s drugs, including roughly 30 in late-stage trials.
Our take: GLP-1 medicines have accumulated an aura of universal utility, and the Alzheimer’s readout returns the field to firmer ground. Semaglutide may shape metabolism with impressive reach, yet neurodegeneration follows more intricate rules. However, the growing population of long-term GLP-1 users now forms a vast natural cohort, which offers researchers space to explore subtle cognitive effects that controlled trials can struggle to capture.
🤝Switzerland and India strengthen their bilateral relations (BioXconomy): The pair are expanding their life-sciences partnership through the Indo-Swiss Innovation Platform and new agreements tied to the India–EFTA TEPA deal. The collaboration spans biotech, pharma, AMR programmes and university–industry exchanges, building on Switzerland’s CHF 2.5B biotech investment haul last year. TEPA opens the door to up to $100B in future investment flows, encouraging Swiss R&D, manufacturing and market activity across India’s growing healthcare landscape.
Our take: The agreement gives Switzerland a structured route for steering capital into India’s life-sciences infrastructure, from manufacturing parks to clinical-development hubs. Research ties provide the story, but the real movement comes from the investment channels now being laid down. If companies follow those routes, the corridor could become a significant driver of transnational biotech growth.
And finally…
👨🦲US, EU filings planned after Phase III wins for Cosmo’s male pattern hair loss drug (FirstWord Pharma): Cosmo reported strong data for clascoterone 5% topical solution in male androgenetic alopecia, clearing primary endpoints across two trials enrolling 1,465 participants. The drug blocks dihydrotestosterone at the follicle receptor while keeping systemic exposure low, giving patients measurable gains in hair count and patient-reported outcomes. With safety follow-up underway, the company aims for US and EU submissions in 2026, targeting a multibillion-dollar market.
Our take: Clascoterone gives topical androgen-receptor blockade its first convincing outing, showing that follicle-level hormonal control can be engineered with precision and without the systemic baggage of existing treatments. The field is rapidly maturing, with JAK inhibitors, regenerative programmes and new topicals reshaping the competitive terrain. Alopecia is turning into a genuine drug-development category rather than a footnote in cosmetic science.
Tune in 🎧
🪦 Defying death: The longevity lab: Singapore is treating healthy lifespan as national infrastructure. From Benjamin Button-style trainers to government-backed longevity clinics, this FT episode explores how one city-state is turning anti-ageing into an economic and clinical frontier.
🧠 From Linear Thinking To Global Impact: Peter Diamandis and Dan Sullivan unpack the mental mismatch at the heart of innovation. Expect steam engines, AI, and a crash course in why exponential change still catches us off guard.
💰 Tech billionaires & the rural poor: Ttwo sides of Trump’s MAGA populism: Kara Swisher brings together reporters covering both ends of America’s political spectrum to trace the curious convergence of wealth, rage, and populist appeal. Algorithms, elites, and anger all collide here.
Apply ✍️
🦠 Senior Scientist – Antibody Discovery, RxBiologics: Ready to outsmart tricky targets with phage display? Lead antibody discovery campaigns, blending bench science with client-facing strategy. A hands-on, high-trust role with competitive pay and room to grow.
🌙 Biotechnologist (Night shift), Lonza: Are you a midnight molecule wrangler? This hands-on GMP role runs dusk till dawn, supporting biomanufacturing operations while you level up in cleanroom craft and process control.
📋 Clinical Trial Manager, ICON: Like keeping trials on track and teams in sync? Manage global studies from planning through to delivery. You’ll juggle protocols, timelines, and stakeholder calls while shaping the future of clinical research.
RSVP 📆
🤖 09-12.12 | Synbitech | London, UK: SynbiTECH is the UK’s premier international forum bringing together leaders in engineering biology business, investment, policymaking, science, and research.
🧪 11.12 | International Conference on Microbial Biotechnology and Applications | London, UK: This global scientific association unites scholars, academicians, and leaders to uphold high standards in research and education.
❄️ 11.12 | NXGN x Google Winter Party | London, UK: NXGN and Google Cloud are teaming up to put on an event all about the next generation of innovation in healthcare and life sciences. Join in to help build the future of health using secure, cutting-edge tech.
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