Even as U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest reminder of pending tariffs on drugs set off a reaction on Wall Street and spurred more speculation, pharma CEOs warned European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that, unless the EU quickly changes its policy, pharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing is increasingly likely to be directed to the U.S. As much as 85% of European capital expenditure investments – about €50.6 billion (US$56 billion) – and as much as 50% of R&D expenditure, about €52.6 billion, is potentially at risk, according to a survey of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associates (EFPIA) member companies. “In addition to the uncertainty created by the threat of tariffs, there is little incentive to invest in the EU and significant drivers to relocate to the U.S.,” the EFPIA noted.

U.S.-China trade war accelerates with biotech in the crosshairs

The U.S. National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) is urging Congress to reinvest in American biotechnology because “the U.S. is dangerously close to falling behind China,” according to a May 8 report. "The United States is locked in a competition with China that will define the coming century. Biotechnology is the next phase in that competition. It is no longer constrained to the realm of scientific achievement. It is now an imperative for national security, economic power and global influence," said NSCEB Chair Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.).

Remegen’s lupus drug surfaces with phase III myasthenia gravis data

Remegen Co. Ltd. emerged as a surprise challenger in the generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) space, unveiling positive phase III data of its China-approved lupus drug, telitacicept (RCT-18; Tai’ai), in the rare autoimmune neuromuscular disorder at the 2025 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) conference. Announced April 8 and presented at AAN in San Diego, results from a domestic phase III trial in 114 gMG patients showed that telitacicept outperformed placebo when assessed for MG Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) and quantitative MG (QMG) scores. The results represented the “highest MG-ADL response rate among all drugs for gMG with phase III studies reported to date,” according to Remegen.

Neurosense drug shows promise for ALS in phase IIb

Neurosense Therapeutics Ltd. offered findings from its phase IIb Paradigm trial that show the impact of PrimeC, the company's investigational therapy for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, on microRNA modulation (miRNA). The study observed a “profound and consistent” downregulation of 161 mature miRNAs across all time points in the double-blind period. No significant changes were detected in the placebo arm, the firm noted. Shares (NASDAQ:NRSN) didn’t react much and were trading at 96 cents, up 1 cent.

Pandemic potential is plentiful, but the next bug’s specifics are known unknown

At the Symposium for Emerging Viral Diseases in Geneva this week, Maria van Kerkhove reminisced about a meeting hosted by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in late 2019, as SARS-CoV-2 was on the verge of changing the world. At that CEPI meeting, Kerkhove and a colleague “were trying to convince people to focus on coronavirus, and nobody wanted to come to our session,” she reminisced. “Everybody went to, was it the hemorrhagic fevers [session]? Lassa, I think they went to. And we were saying, no, no, no, focus on coronavirus. That was November 2019.”

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