Bristol Myers Squibb discloses a patient death in its Phase I CAR-T multiple sclerosis trial, Pathos AI launches multi-year collaborations with Bristol Myers Squibb and Tempus AI to advance Alzheimer’s drug development, and health economist Dr. Nadine Zawadzki speaks with The Ron Lanton Report on how value is defined across healthcare.

Pharmaceutical and health economist Dr. Nadine Zawadzki, Senior Director, FTI Consulting joins the Ron Lanton Report to discuss how value is defined and measured across healthcare.

Treasury proposes adding biotechnology to its Outbound Investment Security Program, a pharma funding roundup covers Gilead’s $1.275 billion acquisition of an oral IL-23R inhibitor from PepStar and Zymeworks’ licensing deal with Roche, and Incubate’s John Stanford on why MFN is an offer pharma can’t refuse.

Biopharma manufacturing today is being asked to move faster, accommodate increasingly complex modalities, and respond more readily to changing development timelines and demand forecasts — all while maintaining reliable, compliant, and cost-effective supply. In this episode of the Pharm Exec Podcast, Dave Maraldo, Ph.D., executive vice president and president of the Merck Manufacturing Division, draws on 27 years at the company to explore that evolution. He discusses Merck’s major U.S. capacity investments; its approach to balancing internal capabilities with strategic manufacturing partners; and the closer integration of research, development, and production.Joining Mike Christel, group managing editor, MJH Life Sciences, Maraldo also examines the practical impact of digital tools and artificial intelligence and how Merck is building greater agility and resilience into its global supply network. He reflects ahead as well on what the next generation of manufacturing talent will require and why he thinks patient needs will move closer and closer to the shop floor.

FDA grants Ultomiris accelerated approval for primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy, a pharma funding roundup covers Alcon’s $550 million acquisition of Neurotech and AI Proteins’ collaboration with Astellas, and Incubate’s John Stanford on which therapeutic areas MFN deals might hit hardest.

A new ICER and West Health report finds median drug launch prices climbed to $257,000, the FDA approves GSK’s Hibsago as the first functional-cure therapy for chronic hepatitis B, and CSL names Deborah Waterhouse as CEO and managing director.

METiS TechBio and Eli Lilly collaborate on next-generation LNP delivery technology, Incubate’s John Stanford on how MFN deals may shape future pharma decisions, and the FDA grants accelerated approval to GSK’s Jemperli for MSI-H/dMMR locally advanced rectal cancer.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, acquires Silence Therapeutics for $1.3 billion, Hansoh Pharma and Roche expand their ADC partnership in a deal worth over $15 billion, and an EMA panel backs Lilly’s Foundayo for obesity and type 2 diabetes in Europe.

Gilead and Vir Biotechnology strike a $1.87 billion T-cell engager collaboration, and Fox Rothschild’s Marc Wagner examines what slows manufacturers’ response to rising drug demand and how compounding pharmacies help fill the resulting gaps.

Experts warn prediction markets are exposing gaps in pharma vendor confidentiality agreements, Roche licenses Rona Therapeutics’ obesity RNAi candidate while Pfizer partners with Enodia Therapeutics on Sec61 inhibitors, and PaxSafe’s Mark Talens makes the case for acting on imperfect supply chain data.