Gwendolyn Wu
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gwendolynawu.bsky.social
Gwendolyn Wu
@gwendolynawu.bsky.social
730 followers 440 following 58 posts
Covering biotech startups and VCs at BioPharma Dive. Hobbyist baker and dog wrangler.
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gwendolynawu.bsky.social
this week, @elilillyandcompany.bsky.social became the first $1T drugmaker thanks to its success developing obesity and diabetes medicines that have become household names. from @nedpagliarulo.bsky.social (!) + @byjongardner.bsky.social for @biopharmadive.com www.biopharmadive.com/news/eli-lil...
Eli Lilly becomes first drugmaker to hit $1 trillion in market value
The pharmaceutical company’s success developing medicines for obesity has swelled its worth to levels associated with tech titans like Apple and Google and dwarfed that of its drugmaking peers.
www.biopharmadive.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:19 PM
gwendolynawu.bsky.social
in a switch-up for Zymeworks, the cancer drugmaker is pursuing a royalty-based model after a data readout that suggests its medicines could be future blockbusters: www.biopharmadive.com/news/zymewor...
Zymeworks to change course, pursue ‘royalty-driven’ biotech model
On the heels of a data readout suggesting one of its cancer drugs could become a future blockbuster, Zymeworks is adopting a new strategy its CEO says will create “more consistent value for shareholde...
www.biopharmadive.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
gabriellehecht.bsky.social
Purdue to the rescue of IU student newspaper, whose institution was attempting censorship. Details in alt!
Sara Whitmer • • • 1h • 8 I'm sure many of you have heard by now that earlier this week, IU k*lled the print edition of its student paper, the IDS. The issue that was supposed to print this week contained criticism of the Whitten regime and IUs further slide into scist control, and they couldn't allow that to happen during Homecoming, when all the rich alumni are in town. Enter Purdue! The Purdue student paper, The Exponent, owns its own presses. Yesterday, in an act of tremendous solidarity with their biggest rival school, they printed the forbidden issue of the IDS. They then drove it to Bloomington overnight and stocked all of the IDS boxes on campus, just in time for Homecoming. Solidarity is what makes us stronger, and solidarity will be what ultimately allows us to triumph, if we can ever truly get it together. I hope everyone has a fun, safe day if they're going out today, and I hope we can think about what acts of solidarity we can begin taking to really make this movement MOVE - beyond a permitted expression of upset into more active resistance. 75 12 comments
October 18, 2025 at 7:24 PM
gwendolynawu.bsky.social
A new target for colorectal cancer is the focus of #biosky biotech Cartography's lead program. “There’s still an opportunity to build the right molecule,” CEO Kevin Parker told @biopharmadive.com www.biopharmadive.com/news/cartogr...
Cartography secures $67M in pursuit of ‘differentiated’ cancer drugs
The company is working on T cell engagers and other multifunctional antibodies, led by a prospect it believes might be helpful treating the vast majority of colorectal cancer cases.
www.biopharmadive.com
October 2, 2025 at 4:54 PM
gwendolynawu.bsky.social
must-read from my colleague Jacob Bell on the how cancer pain meds haven't progressed much past opioids, and why that is: www.biopharmadive.com/news/cancer-... #biosky
Cancer patients are living longer than ever. Pain drugmakers haven’t kept up.
Decades of slow-moving research, along with broader failures of the healthcare system, have left millions of people in daily pain. Doctors fear that’s bound to continue.
www.biopharmadive.com
September 25, 2025 at 7:13 PM
gwendolynawu.bsky.social
Schizophrenia drug developer LB Pharmaceuticals priced the first major biotech IPO since February, selling more shares than originally forecast #biosky www.biopharmadive.com/news/lb-phar...
LB Pharmaceuticals raises $285M in first major biotech IPO since February
LB Pharmaceuticals, which has a schizophrenia medicine headed for late-stage testing, broke one of the longest droughts for large IPOs in years.
www.biopharmadive.com
September 11, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
elizabethcooney.bsky.social
This is telling: People I spoke to are talking about CDC in the past tense.

www.statnews.com/2025/08/28/c...
Crisis within CDC is spilling into real world, experts say
"I’ve never heard as many colleagues saying things like 'CDC is dead’ as I have today," an agency employee told STAT.
www.statnews.com
August 28, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
statnews.com
The Department of Health and Human Services is terminating a National Institutes of Health grant program that supports students from marginalized backgrounds in the biomedical sciences. www.statnews.com/2025/08/25/n...
HHS terminates NIH program aimed at diversifying biomedical workforce
HHS is terminating a National Institutes of Health grant program that supports students from marginalized backgrounds in the biomedical sciences.
www.statnews.com
August 26, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
pearlf.bsky.social
From WSJ's story last night on Intel & the White House (gift link to story is also below) www.wsj.com/tech/inside-...
August 26, 2025 at 1:50 AM
gwendolynawu.bsky.social
Took a step out of biotech startup reporting today - Ionis Pharmaceuticals got approval from the FDA today for its hereditary angiodema drug Dawnzera. Its list price: $57,642 per dose. www.biopharmadive.com/news/ionis-d...
FDA approves Ionis’ hereditary angioedema drug
Dawnzera is the third medicine cleared by U.S. regulators this year for the rare genetic condition, and the second wholly owned medicine Ionis has brought to market.
www.biopharmadive.com
August 21, 2025 at 5:26 PM
gwendolynawu.bsky.social
latest from the @biopharmadive.com team - researchers and investors weigh in on how cuts to mRNA research may make the U.S. fall behind other countries #biosky www.biopharmadive.com/news/mrna-va...
Kennedy’s mRNA cuts could set US science back, experts warn
Scientists say HHS’ decision to defund mRNA vaccine research will leave the country less prepared for pandemics, and make it harder to invest in companies advancing the technology.
www.biopharmadive.com
August 18, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
marshallprojectguild.org
Today, we sent a letter to @themarshallproject.org‬ leadership expressing concern about their denial of bargaining obligations. Management has repeatedly denied members Weingarten rights, engaged in an illegal layoff, and more — we need your help to demand that management bargain in good faith.
Dear Katrice and Geraldine, We are deeply concerned about the manner in which The Marshall Project has been treating our members and approaching the bargaining process. Recently, The Marshall Project leadership has betrayed our organization’s values and compromised our position in the industry and the journalism we pursue. It’s time for that to change. The guild has worked tirelessly and in good faith on proposals that would keep high-quality health care affordable for Marshallers. We have also been steadfast in asserting that all recognized members deserve due process and fair treatment required under the law. The organization, in turn, has increasingly taken anti-worker stances that have eroded trust and created a culture that makes it difficult to do the work that makes us proud. Since the organization has taken such a hardline stance, refusing to work with the guild on the items listed below, we will be filing unfair labor practices with the National Labor Relations Board and stepping up our public efforts to make it clear that we demand fair treatment. The following recent actions by the organization have taken an immense toll on the workers of The Marshall Project: 1. The organization has repeatedly denied steward representation to a member facing a Performance Improvement Plan and possible termination, as well as denying another member representation in their termination meeting last week. This denial is illegal, egregious, and completely out of line with standards across our industry and the labor movement going back decades. We are shocked that the organization would take such a hypocritical and prohibitive stance on this, given our mission. The union has filed an Unfair Labor Practice about this illegal violation of members’ Weingarten rights and demands that members be allowed steward representation in any meeting they feel is appropriate. 2. The organization has caused a retaliatory ripple effect with its actions against one employee that has touched an entire newsroom in Cleveland with negative effects that go against the stated purpose of collaboration with local media and our ability to make good on promises we made to readers. When the organization recognized members it had a duty to follow the law and not proceed with layoffs without bargaining. We have filed an Unfair Labor Practice for the illegal layoff of employees and management retaliation. 3. The organization made a unilateral change to our outside employment policy without bargaining, changing expectations to require managerial approval. We have always maintained a workplace where outside work is permitted and the organization’s sudden termination of Chris Vazquez without a steward, without an opportunity to stop the freelancing project, and without severance is unjust and defies our values. 4. The organization is employing a strategic erosion of status quo through small changes to past practice while we bargain our first contract, including erasure of our cost-of-living adjustment, a significant change to our health insurance, and modifying the evaluation process. The organization has inconsistently complied with requests for information, which does not reflect good faith in bargaining. The Marshall Project, in retaining union-busting law firm Kauff McGuire & Margolis, is willingly participating in the erosion of worker protections across our industry, a project that takes advantage of the current anti-worker political environment. When The Marshall Project voluntarily recognized our union last year, it touted a “longstanding commitment to a fair, equitable and inclusive workplace, with generous benefits.” We are demanding a return to these values.
August 14, 2025 at 9:00 PM
gwendolynawu.bsky.social
In the latest move to get rid of "zombie" biotechs, Xoma Royalty will acquire HilleVax and Lava Therapeutics, two companies that have struggled since clinical testing of their lead drug candidates failed last year:. #biosky www.biopharmadive.com/news/xoma-hi...
Xoma strikes deals to buy struggling biotechs HilleVax, Lava
The royalty aggregator’s proposed deals for HilleVax and Lava add to a pattern of “zombie” biotech buyouts this year as the sector’s struggles continue.
www.biopharmadive.com
August 4, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
jonathanwosen.bsky.social
"A region known for its seemingly endless summer is still awaiting the end of the biotech winter that has swept up much of the industry." My latest for @statnews.com on the state of biotech in San Diego
www.statnews.com/2025/08/04/s...
Uncertainty clouds the San Diego biotech hub, with jobs and capital scarce
Many San Diego biotech firms are struggling to raise money, with the uncertainty exacerbated by the Trump administration’s disruptions to science.
www.statnews.com
August 4, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
karenho.bsky.social
This is a really well-written profile, and worth the time to read. There's also a line that immediately made my eyes water: www.washingtonpost.com/parenting/in...
Ms. Rachel grew up on Mister Rogers. Now she’s carrying on his legacy.
The YouTube star wants her audiences — adults and children alike — to see the humanity of all people.
www.washingtonpost.com
July 31, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
capitalandmain.bsky.social
In a video appearance with an immigration judge, a detainee pulled out a jar of bright red blood and set it on the table in front of him. Many of the people in the courtroom gasped in unison.

“I have cancer. This is the blood I’ve lost today.”

capitalandmain.com/with-a-jar-o...
With a Jar of Blood as Evidence, Detained Man Tells Immigration Judge ‘I am Dying Little by Little’
Judge denies bond for Guatemalan man worried about colon cancer as his condition appears to have grown worse in recent court hearings.
capitalandmain.com
July 8, 2025 at 3:24 PM
gwendolynawu.bsky.social
Targeted protein degradation has been a huge focus of #biosky and investors over the past decade. I dove into why for @biopharmadive.com:

www.biopharmadive.com/news/protein...
Protein degraders: chasing undruggable targets
Some two dozen biotech developers of PROTACs, molecular glues and other types of protein-degrading drugs have sprung up over the past two decades.
www.biopharmadive.com
July 8, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
andrewedunn.bsky.social
Exclusive: FDA's Makary sought rejection of KalVista’s drug in an unusual move by commissioner, sources say
endpoints.news/sources-fda-...
Exclusive: FDA's Makary sought rejection of KalVista’s drug in an unusual move by commissioner, sources say
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary reportedly attempted to reject KalVista Pharmaceuticals' drug application, sources said. An HHS spokesperson calls the claim 'totally false.'
endpoints.news
June 24, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
keribla.bsky.social
Houston police called ICE on a woman who called 911 to report domestic abuse by her ex-husband.

The only reason she didn't get deported is because ICE said there was no one to take custody of her kids, according to the police report. www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
She called 911 to report domestic abuse. Then Houston police called ICE on her.
The woman’s case is a worst-case scenario, according to advocates worried about the worsening state of domestic violence in the Houston region.
www.houstonchronicle.com
June 24, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
lauralew105.bsky.social
“Recent policy changes around COVID-19 vaccines are already sowing chaos and confusion and restricting vaccine access — including for people who should still be eligible to receive them.”
I wrote about RFK Jr’s anti-vax chaos for @thesicktimes.bsky.social. thesicktimes.org/2025/06/19/t...
The federal government is restricting COVID-19 vaccine access. Here’s what that means for the ongoing pandemic and people with Long COVID. - The Sick Times
Recent policy changes around COVID-19 vaccines are already sowing chaos and confusion and restricting vaccine access — including for people who should still be eligible to receive them.
thesicktimes.org
June 19, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
lizzylawrence.bsky.social
EXCLUSIVE: The ouster of Nicole Verdun, the FDA's chief regulator of cell and gene therapies, came after disagreements over the review of Capricor's Duchenne therapy. At the same time, some have taken issue with Verdun's management style. Details below:
www.statnews.com/2025/06/20/f...
Disagreements over Duchenne therapy, management style may have led to ouster of key FDA official
The ouster of the FDA's chief regulator of cell and gene therapies came immediately after a disagreement with her boss over a drug review, STAT has learned.
www.statnews.com
June 20, 2025 at 5:24 PM
gwendolynawu.bsky.social
A dismal investment climate for publicly traded biotech companies is causing startups and their backers to tighten their belts, investors and analysts say. Latest for @biopharmadive.com #biosky

www.biopharmadive.com/news/biotech...
A longer ‘winter’: Public funding slowdown heightens pressure on biotech startups
A dramatic pullback in public biotech investment catalyzed by economic and regulatory upheaval is putting even more stress on startups navigating a yearslong downturn.
www.biopharmadive.com
June 20, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
fenitn.bsky.social
Before RFK Jr. announced healthy children no longer need coronavirus vaccines, the CDC’s data showed more than half of young children admitted to the ICU for covid had no underlying conditions wapo.st/4kk4DlE
RFK Jr. ends coronavirus shot recommendation for healthy children, pregnant women
Currently the vaccine is recommended for all people over 6 months of age.
wapo.st
May 27, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
lizszabo.bsky.social
Good reporting from @nbcnews.com: As use of dietary supplements grow, so do rates of liver injuries. Most people who take dietary or herbal supplements do so on their own, not under a doctor’s advice.
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Drug-induced liver injuries rise in the U.S. as supplements grow in popularity: What to know
Most people who take dietary or herbal supplements do so on their own, not under a doctor’s advice.
www.nbcnews.com
May 28, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Reposted by Gwendolyn Wu
gsanroman2.bsky.social
Eric Licas is such an intrepid reporter whose Orange County stories reached wide audiences with no engagement help from the LA Times parent company, which noticed him for a layoff amid their financial troubles.

Your news organization would be blessed to have him.
ericlicas.bsky.social Eric Licas @ericlicas.bsky.social · May 28
I was just notified I'll be laid off from the Daily Pilot. Many thanks to the people of coastal Orange County for allowing me to get to know them and trusting me with their stories. I've always considered it an honor and privilege to do this work, and hope I'll be able to continue.
May 28, 2025 at 6:53 PM