Makary left the agency on Tuesday, following a flurry of reports that indicated the president had signed off on firing him. Trump, however, said later that he knew “nothing about it.” The former commissioner had been under pressure on a range of issues, from flavored vapes to drug approval decisions. One major criticism against Makary had come from rare-disease advocates who argued that he had stifled approvals and shifted regulatory standards.

It remains unclear who Makary’s permanent successor will be. Trump said Kyle Diamantas, the FDA’s top food official, would serve as acting commissioner. Endpoints Executive Editor Drew Armstrong wrote that many of the challenges Makary was up against will still be there for the next commissioner. You can read the full Post-Hoc piece here.

Biogen reported heavily anticipated Alzheimer’s data this week, saying its tau-targeting drug BIIB080 missed its primary endpoint in a Phase 2 study. But it also claimed to see signs of efficacy showing it slowed patients’ clinical decline at all doses after 18 months. The company will move the program into Phase 3 testing despite missing the primary endpoint.

Alzheimer’s drug development has a long string of high-profile failures, with Biogen often being involved. Back in 2021, the biotech got its anti-amyloid drug Aduhelm approved despite two Phase 3 failures and a near-unanimous negative adcomm vote. The drug was a commercial disaster as insurers declined to cover it, and Biogen emerged from the debacle as a leaner company with a new CEO in Chris Viehbacher. 

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, also known as just Hengrui, is China’s largest pharma company, boasting one of the biggest pipelines in the industry. This week, it lined up Bristol Myers Squibb as its latest partner in a deal worth up to $15.2 billion. The total value of the Tuesday pact marks one of the largest East-to-West cross-border deals in industry history.

Most of that cash is tied up in milestones, as BMS will pay just $600 million upfront. But the deal is very expansive, involving 13 programs. Four are oncology and hematology assets from Hengrui; four are immunology programs from Bristol Myers; and the remaining five will be jointly discovered and developed by the pair.

The Japanese pharma will cut roughly 9% of its workforce over the next fiscal year, or about 4,500 roles. That figure doesn’t account for hiring plans, including 2,200 roles that are currently open and new jobs that will be created throughout the year, a Takeda spokesperson told Endpoints. The announcement came in Takeda’s fourth-quarter earnings report on Wednesday, as incoming CEO Julie Kim prepares to take the reins in June. 

Outgoing CEO Christophe Weber laid out plans for a multiyear restructuring in 2024. Since then, the company has closed a research center in San Diego, trimmed its pipeline and made hundreds of staff cuts. Kim said she would make efficiency a priority going forward, as Takeda looks to focus resources around its late-stage pipeline. She cited three upcoming launches that have the potential to be blockbusters.

Isomorphic Labs said Tuesday it had closed a $2.1 billion Series B round, cementing its bellwether role in using AI for drug discovery. But senior biopharma correspondent Andrew Dunn, who is Endpoints’ point man on artificial intelligence’s role in biopharma, has five burning questions for the company.