John Maraganore

Inside science labs trying to survive in the Trump era Anastasia Khvorova’s lab at U-Mass. Chan Medical School shows how quickly the administration is dismantling an 80-year partnership that made the U.S. a scientific superpower.

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Basic research “is almost like the starter when you bake sourdough bread. You can’t make the bread without it.”

Trump policies threaten brain drain in biomedical research - The Boston Globe Three-quarters of US-based researchers and graduate students are considering working abroad, according to a recent study.

“Brain drain” of scientists could have DIRE consequences for US leadership!

“Europe, Canada, and China are laying out the red carpet to attract scientists disillusioned by America’s shifting policies.”

🙏 ⁦‪Ashish Jha‬⁩ for this thoughtful piece!

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/27/o...

Biogen and City Therapeutics Announce Strategic Research Collaboration to Develop Select Novel RNAi-based Therapies Collaboration leverages City Therapeutics’ next-generation RNAi engineering technologies and Biogen’s extensive drug development expertise...

SO PROUD of the City Team forming their 2nd major alliance!!!!

This time with Biogen for a CNS target, w/ $46M upfront and >$1B in total deal value!

Combined with earlier Bausch & Lomb deal, City is growing strong in a tough tape!

www.globenewswire.com/news-release...

Three big ideas to actually ‘Make America Healthy Again’ STAT reviewed dozens of studies, interviewed chronic disease experts, and landed on three focus areas for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to boost health.

I’m all for real “MAHA!” Everyone should be!

Here are some real ideas from experts.

www.statnews.com/2025/05/21/r...

RFK Jr.’s MAHA report raises concerns about vaccines, American foods and prescription drugs - The Boston Globe The report will be used over the next 100 days for the MAHA commission to fashion a plan that can be implemented during the remainder of President Trump’s term.

“The report also raises concerns about… children and their prescription drug use, including antibiotics and medications used to treat attention deficit disorders.

So, where’s the “gold-standard science” supporting these and other purported concerns?

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/22/n...

“Proposed funding cuts, the firing of essential federal scientists, and policy uncertainties threaten to undermine the foundation for our nation’s global leadership,” Collins said.

I could not agree more!

‘I think it is actively happening’: Is Boston’s biotech industry doomed? - The Boston Globe With a "terrible" job market, empty labs, and mounting competition from China, the lifeblood of Kendall Square is under massive threat.

IMO…

Bigger risks to KSQ are:

- Capital markets, made worse by uncertainty of destabilized FDA and tariffs
- Attack on academic institutions and science
- “Hybrid” work, with fewer people interacting in KSQ

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/14/b...

Nobel laureate: I owe America my success. Today, its scientific future is in danger | CNN Dr. Ardem Patapoutian says he watches “with deep sadness as the United States’ remarkable scientific enterprise, which took generations of hard work and national investment to build, faces a concerted...

We must preserve our U.S. leadership in science and medicine!

Also supported by economic grounds alone…. “History shows that science reliably generates immense economic benefit.”

www.cnn.com/2025/04/09/h...

Market turmoil is tanking biotech M&A and IPOs. Here's the playbook startups will use to survive It’s a biotech environment without many good choices. Even before President Donald Trump’s tariff announcement pushed stock indices toward a bear market, biotech M&A has been virtually nonexistent, wi...

Some strategy tips for biotech CEOs in this brutal environment from a convo with ⁦‪@AndrewE_Dunn‬⁩ from ⁦‪@endpts‬⁩.

My favorite tip (not covered as much in article) is to be hyper focused on what moves the needle for patients, and then investors.

endpts.com/biotech-mark...

Shingles Vaccine Can Decrease Risk of Dementia, Study Finds A growing body of research suggests that preventing the viral infection can help stave off cognitive decline.

GO VACCINES!

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/h...

New company aiming to transform health… Exciting times ahead!

It’s RFK Jr.’s FDA now Why the ouster of Peter Marks, a senior FDA official, is a huge deal, whether you liked him or not.

It’s RFK Jr.’s FDA now

My take on Peter Marks' ouster -- and why you don't have to think Marks is a hero to be worried about what it means.

www.statnews.com/2025/03/31/r...

“I hope Marty comes understanding magnitude of his responsibility and builds back FDA that is based on science and being gold-standard regulatory authority of the world.”

Ouster of FDA’s Peter Marks alarms a biopharma industry that saw him as an ally Will Peter Marks' ouster from the FDA change how pharma industry engages with the Trump administration?

www.statnews.com/2025/03/29/f...

Makary has “unprecedented opportunity and enormous responsibility to rebuild FDA.”

“never seen this large of a set of openings under one commissioner,”

Exclusive | Top Vaccine Official Out at FDA In his resignation letter, Dr. Peter Marks cited ‘misinformation and lies’ from Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr.

www.wsj.com/politics/top...

“It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies”

75% of US scientists who answered Nature poll consider leaving More than 1,600 readers answered our poll; many said they were looking for jobs in Europe and Canada.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

We must attract and RETAIN the greatest and best scientists in the world if the US is going to be “Great Again!”

Opinion | Covid’s Deadliest Effect Took Five Years to Appear What once belonged to all of us now belongs to corporations.

Important oped by ⁦‪@DrSidMukherjee‬⁩….

“we seem to be turning away from the idea that health is a collective endeavor, a public good at all, and retreating into the rhetoric of personal responsibility.”

Fully share this concern as our public health apparatus is being dismantled!

We lead the world in science and medicine for patients!

A big part of this is our vibrant biotechnology industry…

But our leadership requires strong and well funded basic research at the @NIH!

Completely avoidable.

Regeneron gene therapy improves hearing in 10 children with rare form of hearing loss Regeneron’s investigational gene therapy has been tied to | Regeneron’s investigational gene therapy has been tied to notable hearing improvements in 10 of 11 children who were treated for a rare gene...

Why. We. Do. What. We. Do!

Bravo ⁦‪@Regeneron‬⁩!

Same story, 14 years and one day later.

For the sake of patients, let’s hope for the same outcome!

Keep going, CRISPR folk!

Akero drug reverses liver scarring in study of severe MASH patients Akero reported Monday strong results showing its drug efruxifermin reversed liver scarring in patients with cirrhosis caused by a disease known as MASH.

News like this makes my day…

- Great clinical data with profound impact for patients in high unmet need indication
- Market responds positively rewarding investors

A reminder that this is how biotech should work!

So fun to unite with ALumNY at JPM.

It’s so important to stay close with former colleagues in next chapters. Sometimes you end up working together again (as is the case with many here)!

This is great!

FDA modernization grounded in science and evidence would be welcome!

The biggest medical advances of 2024 The biggest medical advances of 2024 will be remembered as significant long into the future.

Terrific way to close out 2024 with a round up of medical advances. Thanks ⁦‪@matthewherper‬⁩!

- 50 FDA approvals
- Impressive roster of new medicines and data
- Despite lingering and tough capital markets, science prevails

Happy New Year to all!

My personal favorite: “Vutrisiran in patients with transthyretin mediated cardiomyopathy”!

Found my seat at the airport! 🤣🤣🤣

Joining the Blue Sky community!

x.com/jmaraganore/...