Here are the latest stories being discussed in biopharma today:

1. Numerous biopharma and life sciences organizations have registered to lobby on a bill that may prohibit US companies from transacting with Chinese life sciences contractors, amidst increased scrutiny of WuXi. Big pharma players such as Amgen, AstraZeneca, and GSK have joined this lobbying effort.

2. Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug, Leqembi, has experienced a slow yet escalating commercial launch, with global in-market sales reaching about $19 million in the first quarter.

3. Biogen maintains that the slow start for its EiSai-partnered Alzheimer’s treatment, Leqembi, is set to increase, following an uptake in patients commencing treatment in the first quarter. The company has buttressed its pipeline and workforce, positioning itself for improved future growth projections.

4. Biotech company Moderna and artificial intelligence lab, OpenAI, are partnering to apply Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT) technology to drug development. CEO Stéphane Bancel anticipates the collaboration will support Moderna’s ambitious plans of launching numerous products over the next few years.

5. CureVac, a pharmaceutical company that was once a key player in the Covid-19 vaccine race, plans to reduce costs across its entire organization. The company announced that about 150 employees have agreed to voluntarily leave. CureVac anticipates cost savings starting in the second half of the year, extending its cash runway into the fourth quarter of 2025.

6. Centessa has priced a public offering which could raise up to $107.6 million, boosting its runway into mid-2026. Vivoryon, a German biotechnology firm, has halted its Phase 2 Alzheimer’s trial, following the failure of the VIVIAD trial of the same asset, Varoglutamstat, extending its cash runway into the second quarter of 2025.