July 15, 2022

Biopharma watchers have been speculating for weeks about Merck & Co. buying out fellow cancer drugmaker Seagen. But now, the two companies are reportedly nearing a deal. We'll discuss how it could be the largest biopharma deal since 2020—and what might stand in its way.

But that's not all. Every year Fierce puts together a special report ranking the highest-paid biopharma CEOs of the year – and this year is no different. We'll cover that, plus this week's headlines. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Merck said to near $40B deal to buy Seagen. But will FTC rain on their parade?
• The 15 highest paid biopharma CEOs of 2021
• FDA lets pharmacists prescribe Pfizer's Paxlovid, easing access to the COVID antiviral
• FDA is letting pharmacists prescribe Pfizer's Paxlovid but won't do the same for Merck's Lagevrio
• 'Organize. Align': Women in biotech see Roe v. Wade ruling as a call to action
• SEC charges ex-Mazor exec with insider trading over $1.6B Medtronic buyout
• Game on, Hemlibra. Novo Nordisk's attempt to snatch Roche's hemophilia crown gets serious

The Top Line is produced by senior multimedia producer Teresa Carey with editor-in-chief Tracy Staton, managing editor Querida Anderson and senior editors Annalee Armstrong, Ben Adams, Conor Hale and Eric Sagonowsky. The sound engineer is Caleb Hodgson. The stories are by all our “Fierce” journalists. Like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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