Stay updated on each new trend, opportunity, or star candidate that is presented within the life science space.
Biotech Is Back, Q3 Closes Strong, Fall Hiring Underway
Biotech job postings up 34% year-over-year. Clinical Operations searches are back. Trebla saw a 65% increase in extended offers vs. last year. Small biotechs return to M&A. Brandon hikes Colorado; Dakota trains for NYC Marathon; Natalia settles into Bay Area life.
RTO Push, M&A Tops 70 Deals, Fall Hiring Season Ahead
Return-to-office is reshaping hiring conversations. Biotech M&A surpasses 70 deals in 2026. Layoffs hit Ensoma, Aura, EMD Serono, and Sanofi. Brandon cheers the Rapids to the Rocky Mountain Cup; Dakota unplugs across Spain's Balearic Islands.
M&A Breaks Records, Big Pharma Leads Layoffs
2026 hits 57 acquisitions, surpassing all of last year. argenx makes its first-ever acquisition ($2.2B) and Vertex lands Crinetics for ~$10B. Layoffs shift from small biotech to large pharma — Genentech, Novartis, Amgen all announce cuts. Natalia and Becca tie the knot at SF City Hall!
Historic M&A Run, Speed & Strategy Separate Top Hirers
33 acquisitions over $1B in just six months — on pace for the strongest dealmaking year since 2019. AbbVie ($10.9B) and GSK ($10.6B) lead the charge. June saw the highest layoff count in recent months with 8 announcements. Brandon completes the Leadville Heavy Half, Natalia moves back to San Francisco.
Strong Momentum, Shrinking Candidate Pool
Layoffs stayed surprisingly quiet. The pool of "unwillingly available" talent is shrinking — competition for top candidates is back, and companies must compete on speed, growth stories, flexibility, and compensation. Plus: Angelini ($4.1B), Bayer ($2.45B), UCB ($2.2B) M&A deals and AVEO Oncology joins the Tribe.
Candidate Power Returns — Speed Is Now the Competitive Advantage
The market feels noticeably different: more roles, more urgency, and candidates juggling multiple offers. 12 M&A deals in 30 days. Only 2 workforce reductions — numbers not seen since the newsletter began. Acelot and BlossomHill Therapeutics join the Tribe.
Momentum Returns — M&A Picks Up, Biotech Starts to Defrost
After a slow start to the year, biotech is finally moving. Five major acquisitions including GSK→RAPT, Merck→Terns, Gilead→Ouro. 12 layoff announcements but notably slower pace. Fractional CMO at $600/hr. Q32 Bio joins the Tribe.
Pipelines in Motion — Specialized Talent in High Demand
February is the month of love — and everyone's searching for "the one." Gilead acquires Arcellx for ~$7.8B. Layoff trend moderating with only 6 announcements. 100% repeat business in 2025. ORIC Pharmaceuticals and Summit Therapeutics join the Tribe.
The 2026 Hiring Cycle Has Already Started
Teams that waited for a clean January reset found themselves competing for the same senior leaders as everyone else. Smaller strategic M&A from GSK and Eli Lilly. Heavy emphasis on de-risking timelines — start hiring early. Immunome and Cellphire join the Tribe.