Contract
Updated on 9/4/2026
Biopharmaceutical company developing long-acting prodrugs
$35 - $40/hr
Princeton, NJ, USA
Hybrid
Bachelor's
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Ascendis Pharma develops medicines using its TransCon technology to create long-acting prodrugs for rare endocrine diseases, with broader work in oncology and ophthalmology. The TransCon platform temporarily links an active drug to an inert carrier, releasing the drug in a predictable, sustained way after injection to improve efficacy and reduce dosing frequency. It differentiates itself through its proprietary delivery approach and strategic collaborations, including a worldwide license agreement with Novo Nordisk for GLP-1 TransCon work. The company aims to improve patient outcomes with less frequent, more predictable dosing while expanding its pipeline across endocrine diseases, cancer, and eye disorders.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Gentofte Municipality, Denmark
Founded
2007
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Health Insurance
Vision Insurance
Dental Insurance
Parental Leave
Commuter Benefits
Disability Insurance
BioMarin (BMRN) secured 20% U.S. Royalties on Yuviwel. Is monetizing a rival better than blocking it? Published September 4, 2026 at 12:26 pm EDT BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ:BMRN) has converted a global patent dispute with Ascendis Pharma A/S (NASDAQ:ASND) into a royalty-bearing license for Yuviwel, a once-weekly treatment approved to increase linear growth in children aged 2 years and older with achondroplasia and open epiphyses. BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. will receive royalties equal to 20% of U.S. Yuviwel net sales, retroactive to the first commercial sale, and 18% of net sales in the European Union, Brazil and South Korea through May 2030. The settlement resolves proceedings before the U.S. International Trade Commission and courts in several countries. The financial question is whether those royalties can offset the competitive pressure on Voxzogo. Bull case. The agreement eliminates litigation costs and uncertainty over excluding Yuviwel from major markets. BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. instead gains royalties without funding Yuviwel's manufacturing, commercialization, or clinical development. That income should carry lower incremental costs than product sales. Yuviwel remains early in its launch. Ascendis Pharma A/S reported €8 million of second-quarter 2026 Yuviwel revenue and more than 220 unique U.S. patient enrollments through July 31, with over 65% approved for reimbursement. Payments to BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. remain limited but will rise if Yuviwel net sales increase. The license extends beyond Yuviwel's current achondroplasia indication. It covers patents held by BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. relating to all current and potential Yuviwel indications, including hypochondroplasia, and Yuviwel combinations with other medicines. BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. will participate in some economic upside if Ascendis Pharma A/S expands the franchise. The retroactive U.S. provision is another benefit. BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. will receive royalties from Yuviwel's first commercial sale rather than only from the settlement date. Bear case. Royalties do not eliminate cannibalization. BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. expects Voxzogo revenue of $1.0 billion to $1.05 billion in 2026, making the daily injection a major franchise. Yuviwel's once-weekly dosing could attract patients who otherwise would have used Voxzogo. If one dollar of Yuviwel sales directly replaces one dollar of Voxzogo sales, a 20% royalty recovers only part of the displaced revenue. The economic effect will depend on product margins, pricing, market expansion, and how likely BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. was to prevail in the litigation. The settlement is more attractive if Yuviwel brings additional patients into treatment rather than primarily taking market share. The broad license also reduces future blocking leverage. Hypochondroplasia and combination therapy could become important extensions, yet patents held by BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. relating to those potential Yuviwel uses are now licensed through the settlement. The royalties apply for a relatively short period ending in May 2030 and cover only specified international markets outside the United States. Yuviwel also received accelerated U.S. approval based on improved annualized growth velocity. Continued approval may depend on confirmatory evidence of clinical benefit. Weak adoption would limit royalty income, while strong adoption could intensify competition with Voxzogo. Hedge fund sentiment. The filings available so far reflect positions held before BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. announced the global Yuviwel patent settlement. Insider Monkey's database showed 54 hedge funds holding BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. at the end of 2Q2026, down from 62 funds three months earlier. Conclusion. Monetization is financially rational because it removes legal costs and captures part of Yuviwel's future economics. However, the royalty is a partial hedge rather than a complete answer to competition. The agreement creates clear value if Yuviwel expands the treated population or succeeds in additional indications. If Yuviwel mainly displaces Voxzogo, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. will receive royalties while surrendering potentially higher-value product economics. The outcome therefore depends on whether market expansion outweighs franchise cannibalization through May 2030.
BioMarin Pharmaceutical and Ascendis Pharma reached a settlement on Sunday resolving all global patent disputes over Yuviwel, a once-weekly treatment for achondroplasia in children. The agreement ends legal conflicts including a US International Trade Commission investigation. Under the terms, Ascendis will pay BioMarin a 20% royalty on US net sales of Yuviwel, applied retroactively from initial commercial sale. BioMarin will also receive 18% royalties on sales in the EU, Brazil, and South Korea through May 2030. The settlement grants Ascendis a licence to BioMarin's patents for Yuviwel across all medical indications. Both companies will dismiss intellectual property claims in California, Germany, Denmark, South Korea, and Brazil. Ascendis reported 8 million euros in Yuviwel revenue for the second quarter of 2026, with over 220 patient enrollments by more than 100 healthcare providers.
Ascendis announces oral presentation of Week 104 data from its pivotal Trial of transcon(r) CNP (Navepegritide) at ISDS 2026. COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Aug. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Ascendis Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ASND) today announced that its participation at ISDS 2026, the annual meeting of the International Skeletal Dysplasia Society being held in Toronto, Canada, from August 26-29, 2026, will include an oral presentation of Week 104 data from its pivotal ApproaCH Trial of once-weekly TransCon CNP (navepegritide) in children with achondroplasia. The presentation will be given by Carlos Bacino, M.D., FACMG, Professor of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital. "This long-term data reinforces the benefits seen in clinical trials of once-weekly TransCon CNP, which have ranged from durable improvements in height to improvements in lower-extremity alignment, body proportionality, spinal canal dimensions, muscle function, and physical functioning - with a safety and tolerability profile similar to placebo and a low rate of injection site reactions," said Aimee Shu, Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer at Ascendis Pharma. "The results align with improvements in health-related quality of life identified as important to the achondroplasia community and we look forward to sharing them with experts focused on advancing treatment of individuals living with skeletal dysplasia." Ascendis presentations at ISDS 2026 include: | ORAL PRESENTATION | | Friday August 28 10:00-10:15am Session 4 | Abstract #45 Improved Growth and Physical Functioning in Children with Achondroplasia Treated with Navepegritide in the ApproaCH Trial Open-Label Extension Presented by Carlos Bacino, M.D. | | POSTER | / | | Wednesday - Saturday August 26-29 Poster Boards | Number Needed to Harm Analysis for Injection Site Reactions When Indirect Treatment Comparison (ITC) Is Not Suitable Authors: Manoj Chevli et al | | / | / | About TransCon CNP TransCon CNP is a prodrug of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) administered once weekly, designed to provide continuous exposure of active CNP to receptors on tissues throughout the body to counteract the overactive FGFR3 signaling in achondroplasia. In February 2026, TransCon CNP was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) under the trade name YUVIWEL(R) to increase linear growth in pediatric patients 2 years of age and older with achondroplasia with open epiphyses. Ascendis Pharma's Marketing Authorisation Application for YUVIWEL is under review by the European Medicines Agency, with a regulatory decision anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2026. About Achondroplasia Achondroplasia is a rare genetic condition arising from a systemic fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) variant that leads to an imbalance in the effects of the FGFR3 and CNP signaling pathways, estimated to affect more than 250,000 people worldwide. While historically considered a bone growth disorder, the FGFR3 variant seen in achondroplasia is expressed in tissues throughout the body, causing serious muscular, neurological, and cardiorespiratory complications in addition to skeletal dysplasia. Medical complications of achondroplasia vary across different stages of life. Throughout infancy and childhood, observed complications include spinal abnormalities, enlarged brain ventricles, impaired muscle strength and stamina, hearing deficits and chronic ear infections, upper airway obstructions, sleep-disordered breathing, hip problems, leg bowing, and chronic pain; many of these persist or worsen in adulthood. These medical complications can affect physical well-being and quality of life, and may be impacted by a range of individual, clinical, and social factors. Some individuals with achondroplasia require multiple procedures and surgeries to address specific functional or anatomical concerns. About Ascendis Pharma A/S Ascendis Pharma is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on applying our innovative TransCon technology platform to make a meaningful difference for patients. Guided by our core values of Patients, Science, and Passion, and following our algorithm for product innovation, we apply TransCon to develop new therapies that demonstrate best-in-class potential to address unmet medical needs. Ascendis is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, and has additional facilities in Europe and the United States. Please visit ascendispharma.com to learn more. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding Ascendis' future operations, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to (i) Ascendis' planned oral presentation and poster at ISDS 2026, (ii) the benefits seen in clinical trials of once-weekly TransCon CNP, including durable improvements in height, lower-extremity alignment, body proportionality, spinal canal dimensions, muscle function, and physical functioning, (iii) the safety and tolerability profile of TransCon CNP, including a profile similar to placebo and a low rate of injection site reactions, (iv) the potential for the reported results to align with improvements in health-related quality of life identified as important to the achondroplasia community, (v) Ascendis' clinical development activities, including the ApproaCH Trial open-label extension, (vi) Ascendis' ability to apply its TransCon technology platform to make a meaningful difference for patients and (vii) Ascendis' use of TransCon to create new and potentially best-in-class therapies to address unmet medical needs. Ascendis may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions, expectations and projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements. Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that Ascendis makes, including, without limitation: dependence on third-party manufacturers, distributors, and service providers for Ascendis' products and product candidates; risks related to regulatory review and approval, including the possibility of delays, requests for additional data or analyses, restrictions or limitations on use, approval with labeling that is more limited than expected, or failure to obtain approval in the United States, European Union, or other jurisdictions; clinical development risks, including that results from ongoing or future trials may not confirm earlier data; unforeseen safety or efficacy findings in development programs or on-market products; manufacturing, supply chain, quality, or logistics issues that could delay development or commercialization; unforeseen expenses related to commercialization of any approved Ascendis products; unforeseen research and development or selling, general and administrative expenses and other costs impacting Ascendis' business generally; market acceptance, pricing, and reimbursement challenges, including payer coverage decisions and health technology assessments; competitive developments, including new or improved therapies; intellectual property protection, freedom-to-operate, and litigation risks; Ascendis' ability to obtain additional funding, if needed, to support its business activities; cybersecurity, data privacy, and information technology disruptions; and the impact of international economic, political, legal, compliance, public health, and business factors, including tariffs, trade policies, currency fluctuations, and geopolitical events. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to Ascendis' business in general, see Ascendis' Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 11, 2026, and Ascendis' other future reports filed with, or submitted to, the SEC. Forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future licensing, collaborations, acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures, or investments that Ascendis may enter into or make. Ascendis does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Ascendis, Ascendis Pharma, the Ascendis Pharma logo, the company logo, TransCon, and YUVIWEL(R) are trademarks owned by the Ascendis Pharma group. (C) August 2026 Ascendis Pharma A/S. | Investor Contacts: | Media Contact: | | Chad Fugere | Melinda Baker | | Ascendis Pharma | Ascendis Pharma | | +1 (650) 519-7494 | +1 (650) 709-8875 | | / | / |
Ascendis Pharma reported second-quarter revenue of €339 million, with total product revenue nearly doubling year-over-year to €315 million. All three of the biotech's approved TransCon therapies contributed meaningful sales for the first time in a single quarter. YORVIPATH, the hypoparathyroidism treatment, generated €252 million and reached blockbuster status two years after US launch. SKYTROFA brought in €55 million and has enrolled over 20,000 patients. YUVIWEL, launched commercially during the quarter, contributed €8 million with patient enrollment climbing from 170 to over 220 by end-July. The company ended the quarter with €812 million in cash and no bank or convertible debt. However, operating costs rose sharply, with SG&A expenses reaching €173 million and R&D climbing to €76 million.
Ascendis Pharma reported second quarter 2026 earnings on 13 August, revealing sales of €339.29 million, net income of €206.97 million, and earnings per share of €3.22. The company also provided clinical updates on its TransCon CNP programs for growth disorders. Following the announcements, shares rose 4.33% to $259.62, with year-to-date returns of 5.80%. The most widely followed valuation analysis suggests the stock is 14.8% undervalued, with a fair value estimate of $304.60. The bull case centres on broader adoption of YORVIPATH for chronic hypoparathyroidism, which currently treats only a small portion of eligible US patients. The therapy is expanding across more than 30 countries, which could support recurring revenue growth. Key risks include potential slower-than-expected YORVIPATH uptake and delays in TransCon CNP approvals and rollouts.