Strategy

Early Blood Cancer Data Impresses As Incyte Plots Post-Jakafi Strategy

 
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First results for a first-in-class mutCALR-targeted therapy in essential thrombocythemia presented at EHA point to a lucrative future for the early-stage product.

UroGen Gets A First-Ever Bladder Cancer Approval Despite US FDA AdComm ‘No’ Vote

 
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UroGen’s Zusduri was approved despite an advisory committee vote recommending against it in May. It is the first approved drug for a type of recurring bladder cancer.

UCB Follows Fellow European Pharmas With Major US Investment

 
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The Belgian drugmaker is boosting its biologics capacity over the pond.

Lilly Looks For Muscle-Sparing Candidates In Pact With Juvena

 
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Deal Snapshot: Including its internal efforts with bimagrumab, Lilly has been seeking a muscle-sparing therapy to complement GLP-1 obesity drugs, such as Zepbound.


Asia Deal Watch: Otsuka’s Taiho Licenses LSD1 Inhibitor Rights To Benz

Plus deals involving BioAge/JiKang, Sanyou/Medicovestor, AriBio/Acino, Intragrand/Transpire, Kaken/Twocells, Sumitomo/Novo Nordisk, NIBEC/Undisclosed, Formosa/Adalvo, Drug Farm/Amoytop, Lupin/SteinCares and Lupin/Honeywell.

Sanofi Revels In More Positive Rilzabrutinib Data

 
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The oral BTK inhibitor impresses in a Phase II trial for IgG4-related disease.

Is Zydus’s Agenus Deal Opportunistic Or Strategic?

 
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Will Zydus’s acquisition and licensing deal with Agenus turn out to be a strategic move towards building an oncology portfolio or an opportunistic one driven by a venture capital mindset?

Biogen Lays Out Cadence For Felzartamab Data In Kidney Diseases

 

The first Phase III data for the CD38-targeting antibody is expected in 2027 in antibody-mediated rejection in kidney transplant patients, followed by other indications.


Novo Nordisk Teams With Deep Apple On Non-Incretin Obesity Approach

 
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Novo Nordisk will partner with privately held Deep Apple to study a novel, non-incretin target that could be better suited than GLP-1s for long-term obesity treatment.

Titans Of Pharma: Lilly’s Ricks Tops Big Pharma Pay Chart

 

The big pharma CEO with the highest-valued compensation in 2024 was David Ricks of Eli Lilly, while Pfizer and J&J executives slipped into third and fourth place behind AbbVie's now retired chief Richard Gonzalez. European firms brought up the rear.

Spain’s SpliceBio Secures Sanofi and Roche Support In $135m Financing

 
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Series B cash will be used to advance its Stargardt disease gene therapy.

Insmed’s PAH Data Indicate Potential To Surpass Established Therapies

 
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Insmed’s inhaled treprostinil exceeded goals for reducing pulmonary vascular resistance and improving six-minute walk test distance in Phase IIb data.


Merck & Co.’s RSV Antibody Approved In US In Time To Compete With Blockbuster Beyfortus

 
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The US FDA approved Merck’s Enflonsia (clesrovimab) to prevent RSV in newborns and infants on the same day Sanofi assured that it would ship Beyfortus in time for the 2025-2026 RSV season.

Metsera’s Amylin Analog Stars In Obesity Phase I

 
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Intended as obesity monotherapy and for combination with the firm’s GLP-1 analog, MET-0233i showed best-in-class efficacy with placebo-like tolerability at low doses.

Merck & Co.’s Enlicitide Poised To Be First Oral PCSK9 Inhibitor To Market

 

The company announced positive data from two Phase III trials testing the cholesterol-lowering medicine.

Sanofi Cements RSV Dominance As Merck & Co. Rival Awaits FDA D-Day

 
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The French company will start shipping its blockbuster shortly to meet expected strong demand in the 2025–26 RSV season.


Otsuka’s IgAN Data Top Some Vera Results, But To What End?

 
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Otsuka bested Vera on Phase III immunoglobulin A nephropathy data for proteinuria, but analysts wonder if the difference is especially meaningful.

Santen Sees Potential In Myopia Market After Ryjunea Approval

 
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The low-dose atropine eye drop slowed the progression of pediatric myopia by 30%.

Europe’s Drugmakers Lament EU Pharma Package

 
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EFPIA says reforms make the continent less attractive for innovative firms.

Bayer Boosted By Third FDA Approval For Nubeqa

 
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US green light will further expand sales of the prostate cancer blockbuster.