Pharma
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Esperion adds more competition to cholesterol drug market
Following an FDA approval Friday, Esperion intends to sell bempedoic acid under the brand name Nexletol for a price of about $10 per day.
By Jacob Bell • Feb. 21, 2020 -
Teva's neuroscience drug falls short at the finish line
Austedo, a main growth driver for Teva, failed two late-stage studies that were supposed to get the drug approved as a treatment for tics in young patients with Tourette's.
By Jacob Bell • Feb. 20, 2020 -
Sanofi starts work on coronavirus vaccine, bringing scale to global research effort
The French drugmaker joins J&J as the second large pharmaceutical company to begin development of a vaccine against the virus that's spread quickly across China.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 18, 2020 -
Coronavirus weighs on AstraZeneca's China expansion
The British drugmaker cautioned the disease outbreak could impact its sales in the country, where restrictions on travel and commerce have been imposed to contain the virus' spread.
By Jonathan Gardner • Feb. 14, 2020 -
Bristol-Myers finds FDA receptive to speedy review of key cell therapy
The regulator agreed to decide by mid-August on approval of Bristol-Myers' CAR-T treatment liso-cel, one of three drugs prominently featured in the pharma's buyout of Celgene last year.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 13, 2020 -
J&J bolsters coronavirus vaccine work with BARDA partnership
Notably, J&J said it would work to "upscale" its production and manufacturing capacity for any vaccine that might result from its research efforts.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 12, 2020 -
Merck builds case for Keytruda use in breast cancer
When added to chemo, Merck's immunotherapy kept a difficult-to-treat form of breast cancer from progressing, provided patients had an important biomarker.
By Jonathan Gardner • Feb. 12, 2020 -
Sanofi shrinks executive team as new CEO reshapes French drugmaker
Four members of Sanofi's top leadership will depart, including current chief medical and digital officer Ameet Nathwani.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 12, 2020 -
Bayer, looking to grow pharmaceutical sales, seeds new research center
The German drugmaker is transferring a "large part" of its small molecule research unit in Berlin to contract developer and manufacturer Nuvisan, with the aim of building a new facility on Bayer's R&D campus.
By Jacob Bell • Feb. 11, 2020 -
In Alzheimer's, a plan to treat patients earlier doesn't work out for Lilly, Roche
Results from the DIAN-TU study chip away at the amyloid hypothesis' foundation, just as Biogen prepares to file its drug aducanumab for approval.
By Jonathan Gardner • Feb. 10, 2020 -
AbbVie's plan to replace Humira is ahead of schedule
Sales of Skyrizi and Rinvoq, AbbVie's two new immunology drugs, jumped higher in the fourth quarter, leading the pharma to raise its 2020 forecasts for them by more than two-thirds.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 07, 2020 -
Sanofi MS drug results set stage for extensive late-stage testing
The drug, a type of enzyme inhibitor that's proven valuable in cancer treatment, will soon head into four late-stage studies across various types of MS.
By Jacob Bell • Feb. 06, 2020 -
Merck joins peers in spinning off lower growth drugs
A yet-to-be-named new company will house Merck's women's health, biosimilar and legacy drugs, providing space and resources for the pharma's higher-growth businesses.
By Jacob Bell • Feb. 05, 2020 -
January price increases confirm slowing drug inflation
Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and Allergan were the most active, collectively raising list prices on some 450 drugs, according to one Wall Street analyst.
By Jonathan Gardner • Feb. 04, 2020 -
Bristol-Myers launches biotech targeting fibrosis, inflammation
Anteros Pharmaceuticals is the first company made via a partnership between Bristol-Myers and biotech accelerator BioMotiv. Its initial targets are liver and lung fibrosis, with one specific focus being IPF.
By Jacob Bell • Feb. 04, 2020 -
US cancels trial after finding vaccine doesn't prevent HIV
Research into preventive treatments will continue, however, as an NIH leader declared a vaccine "essential" to ending the widespread disease.
By Jonathan Gardner • Feb. 03, 2020 -
Amgen, Pfizer biosimilar sales pressure top drugs
Competition is heating up for copycats to Roche's top-selling cancer drugs, as the U.S. biosimilar market shows some modest signs of shifting.
By Jonathan Gardner • Jan. 31, 2020 -
Preventive Alzheimer's trial data due within weeks, Lilly says
Lilly's top scientist, however, set low expectations that solanezumab will show a benefit for patients with genetic mutations that drive early and severe disease.
By Jonathan Gardner • Jan. 30, 2020 -
Deep DiveBig pharma backed away from brain drugs. Is a return in sight?
Biotech executives see a new era of neuroscience breakthroughs on the horizon. But in a historically challenging space, it's hard to pinpoint what would cause big pharma to dive back in — and what ripples that would create.
By Jacob Bell • Jan. 29, 2020 -
Zolgensma sales grow, signaling gene therapy momentum
Another 100 infants received Novartis' gene therapy in the fourth quarter, supported by broad insurance coverage and more newborn screening.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Jan. 29, 2020 -
Pfizer lays out gene therapy aspirations
With more Phase 3 trials on the near horizon, the big pharma plans to add one new gene therapy project per year to its pipeline.
By Jonathan Gardner • Jan. 28, 2020 -
To close merger, AbbVie and Allergan sell digestive drug to AstraZeneca
Allergan acquired global rights to brazikumab for $250 million up front in 2016, but expected antitrust conflicts pushed it and AbbVie to pursue a divestment.
By Jonathan Gardner • Jan. 27, 2020 -
Pfizer hits its biosimilar stride
The big pharma, which has criticized other companies for stifling the U.S. biosimilars market, is now poised to launch three of these copycat biologics in as many months.
By Jacob Bell • Jan. 27, 2020 -
Ipsen pauses studies of drug for rare bone disease
The decision makes a mid-2020 approval and launch, which Ipsen expected when it acquired the drug, less likely.
By Jacob Bell • Jan. 24, 2020 -
Roche strengthens case for SMA drug with new study data
Results showed the oral drug can help improve motor function in babies with the severest form of a rare degenerative muscular disease.
By Jonathan Gardner • Jan. 23, 2020
