5 updates from Teva's busy quarter: A new CFO, a biosimilar launch and a migraine miss

Teva's stock went in an unfamiliar direction Thursday — up — as the pharma slightly beat Wall Street sales expectations with its quarterly results.

By Andrew Dunn • Nov. 7, 2019

AstraZeneca's China ambitions grow with new R&D investments

Already a leader in China, the British pharma is doubling down with plans to open two new centers and launch a $1 billion biotech investment fund.

By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 6, 2019

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Top 5 stories from BioPharma Dive

Looming patent expiries this decade and intensifying competition from China are forcing drugmakers to adapt, while new opportunities open up in oncology and in neuroscience.

By BioPharma Dive staff

Strong sales buoy pharma even as risks grow

Pfizer and Merck are the latest large drugmakers to post better-than-expected third quarter sales, a picture of strength that belies rising threats to the industry.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Oct. 29, 2019

Pfizer's heart drug impresses with fast US launch

Vyndaqel sales contributed to a 7% jump in the pharma's core drugs business, though overall third quarter sales fell compared to the same period a year ago.

By Andrew Dunn • Oct. 29, 2019

AstraZeneca joins Bristol-Myers' run at Merck in lung cancer

Imfinzi plus chemotherapy kept patients from progressing as quickly as chemo alone in a key study, but oncologists will need to see survival and safety data.

By Jonathan Gardner • Oct. 28, 2019

Allergan pays $750M to rid itself of Namenda antitrust charges

A class action suit followed the New York attorney general in claiming the big pharma tried to delay generic competition to its Alzheimer's drug. 

By Jonathan Gardner • Oct. 28, 2019

GSK advances new antibiotic into Phase 3 studies

The drug is the first in a new antibiotic class, said the British pharma, which is one of just a few large drugmakers still developing antibacterial treatments.

By Andrew Dunn • Oct. 28, 2019

AstraZeneca blood cancer drug heading for showdown with AbbVie's

Competitive data from a Calquence leukemia study could help the U.K.-based big pharma add to its growing oncology sales.

By Jonathan Gardner • Oct. 24, 2019

J&J cuts profits to account for proposed opioid settlement

Under a deal in principle reached with several states, J&J would contribute $4 billion to resolve the many opioid lawsuits facing the pharma.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Oct. 24, 2019

Longtime Lilly diabetes chief Conterno to step down

Current head of Lilly's insulin division Mike Mason will take Conterno's place as the pharma confronts a challenging market for glucose-lowering drugs.

By Jonathan Gardner • Oct. 23, 2019

Teva offers $23B of Suboxone to get out of opioid litigation

Whether such a deal would be widely accepted wasn't clear, however, amid reports attorneys for plaintiff municipalities had already rejected Teva's "agreement in principle."

By Jonathan Gardner • Oct. 21, 2019

Drug distributors, Teva settle in Ohio opioid case

The companies, which include AmerisourceBergen, McKesson and Cardinal Health, will pay $260 million to two Ohio counties to avoid a trial. 

By Jonathan Gardner • Updated Oct. 21, 2019

GSK hands 2 of its less profitable vaccines to Bavarian Nordic

The deal, worth about $335 million upfront, will help GSK simplify its supply chain and allow it to reinvest in higher growth areas, according to the company.

By Jacob Bell • Oct. 21, 2019

Merck to lay off 500 US-based commercial employees

Affected employees will depart on Jan. 3, 2020, said the drugmaker, which claimed the cuts are not part of a new restructuring. 

By Andrew Dunn • Oct. 18, 2019

Merck's Ebola vaccine wins key European vote

Erevebo has already been administered to 274,000 people, and data indicate it is effective against the virus currently causing an African outbreak.

By Jonathan Gardner • Oct. 18, 2019

Sanofi investing in gene therapy as R&D focus turns toward rare disease

R&D chief John Reed told BioPharma Dive Sanofi is retrofitting a vaccine facility in France to produce the viral vectors needed to deliver gene therapies.

By Andrew Dunn • Oct. 17, 2019

Lilly cancer drug pipeline hit by trial setback

Pegilodecakin, an immunotherapy acquired in the pharma's $1.6 billion deal for Armo BioSciences, failed to extend survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • Oct. 16, 2019

Give up board chairmanship? No thanks, US big pharma CEOs say

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla will soon head the pharma's board, too, adding another example of a large drugmaker with unified leadership.

By Jonathan Gardner • Oct. 16, 2019

Lilly shuttering UK neuroscience research site

Most employees will be relocated to a new facility in the area, although Lilly expects to lay off as many as 80 workers.

By Jonathan Gardner • Oct. 15, 2019

Pelosi drug plan would save $370B, but could reduce R&D, forecasters say

Pharma would respond to Pelosi's proposal by raising list prices, keeping some drugs off foreign markets, and cutting R&D spending, according to the CBO.

By Jonathan Gardner • Oct. 14, 2019

Lilly's 1-drug migraine business gets support with new approval

An OK for Reyvow, an acute migraine drug, complements Lilly's preventive therapy Emgality and could strengthen the company's footing in an increasingly crowded market.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Oct. 11, 2019

J&J hit with $8B jury verdict over Risperdal as legal troubles mount

The multi-billion dollar payment stems from claims J&J illegally marketed its blockbuster antipsychotic, which was linked to lasting side effects.

By Andrew Dunn • Oct. 9, 2019

Eylea casts a shadow over Novartis' latest approval

At least one analyst sees few reasons for doctors to use Novartis' Beovu in place of the Regeneron eye drug, citing a less-than-ideal label.

By Jacob Bell • Oct. 8, 2019

J&J paying $20M to settle Ohio opioid suits

The pharma giant joins Endo, Mallinckrodt and Allergan in reaching a settlement deal with Cuyahoga and Summit counties in Ohio.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Oct. 2, 2019

Novartis, Microsoft ink 5-year AI alliance

Personalizing eye disease treatment and improving CAR-T manufacturing are first on an agenda the companies hope will better prove AI's utility in medicine.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Oct. 2, 2019