The week in pharma: action, reaction and insight – week to June 16, 2023

By Barbara Obstoj-Cardwell. Editor

Last week saw the much anticipated Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee vote in favor of full approval for Eisai and Biogen’s Alzheimer’s disease (AD) treatment Leqembi, which thus far was marketed under an accelerated approval clearance. Also, the FDA granted approval for Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo’s Injectafer for heart failure patients with iron deficiency. M&A featured, first with Swiss pharma giant Novartis punting up to $3.5 billion to expand its kidney disease portfolio through the acquisition of Chinook Therapeutics and its lead candidates atrasentan and zigakibart. Additionally, Coherus BioSciences last Friday announced it is to acquire fellow USA-based Surface Oncology for around $65 million, with the aim of growing its immuno-oncology assets.

Leqembi taking another step forward