The week in pharma: action, reaction and insight – week to March 18, 2022

By Barbara Obstoj-Cardwell. Editor

Regulatory news last week included the US Food and Drug Administration granting approval for AstraZeneca and Merck & Co’s Lynparza, for an important new indication in breast cancer. Following disappointing Phase III clinical trial results, Nektar Therapeutics and Bristol Myers Squibb have decided to discontinue enrolment in the study of bempegaldesleukin (bempeg) with Opdivo in the treatment of melanoma. Japan’s Eisai has significantly revised its licensing deal with Biogen on the controversially approved Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm, retreating from a major role and instead concentrating on the development of lecanemab. US RNAi specialist Alnylam is suing Pfizer and Moderna for patent infringement, seeking to gain a share of the massive profits that have been made by their respective COVID-19 vaccines, Comirnaty and Spikevax.

Lynparza approved in adj. breast cancer; new OS benefit suggest rapid adoption