Danish dermatology focused LEO Pharma has announced the launch of Anzupgo (delgocitinib) cream in Germany for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe chronic hand eczema (CHE), for whom topical corticosteroids are inadequate or inappropriate. 15 October 2024
French pharma major Sanofi revealed it has entered into negotiations with private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) for the potential sale of a 50% controlling stake in Opella, its consumer healthcare business. 14 October 2024
The UK’s new 2024 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access, and growth (VPAG) came into force at the beginning of January this year. 4 October 2024
French drugmaker Mitem Pharmavhas the worldwide acquisition of Desferal (deferoxamine), a major MITM in hematology, from Swiss giant Novartis. 25 September 2024
The Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) is further expanding its focus on life sciences by opening an institute for biomedical artificial intelligence (AI) based on a 150 million euros ($166.8 million) funding from the German non-profit Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation (BIS). 18 September 2024
Novartis is building two new radioligand therapy (RLT) manufacturing facilities in the USA to enhance its supply chain for cancer treatments. This move supports the growing use of RLTs, a form of precision medicine that targets tumors with radiation. 6 September 2024
Belgium’s largest drugmaker UCB announced a strategic divestment deal in China, underscoring its strategic shift towards innovation and partnership in one of the world’s fastest-growing pharmaceutical markets. 27 August 2024
The UK’s largest pharma company AstraZeneca has rejected claims that it is moving its vaccine operations to the USA, according to media reports. 23 August 2024
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma announced the termination of its exclusive sales rights agreements with AnGes for the HGF gene therapy product, Collategene (beperminogene perplasmid) intramuscular injection targeting peripheral arterial diseases in Japan and the USA. 23 August 2024
UK pharma major AstraZeneca has become the only current UK-lis¬ted company to reach a £200 billion ($256.4 billion) valuation, the Financial Times reported today, noting that it is a vindication of the company’s bet on developing a leading portfolio of cancer drugs. 14 August 2024
US pharma giant Pfizer has announced the publication of real-world results from a cohort of the longitudinal, observational Phase IV THAOS (Transthyretin Amyloidosis Outcomes Survey) study in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. 8 August 2024
Japanese drugmaker Shionogi says that its New Drug Application (NDA) for cefiderocol has been accepted for review by the Center for Drug Evaluation, National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). 5 August 2024
Germany’s Bayer has submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration for approval to market elinzanetant for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS), commonly known as hot flashes, associated with menopause. 2 August 2024
Spanish plasma-derived medicines company Grifols announced with the Andorran government the cancellation of the immunology research center planned for the parish of Ordino. 29 July 2024
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Palforzia (peanut [Arachis hypogaea] allergen powder-dnfp] to include initiation of treatment, up-dosing and maintenance in individuals ages one through three years. 27 July 2024
Vividion Therapeutics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Germany’s Bayer, today announced it will expand its global innovation capabilities with a new research and development (R&D) center and corporate headquarters in San Diego, California. 23 July 2024
US pharm major Eli Lilly on Friday revealed via a social media posting that it has been granted approval from the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to sell tirzepatide for weight loss in the country. 20 July 2024
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a draft guidance for industry, “Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Developing Drugs for Treatment,” to help sponsors in the clinical development of drugs to treat pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). 19 July 2024
Zevra Therapeutics revealed that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has indicated it will convene a meeting with the recently formed Genetic Metabolic Diseases Advisory Committee (GeMDAC) on August 2, 2024, to review the New Drug Application (NDA) for arimoclomol. 15 July 2024
Privately-held Danish company MC2 Therapeutics has acquired option rights from US dermatology firm Regranion to exclusively license the latter’s RGRN-305 for the treatment of all human diseases. 25 September 2023
Swiss pharma major Novartis has announced the Phase III NETTER-2 trial of Lutathera (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate) has met its primary endpoint. 25 September 2023
Plans to overhaul the European Union (EU) regulation on rare disease therapies risk undermining two decades of progress, a new report has found. 25 September 2023
As part of the regular updates of the Association of Pharmaceutical Companies of Greece (SFEE) with representatives of the Patient Associations, another meeting of the SFEE Patient Think Tank was held this month. 25 September 2023
Adding to a list of indications for the blockbuster drug, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday approved Jardiance (empagliflozin) 10mg tablets to reduce the risk of sustained decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), end-stage kidney disease, cardiovascular death and hospitalization in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) at risk of progression. 23 September 2023
The Initiative for Medicines, Access, and Knowledge (I-MAK), a campaign group seeking to drive down the cost of medicines, has released its latest report, "The Burden of Patent Thickets." 23 September 2023
French biopharma company Inventiva saw its US traded shares jump 11.1% to $4.19 yesterday, after it announced a deal with Japan-based Hepalys Pharma, a company incubated by Catalys Pacific. 22 September 2023
Shares of Travere Therapeutics plunged more than 40% to $7.65 yesterday after it released top-line two-year confirmatory secondary endpoint results from the pivotal head-to-head Phase III PROTECT study of Filspari (sparsentan) in IgA nephropathy (IgAN), which narrowly missed eGFR total slope endpoint compare to irbesartan. 22 September 2023
The Institute of Cancer Research in London and German science and technology company Merck KGaA have renewed their strategic alliance in the discovery and development of new cancer drugs. 22 September 2023
Accent Therapeutics, a US biopharma company developing a new class of small molecule precision cancer therapies, has announced three appointments in one at what is a pivotal time for the firm. 21 September 2023
Dutch firm Anavo Therapeutics, which claims to be the first company to systematically drug phosphatases, has named Shaun McNulty its chief scientific officer (CSO). 21 September 2023
Monaco-based hormonal medicines supplier Besins Healthcare yesterday opened a new state-of-the-art hormone replacement therapy (HRT) production facility in Muel, near Zaragoza, Spain, to help meet the increased demand for HRT products for women across the UK, Europe, and the world. 21 September 2023
Research from a medical testing company, London Medical Laboratory, finds that there is a “critical medication shortage” facing many diabetics in the UK. 21 September 2023
Florida-based central nervous system (CNS) specialist Relmada Therapeutics has announced positive results from a late-stage trial of REL-1017. 21 September 2023
Italian drugmaker Menarini has secured European approval for Orserdu (elacestrant) as a monotherapy for the treatment of certain people with advanced or metastatic breast cancer. 21 September 2023
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Complete Response Letter (CRL) regarding its New Drug Application (NDA) for Neffy (epinephrine nasal spray) in the treatment of allergic reactions (Type I), including anaphylaxis for adults and children ≥30 kg. 21 September 2023
The share of foreign pharmaceutical companies in the segment of public procurement in Russia reached 63%, the highest figure in the last six years, according to latest market statistics in Russia and local media, reports the Pharma Letter’s local correspondent. 20 September 2023
Privately-held genome-scale drug discovery company Orionis Biosciences today revealed a multi-year collaboration with Genentech, the US biotech subsidiary of Swiss pharm giant Roche, to discover novel small molecule medicines for challenging targets in major disease areas, including oncology and neurodegeneration. 20 September 2023