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
Shares of UK clinical stage drug development company Evgen Pharma (AIM: EVG) were down more than 8% at 2.94 pence mid-morning, after it revealed that JuvLife Ltd, a division of Juvenescence, has terminated the patent and know-how license agreement for Evgen's Sulforadex sulforaphane stabilization technology. 2 August 2023
US biopharma company Vertex Pharmaceuticals has reported consolidated financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023 and updated its full year 2023 financial guidance. 2 August 2023
While its work on the novel coronavirus swept Pfizer to the top of the world’s largest drugmakers by revenue, the firm must now find a way to manage a precipitous drop in sales, as countries move past the acute phase of the pandemic. 1 August 2023
US pharma giant Merck & Co today announced financial results for the second quarter of 2023 that topped expectations on strong sales of its blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and HPV vaccine Gardasil. 1 August 2023
Bimervax, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Spanish company HIPRA Human Health, has today been authorized by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). 1 August 2023
Belgian women’s healthcare company Mithra Pharmaceuticals saw its shares gain 13.9% to 1.96 euros, after it revealed it has signed licensing agreement with privately-held Canadian specialty pharma firm Searchlight Pharma for the Canadian rights to Donesta. 1 August 2023
Age-related and autoimmune disease specialist MyMD Pharmaceuticals has announced positive Phase II data for its oral TNF-α inhibitor, MYMD-1. 1 August 2023
Russian drugmaker Nanolek is aiming to become the largest supplier of drugs for state needs this year, The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent reports 1 August 2023
Israeli biotech RedHill Biopharma has had its COVID-19 candidate RHB-107 accepted for inclusion in a US government-funded project to test products for the outpatient treatment of people with coronavirus. 31 July 2023
Change is in the air for the Indian clinical trial market. The rapid approval of COVID-19 vaccinations during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic illustrated the value of clinical studies that could improve therapeutic regimens, and advance evidence-based medicine. 31 July 2023
Having abandoned direct advertising of their drugs in Russia after the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, global drugmakers are now continuing active spending on the promotion of their products through medical organizations, allocating funds for research and industry events, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent. 31 July 2023
Japanese drugmakers Sumitomo Pharma and Otsuka Pharmaceutical have announced negative results from the DIAMOND and DIAMOND 2 trials of ulotaront. 31 July 2023
Swiss rare diseases specialist Santhera Pharmaceuticals says it has fully divested Raxone (idebenone) for all indications to Italian family-owned drugmaker Chiesi Group, replacing the 2019 agreement between the companies. 31 July 2023
Shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals closed up 3.3% at $39.79 on Friday, after the US RNA-targeted drug developer revealed it has expanded its existing collaboration with AstraZeneca to include exclusive rights for the UK pharma major to commercialize eplontersen in Latin America 31 July 2023
A team of researchers, including German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) biometrician Ralf Bender, has demonstrated that shortcomings in the documentation of time-to-event outcomes in clinical trials also affect systematic reviews. 31 July 2023
AstraZeneca has reported total revenues of $11.4 billion in the second quarter of 2023, a rise of around 6%, beating expectations from most analysts. 28 July 2023
As the first obesity drug to be approved in Japan in the last three decades, Danish diabetes giant Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) is expected to bring a substantial shift in the treatment approach. 28 July 2023
More positive data for Eli Lilly’s weight loss candidate tirzepatide will boost interest in the product, as the US regulator warns of supply shortages at certain doses. 28 July 2023