30 December 2024 Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) combine monoclonal antibody (MAb) specificity with cytotoxic drug potency via a linker, delivering targeted cancer therapy. ADCs concentrate treatment at tumor sites, enhancing efficacy while minimizing harm to healthy tissues.
Full mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology in 2024 fluctuated throughout the year with hardly any in some months and a significant number in other. But one thing was clear – buyers were shying away from big bets on commercially ready medicines in favor of earlier stage drug developers. 3 January 2025
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has acquired UK-based biotech Oxular, enhancing its gene therapy development program with the firm’s specialized ocular delivery tech. 3 January 2025
One of the most promising areas of medical innovation in the next five years is immuno-oncology (I-O)/cancer therapeutics represent, fundamentally transforming how cancer is treated. 3 January 2025
Massachusetts, USA-based based brain disease biotech Neumora Therapeutics shares tumbled 81.4% to 1.97 after it revealed that its experimental depression treatment failed in the first of three studies planned by the biotech company. 3 January 2025
Hutchmed has announced agreements to divest its 45% equity stake in Shanghai Hutchison Pharmaceuticals Limited (SHPL) for $608 million in cash. The buyers are GP Health Service Capital and Shanghai Pharmaceuticals. 2 January 2025
Kazia Therapeutics, an oncology-focused Australian drug developer, has been advised by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that accelerated approval for its brain cancer drug, paxalisib, is unlikely. 2 January 2025
The type 1 diabetes (T1D) market across the seven major markets (7MM: USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and Japan) is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.3% from $2.2 billion in 2023 to $9.9 billion in 2033. 2 January 2025
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the New Drug Application (NDA) under the accelerated approval pathway for avutometinib, an oral RAF/MEK clamp, in combination with defactinib. 2 January 2025
The new $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs went into effect as of January 1, 2025, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra has announced. 2 January 2025
The market for artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer care is projected to grow from $2.2 billion in 2024 to $6.3 billion by 2029, reflecting a growth rate of 23.1%, according to a recent study by BCC Research. 31 December 2024
The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved Winrevair (sotatercept) to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), from US pharma giant Merck & Co. 31 December 2024
US CNS specialist Axsome Therapeutics yesterday announced the completion of its Phase III clinical program evaluating AXS-05 (dextromethorphan-bupropion). 31 December 2024
It has been a year since the launch of Zepbound (tirzepatide) for obesity, and US pharma major Eli Lilly’s competition with Denmark’s Novo Nordisk continues. 31 December 2024
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reopening the comment period for the Federal Register notice (FRN), “Evaluating the Immunogenicity Risk of Host Cell Proteins in Follow-on Recombinant Peptide Products: Establishment of a Public Docket: Request for Information and Comments” due to high interest from industry. 31 December 2024
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a warning urging the public to avoid purchasing weight-loss medicines without a prescription. 30 December 2024
For many in the life sciences, the year gone by has been marked by volatility across a range of metrics, as political and economic disruptions threaten to upend the standard operating model. 30 December 2024
China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has recently approved Zorifer (zorifertinib), an oral epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) specifically for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with CNS metastases. 30 December 2024
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has approved the use of Hyqvia (immune globulin infusion 10% [human] with recombinant human hyaluronidase) in patients with agammaglobulinemia or hypogammaglobulinemia disorders, from domestic drug giant Takeda Pharma 27 December 2024
Japanese drugmaker Kaken Pharmaceutical has entered into a license agreement with US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson for the global development, manufacturing and commercialization of a STAT6 program that Kaken is developing. 27 December 2024
Akums, India’s largest contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has signed a strategic agreement with an undisclosed global pharmaceutical company. 27 December 2024
The top management of life sciences companies is very optimistic about 2024 and 2025, with over 80% of pharmaceutical, medical technology and biotechnology executives expecting profit growth for the current year and over 90% for the coming year. 8 May 2024
Half of pharma execs are bracing for significant revenue impact from Medicare price negotiations this year, compared to just 22% in 2023, according to research from revenue and compliance experts at Model N. 7 May 2024
US biopharma Vertex Pharmaceuticals remains an evergreen pick in the stock market, announcing another set of financial results that exceeded expectations. 7 May 2024
A trial flop for Massachusetts, USA-based EyePoint Pharmaceuticals has triggered a sell-off from investors, with the price of a share dropping by around half. 7 May 2024
Three of the world’s largest public health organizations are to join forces, backing a new research and development initiative with $300 million in funding. 7 May 2024
The British and Irish business of California’s Gilead Sciences has appointed Peter Wickersham to the role of VP and general manager for the UK and Ireland. 7 May 2024
Catalent and the Novo Nordisk Foundation (as the ultimate parent entity of Novo Holdings and Novo Nordisk) announced that, on May 2, they each received a request for additional information and documentary materials (the second request) from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in connection with the proposed merger. 7 May 2024
US pharma giant Pfizer on Monday revealed that Dr Andrew Baum will join the company as chief strategy and innovation officer, executive vice president. 7 May 2024
The Bilateral III, a third package of bilateral agreements between the European Union (EU) and Switzerland on participation in the Single Market, ensures unhindered access to the European internal market and puts the economic and political relationship with the EU on a solid foundation, says the Swiss trade group InterPharma. 7 May 2024
Sentynl, the USA-based wholly-owned subsidiary of Indian generics major Zydus Lifesciences, has announced the closing of the sale of Eiger BioPharmaceuticals’ Zokinvy (lonafarnib) program to Sentynl. 4 May 2024
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today approved two new formulations of the medicine cabotegravir to help prevent sexually transmitted HIV-1 infection. 3 May 2024
Philadelphia, USA-based Reunion Neuroscience, a company developing psychedelics for the treatment of mental health conditions, has announced the closing of a $103 million Series A financing. 3 May 2024