Look back at news in week to December 21

By Barbara Obstoj-Cardwell. Editor

Regulatory news last week included the surprise decision by Swiss pharma giant to withdraw the marketing authorization application for its canakinumab, already marketed as Ilaris for the treatment of cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome, as a treatment for stroke and heart attack. On a more positive note, the UK’s AstraZeneca gained the first approval of its kidney disease drug roxadustat, co-developed with FibroGen, in China. On the M&A front, there was GlaxoSmithKline’s decision to merge its consumer health business that with US giant Pfizer, with the intention to split the drugmaker into two separate listed companies in three years time. Deal-making included Gilead Sciences gaining rights to Scholar Rock’s non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) program.

Novartis withdraws canakinumab application in Europe