Look back at pharma news for the two weeks to December 31

2017 ended with a couple of significant acquisitions stories: Roche’s $1.7 billion deal to buy Ignyta and Mallinckrodt’s $1.2 billion purchase of Sucampo Pharmaceuticals. There was also a flurry of year-end activity from the US Food and Drug Administration, which granted early approval for Aerie Pharmaceuticals’ glaucoma drug Rhopressa, as well as approvals for Exelixis’ cabozantinib and for Merck & Co and Pfizer’s Steglatro. Also attracting attention was Orchard Therapeutics’ fund raising.

Roche acquires a stake in the TRK field

The  Ignyta deal gives Roche access to entrectinib, one of several highly promising tyrosine kinase inhibitors currently being investigated in trials for tumors harboring NTRK or ROS1 fusions.