Look back at pharma news in the week to January 29, 2021

By Barbara Obstoj-Cardwell. Editor

Clinical research was again a strong feature of news last week, not only on the COVID-19 front, as Roche presented new Phase III data showing its wet age-related macular-degeneration candidate faricimab was non-inferior to market leader Eylea. The USA’s Merck & Co has abandoned development of two COVID-19 vaccine candidates – V590 and V591. US biotech Moderna presented evidence that its COVID-19 vaccine candidate mRNA-1273 was effective against some of the new variants of the virus – but was taking no chances and instigated a new trail to access efficacy in the South Africa variant. Regeneron also presented new data on its COVID-19 offering – REGEN-CoV (casirivimab and imdevimab), with positive results on infection prevention. On the regulatory front, Aurinia Pharmaceutical had a boost last Monday, after the US Food and Drug Administration granted approval for its lupus nephritis drug Lupkynis.

Eylea competitor faricimab meets primary endpoint in wet AMD