Look back at pharma news in the week to January 31, 2020

As part of competition requirements to consummate its $63 billion acquisition of Allergan, AbbVie has divested its gastrointestinal drug candidate brazikumab and cystic fibrosis drug Zenpep. Among research news, Acceleron saw its shares leap after it announced strong Phase III results for its pulmonary arterial hypertension drug sotatercept, and Incyte released encouraging top-line results from a Phase III study of ruxolitinib in atopic dermatitis. Regulatory news included, on Friday, Aimmune Therapeutics becoming the first company to gain US Food and Drug Administration approval for a peanut allergy treatment, to be marketed under the brand name Palforzia.

Skyrizi safe, Allergan deal closing on track this quarter

Last Monday, AbbVie announced that the company has entered into definitive agreements with AstraZeneca and Nestle, to divest brazikumab (IL-23 inhibitor) and Zenpep, respectively, noted SVB Leerink Research analyst Geoffrey Porges. Though this was largely expected particularly after the conditional approval from the European Commission (approved divestiture of brazikumab), Monday’s announcement should further increase investors’ confidence that Skyrizi will not be the part of the divestiture plan in the USA.