Look back at pharma news in the week to March 13, 2020

Apart from the novel coronavirus COVID-19 totally dominating the news all last week, there were other things of note. On the research front, last Monday, Bristol-Myers Squibb released disappointing Phase III results for the combination of Empliciti, Revlimid and dexamethasone in untreated multiple myeloma. In another flop in ovarian cancer, AstraZeneca and Merck & Co released new data on cediranib and Lynparza that failed its Phase III endpoint. Kala Pharmaceuticals last week presented positive Phase III results for its dry eye disease drug candidate KPI-121, or Eysuvis. Elsewhere, India’s Zydus Cadila gained domestic approval for its Lipaglyn as a treatment for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Empliciti’s front-line flop underlines Darzalex’ dominance

It’s official: Bristol-Myers Squibb/AbbVie’s Empliciti will not be used in earlier multiple myeloma than relapsed/refractory disease. This is the immediate significance of the 750-subject front-line Eloquent-1 study, which, almost nine years after it started, was Monday revealed to be a dud, commented Jacob Plieth on Vantage, the editorial arm of the Evaluate group.