Look back at pharma news in the week to October 4

M&A news last week featured Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi) revealing its plans to acquire Dova Pharma and its Doptelet in order to expand its hematology platform. On the regulatory front, AstraZeneca had a disappointment with the US Food and Drug Administration issuing a complete response letter on the company’s triple combination chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) drug Breztri Aerosphere (PT010), while Heron Therapeutics pleased investors with the resubmission of a New Drug Application for its post-operative pain drug HTX-011. Also, Novartis last week presented positive new data for Cosentyx in spondylarthritis, bringing the drug closer to getting a fourth indication approved.

Sobi finds another fit for its deal-making strategy

With respect to Sobi acquisition plan, the target company Dova's sole drug, Doptelet, holds two approvals in the USA, with the most recent being for adults with chronic immune thrombocytopenia, or ITP, who didn't adequately respond to prior treatment, commented Jacob Bell on BioPharma Dive. Doptelet competes against Amgen's Nplate, Novartis' Promacta and Rigel Pharmaceuticals' Tavalisse.