Look back at pharma news in week to October 26

By Barbara Obstoj-Cardwell. Editor

Featured regulatory news last week included US Food and Drug Administration approval for Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent in the all important asthma indication. Among new clinical trial data, there was disappointment for Merrimack Pharma’s MM-121 in a lung cancer study, and Eisai and Biogen presented new data on their Alzheimer’s candidate BAN2401, but failed to win over doubters. On the deal-making front, AstraZeneca’s decision to expand its collaboration with France’s Innate Pharma in immuno-oncology with candidate monalizumab suggests a turnaround in the latter’s fortunes. Finally, Amgen announced a massive 60% cut in the list price of its cholesterol drug Repatha.

Dupixent gets best in class label in asthma, still on the way to $7bn+