Look back at pharma news to Oct 7

Sanofi and Regeneron last week reported some strong results for their atopic dermatitis drug candidate Dupixent at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology meeting in Vienna over the weekend.

"Efficacy was solid across the co-primary endpoints as well as quality of life scores," Bernstein analyst Tim Anderson wrote in a client note. And those secondary data - on itching, anxiety and more - suggest that, "for many patients with severe atopic dermatitis, dupilumab will be life transforming," Leerink Partners analyst Geoffrey Porges wrote to investors.

Normally, such data would suggest "spectacular commercial potential" in a market like atopic dermatitis, Mr Porges said. That’s certainly what Sanofi and Regeneron want, of course, but as the analyst pointed out, some recent big-time launches in chronic diseases haven't gone as well as expected. And that includes the two companies' own PCSK9 launch, Praluent, which has run up against payer obstacles.