News review for the week ending November 29

1 December 2019

By Barbara Obstoj-Cardwell, Editor

Swiss pharma giant Novartis set the scene in M&A news, announcing a $9.7 billion acquisition of US biotech firm The Medicines Company and its cholesterol-lowerer inclisiran. Clinical trials news featured ChemoCentryx, which saw its shares triple on Tuesday after reporting strong Phase III results with its ANCA vasculitis drug candidate avacopan. Last week also saw a second sickle cell disease drug approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, this time Global Blood Therapeutics’ Oxbryta (voxelotor). Meanwhile, Hutchinson China MediTech, also known as Chi-Med, gained approval and price listing for its Elunate for advanced colorectal cancer in China.

Novartis bets $9.7 billion on RNA interference

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