The week in pharma: action, reaction and insight - week to November 5, 2021

By Barbara Obstoj-Cardwell

Deal-making news last week featured US pharma giant Merck & Co further expanding its cytokines portfolio, signing a license and research collaboration with Synthekine on novel therapeutics for autoimmune diseases. Also, Swiss giant Novartis extended its interest in the area of protein degraders, announcing an up to $1.3 billion deal with Dunad Therapeutics. Long rumored and finally announced, Novartis said it has agreed to sell back to Roche the 33% of voting shares it has been holding in its Swiss rival for 20 years or so. Meantime, Pfizer, already preeminent in the COVID-19 sector with its hugely successful vaccine Comirnaty, released very positive Phase II/III trial results for its antiviral Paxlovid (ritonavir).

Merck dives even further into cytokine research as deal spree continues