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Post-Rebif, Merck KGaA Keeps Faith With MS Therapies

 
• By Kevin Grogan

CEO Stefan Oschmann is sticking to his previous forecast of annual peak sales of €500-700m for Mavenclad, excluding the US, and Merck has high hopes for another MS treatment, the BTK inhibitor evobrutinib, following promising Phase IIb data.

Nerve cells
MS to remain a core area for Merck KGaA • Source: Shutterstock

As it faces up to the sales decline of former flagship drug Rebif (interferon beta-1a), Merck KGAA is banking on new multiple sclerosis therapies to help it come through 2018 which, according to CEO Stefan Oschmann, will be a year of transition.

Speaking at the German group's annual press conference in Darmstadt on March 8, he described 2017 as "a year of challenges," not least for the injectable Rebif which suffered a...

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More from Earnings

Loss Of Exclusivity Product Launches To Fuel Aurobindo’s FY26 Europe Growth

 
• By Vibha Ravi

Aurobindo is banking on launches of loss of exclusivity products and biosimilars to fuel sales in Europe as it awaits a US announcement on tariffs and predicts high single-digit growth overall during FY26 for now

Korea Q1 Roundup: Mixed Earnings, Gearing For Possible US Tariffs

 
• By Jung Won Shin

South Korean biopharma companies report a mostly solid first quarter, marked by US growth for original drugs, with several also making preparations for possible US pharma tariffs.

Sun On Leqselvi US Launch Ahead, MFN Pricing And Pipeline Changes

 
• By Anju Ghangurde

Sun readies US debut of Leqselvi for alopecia areata, while PD-L1 inhibitor Unloxcyt is in the line up once the Checkpoint Therapeutics deal is completed. Management also discusses limited clarity on President Trump’s most favored nation pricing push, pipeline tweaks and M&A outlook.

Stock Watch: Q1 Sales Trends And Forex Muddle Pharma Outlook

 
• By Andy Smith

Pharma firms tended to downplay first-quarter trends in full-year guidance. However, raised guidance seems fragile amid ongoing foreign exchange effects and Medicare Part D redesign pressures.

More from Business

Loss Of Exclusivity Product Launches To Fuel Aurobindo’s FY26 Europe Growth

 
• By Vibha Ravi

Aurobindo is banking on launches of loss of exclusivity products and biosimilars to fuel sales in Europe as it awaits a US announcement on tariffs and predicts high single-digit growth overall during FY26 for now

Korea Q1 Roundup: Mixed Earnings, Gearing For Possible US Tariffs

 
• By Jung Won Shin

South Korean biopharma companies report a mostly solid first quarter, marked by US growth for original drugs, with several also making preparations for possible US pharma tariffs.

In Brief: Nicox Extends Cash Runway As Kowa Advances NCX 470 In Japan

 
• By Sushmita Panda

Eye drug is already in Phase III trials elsewhere, with results due in Q3. Nicox could earn up to a further €24.5m in milestones and royalties from Kowa alliance.