Therapy Areas

Zepbound led to greater weight loss versus Wegovy in a Phase III trial, bolstering its position as the superior product in the fast-growing obesity space.

Emerging Company Profile: Resalis will soon start human trials of an oligonucleotide targeting a microRNA that is overexpressed in obese mice, but much remains to be proven in humans.

Hua Medicine’s HuaTangNing (dorzagliatin), the world’s first approved glucokinase activator, has apparently fallen short of restoring Bayer to its pre-2020 frontrunner position in China’s market for oral type 2 diabetes drugs, and the two companies' alliance is now set to be dissolved.

Much anticipated Phase II results in obesity for Amgen’s GLP-1 agonist/GIP antagonist showed up to 20% weight loss, but without detailed data the drug’s competitiveness is hard to ascertain.

Former Roche CEO Bill Burns reflects on transforming Roche into a global leader in specialty care and oncology. Now, as he spearheads efforts to combat antibiotic resistance, Burns shares insights on industry evolution, the power of cultural change, and the urgent need for a new business model in antibiotics development.

With high SVR rates and good safety/tolerability in Phase II, Atea hopes to take its antiviral combo into Phase III. It sees a need for hepatitis C regimens that boost therapeutic compliance.

Recent data put Vir and Bluejay ahead of the pack, but it is hard to know exactly how well their products work.

The drug maker said in its third quarter earnings report that competition from other therapeutic classes, particularly bispecifics, resulted in a slight decline of sales for the CAR-T.

The biotech’s Phase III data with an oncolytic immunotherapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer shows high complete response rates, duration of response and good safety/tolerability.

The MMRF aims to incorporate a variety of new bispecific antibodies, cell therapies, checkpoint inhibitors and novel small molecules into the Horizon study.

The company is keeping up a flow of deals in oncology, opening up access to a range of new modalities and potential future combinations with two new tie-ups.

Former Roche CEO Bill Burns reflects on transforming Roche into a global leader in specialty care and oncology. Now, as he spearheads efforts to combat antibiotic resistance, Burns shares insights on industry evolution, the power of cultural change, and the urgent need for a new business model in antibiotics development.

The Swiss major’s global health chief Lutz Hegemann tells Scrip on a trip to Rwanda that being a profitable enterprise while helping to improve access to new and older therapies for those who need it most is the real measure of a successful business.

Lotilaner, the active ingredient in Tarsus’s Demodex blepharitis drug Xdemvy, showed significant ability to kill ticks in a small Phase IIa study. Analysts call the Lyme program a likely out-licensing opportunity for Tarsus.

Gains from its COVID-19 vaccine made Serum Institute’s founder the world’s richest healthcare billionaire. But the demand for boosters hasn’t materialized as expected, leading to a deal with Biocon being tweaked. Meanwhile, gains from India’s first indigenously-developed HPV vaccine and Oxford-partnered malaria vaccine seem imminent.

Immix collaborates with Israeli research institutions on BCMA-targeted CAR-T therapy. NeoImmuneTech/NIAID alliance could pave way for “animal rule” approval in acute radiation syndrome.

Takeda will pay $200m up front for rights to Phase II elritercept for anemia in patients with MDS and myelofibrosis, allowing Keros to extend its cash runway to 2028.

The US FDA approved the drug for hemophilia A and B, and while it may struggle to compete in hemophilia A against Roche’s Hemlibra, it has a big convenience advantage in hemophilia B.

Once the deal with Sanofi closes, the rare disease drug will become one of Recordati’s fastest forecast sellers.  

The withdrawal amid concerns about the risk-benefit ratio reduces treatment options for sickle cell disease, but it is not expected to have much effect on the SCD market, including the gene therapies.

Presenting data or announcing a licensing transaction at an appropriately themed conference would normally be expected to be viewed favorably by investors. This is not always the case, however.

Both companies are seeking to license their products as they try to stretch their dwindling cash.

The US FDA approved the TTR-stabilizing drug for ATTR-CM, with the drugmaker pricing it below that of Pfizer’s Vyndaqel/Vyndamax.

The company announced results of the TANDEM study combining the CETP inhibitor with ezetimibe, following successful monotherapy trial data announced in July