Business Strategies

Amgen, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Merck & Co., Novartis and Sanofi will reduce prices of some drugs for Medicaid and offer reduced pricing through direct-to-patient platforms, among other concessions. In exchange, they will be exempted from tariffs.

The FDA approved the PARP inhibitor for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer before chemotherapy.

Public Company Edition: Athira licensed Phase III lasofoxifene from Sermonix and raised $90m plus up to $146m from warrants. Also, Immunovant, Immunome and Kodiak grossed $550m, $400m and $160m respectively, in follow-on offerings. Vor garnered $150m in a private placement.

The drugmaker announced positive topline results from its two Phase III trials of zasocitinib, a TYK2 inhibitor, in plaque psoriasis.

Licensing agreement expands Polpharma’s footprint in Latin America while supporting Libbs’ strategy to grow access to advanced biologics in Brazil.

Private Company Edition: Three out of eight $100m-plus venture capital financings so far in December were raised by China-based biotech firms – $110m for SanegeneBio, $108m for D3 Bio and $100m for OTR – reflecting growing interest in drug candidates from the country.

The US FDA approved the biologic as a twice-yearly add-on for patients with severe asthma with an eosinophilic phenotype.

The FDA rejection of Alvotech’s AVT06 Eylea biosimilar was revealed as part of a wider funding update outlining a $108m bond placement and continued heavy R&D investment.

The US FDA approved LIB Therapeutics’ Lerochol (lerodalcibep), a PCSK9-inhibiting protein therapeutic injected once-monthly that does not require refrigeration, for adults with high cholesterol, including those with HeFH.

After years of regulatory setbacks, Amphastar has secured FDA approval for its first pen device combination product, targeting a $585m Forteo market.

“We have rarely, if ever, enforced this requirement” FDA says announcing enforcement discretion regarding requirement for disclaimer about supplement structure/function and other label claims to be printed on every panel of a product’s package.

Phase III results for gamma secretase inhibitor varegacestat in the treatment of desmoid tumors appear superior on both efficacy and safety to Merck KGaA’s Ogsiveo (nirogacestat).