Respiratory

Bristol Myers Squibb’s head of major markets, Monica Shaw, wants to improve patients’ access to lifesaving therapies. And the group has several new products ready to roll.

The French drugmaker has identified education as a key challenge ahead of its June action date for the huge-selling IL4/IL-13 inhibitor in the lung condition. An approval would make it the first biologic for the disease.

It might make sense from a competitive standpoint for Teva to join the trend. That’s the way it happened in the insulin category.

The British drug maker’s move follows that of Boehringer Ingelheim earlier this month, which itself followed increasing political scrutiny on out-of-pocket costs.

The model, more common with high-cost gene therapies, is designed to de-risk use of the drug for hospitals in the event that patients with COVID-19-related ARDS do not survive.

More than 100 biopharma executives and experts told Scrip their predictions for therapeutic area advances in the coming year. The recent commercial success of GLP-1s in diabetes and obesity and their potential in further disease areas fuelled excitement around the metabolic space. Expectations were also positive in neurology following the launch of Leqembi for Alzheimer’s disease in 2023, while the multiple opportunities to improve cancer treatment kept oncology top of the pile overall.

Alongside its Q4 results, the group presented data showing its new cystic fibrosis triplet to be as effective as its old one, and more convenient.

While not expected to be quite so busy as previous years, 2024 will still see many pivotal clinical trial readouts that should create a splash. Here are ten (plus a few extras) that have caught Scrip’s eye for one reason or another, eg, for being the first readout for a novel drug class, having the potential to take a product in a new lucrative direction, for maybe being able to succeed where a rival has already failed or even for having been a long time coming.

The UK firm is following in AstraZeneca’s footsteps in doing a deal for an anti-TSLP antibody, though it remains some way behind its rival.

The biopharma industry’s fate lies largely in its R&D success and failures. Here, Scrip looks at five clinical trial failures that got readers clicking in 2023. Some were more comprehensive than others, highlighting the nuance that can be injected into clinical data in different settings and subgroups.

The biopharma industry’s fate lies largely in its R&D successes and failures. Here, Scrip looks at five clinical trial successes that will shape their sponsors’ futures and got readers clicking in 2023.

GSK is looking to do some dealmaking in the respiratory space and fellow UK firm Verona, which has just inked a $400m loan ahead of an expected US approval for its chronic obstructive pulmonary disease candidate ensifentrine, seems a perfect partner.

In this week's podcast edition of Five Must-Know Things: first ever gene editing FDA nod; US FTC ruffles pharma’s feathers; AstraZeneca pays to play in RSV; Syndax leukemia drug makes splash at ASH; BMS bets big on Chinese ADC.

The UK group buys its first vaccine company, Icosavax, with an eye to its platform technology.

Investors balked at Sanofi plans to raise R&D spending and eat into profits, so CEO Paul Hudson and new R&D chief Houman Ashrafian need to convince doubters that its immunology focused plan will pay off.

A second pivotal hit positions Sanofi and Regeneron’s antibody for approval in COPD – but other biologics are coming fast.