The hard going could get even tougher as a funding crunch continues for China’s biotech sector, which is being hit by a paradox that could see more pain ahead, leading investors to take the pulse of the sector as the Year of the Rabbit starts.

In this week's podcast version of Five Must-Know Things: Merck & Co. tells Scrip oncology will remain a key priority; J&J is responsibly cautious on growth; Takeda pays big for HutchMed drug; industry looks at likely US IRA impact; and lecanemab misses out on EU fast-track treatment.

Shoreline picks up technology platform rights and access from Editas, which recently reduced staff. Hyloris out-licenses commercial rights to Maxigesic in nine EU markets to Salus.

Executives told Scrip the company is ready to move five programs into Phase III and launch five products this year, including an obesity indication for Mounjaro, but one drug has since received a CRL.

Many of the same factors that held down large M&A transactions in 2021 carried over to 2022, which saw eight buyouts valued at $2bn+, headlined by Amgen’s $27.8bn purchase of Horizon.

Interest in longevity and anti-aging is gathering momentum, and Pfizer has dipped its toe in the water with an early-stage drug discovery partnership.

The revenue boost Evusheld has given AstraZeneca over the past year will grind to a halt now that the FDA, as expected, has pulled approval for the antibody combo on the grounds it is ineffective against most SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in the US.

Industry leaders are concerned about the outlook for small molecule drugs in particular, but execs at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference were also optimistic there could be chances to shape the implementation of certain policies.

The 2022 pricing negotiations for innovative drugs organized by China’s National Healthcare Security Administration have slashed prices of included products by 60% on average, a level mostly unchanged from the 2021 round, although 36% more novel medicines were covered.

Pipeline Watch is a weekly snapshot of selected late-stage clinical trial events and approvals announced by pharmaceutical and biotech companies at medical and industry conferences, in financial and company presentations, and in company releases and statements.

The CEO of one the global top-five CROs points out a larger opportunity in decentralized trials that might be a “game changer” in the global pharma industry over the next five years. He also refers to the need to accept new technologies by both clinical trial sites and regulators.

The companies unblinded data from CARTITUDE-4, which met its primary endpoint, but analysts citing KOLs said they continue to face issues with limited manufacturing slots and out-of-spec product.