With a strong late-stage anti-inflammatory molecule in its pipeline, the challenge for Abivax is to garner the funds to take its obefazimod program forward. To that end, the company is continuing to do a major overhaul of personnel and is sharpening its corporate vision.

The major’s attempt to break into Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis has been cut short as a highly competitive market and pipeline, intensified by the entrance of biosimilars, renders further development of brazikumab impractical.

In this week's podcast edition of Five Must-Know Things: GSK’s R&D head departs; Bayer’s pharma R&D chief prioritizes assets; new US launches in atopic dermatitis; is Abivax an M&A target; and China’s gene therapy developers rush to the clinic.

Now that AbiVax's novel anti-inflammatory ABX464 has demonstrated solid safety and efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis, the French biotech is exploring additional programs in chronic inflammatory indications – and looking for a partner.