GSK and Janssen wade into competitive RA market with Phase III sirukumab program
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
GlaxoSmithKline and Janssen Biologics kicked off the Phase III program for their interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor sirukumab (CNTO 136), which would compete with relative newcomers in the competitive rheumatoid arthritis market – Genentech's Actemra (tocilizumab), the first IL-6 inhibitor approved to treat patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, and Pfizer's novel oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor tofacitinib.
You may also be interested in...
Finance Watch: Pfizer Adds $3.5bn To Cash Stockpile, Reduces Stake In Haleon
Public Company Edition: Pfizer’s stake in Haleon dropped from 32% to 22.6% with a massive sale of shares of the GSK consumer health spinout. Also, Galderma prices its Swiss IPO, Madrigal grosses $600m in a post-approval offering and bluebird secured up to $175m in debt.
Finance Watch: Another Bevy Of VC Mega-Rounds, Including $175m For Capstan
Private Company Edition: Capstan and Engrail raised $175m and $157m, respectively, in series B venture capital rounds in addition to Madrigal’s $400m-plus launch and Clasp’s $150m series A.
Roche/Chugai’s Enspryng Not Good Enough In Phase III Myasthenia Gravis Study
Many companies have late-stage myasthenia gravis programs in Phase III, but argenx and its Vyvgart competitors won a reprieve with the failure of IL-6 inhibitor Enspryng (satralizumab).