Top executives at leading local and foreign drug firms in India by and large earned more in 2020-21, while differentials in CEO to median employee remuneration remained stark. With increasing scrutiny by shareholders and lawmakers, experts suggest that pharma should be more mindful of balancing “adequate” C-suite compensation and glaring inequalities.

Among other Asia deals, Takeda adds to pair of recent gene therapy tie-ups with a CNS-focused cell therapy partnership with Immusoft; earlier it licensed ex-US rights to JCR’s Hunter syndrome drug.

Two Indian firms want to terminate specific Phase III trials for molnupiravir, the Merck/ Ridgeback Biotherapeutics’ antiviral in the spotlight as a treatment for mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Should much be read into these plans or is it merely an “administrative closure” that is being sought?