China approves first immuno-oncology drug in the form of BMS’s Opdivo for lung cancer, opening up a new potentially huge market for the class, but much will depend on pricing and reimbursement policies.

Amid multiple industry drug failures in the sector, Eisai is opening a new US research facility to discover innovative therapies for dementia based on a long-standing immunology hypothesis.

Japan’s Shionogi has gained selected Asian rights to Sage’s promising fast-acting depression drug, in a deal worth up to $575m to the US company.

Positive results from a Japanese trial of Takeda/Lundbeck’s vortioxetine pave way for a planned approval filing in the country this year, but how might drug fare in the market?

Takeda has closed its $630m acquisition of European regenerative medicine company TiGenix following a successful bid process, but is facing new pressure from a group of shareholders in Japan concerned about its planned purchase of Shire – valued at around 100 times that amount.

Phase III results for Daiichi Sankyo’s pexidartinib presented at ASCO provide new hope in a rare tumor type with no approved therapies, but hepatic toxicity also emerged as a safety issue in the study.