Against all the odds, AstraZeneca still has hopes for Imfinzi in first-line NSCLC with data from the failed MYSTIC trial suggesting strong survival in patients with a high tumour mutation burden.

In "very top-line" Phase IIb data, the magnitude of the treatment effect for valbenazine in children with Tourette syndrome was weaker than expected, and its loss from active development means there will be only a handful of candidates under evaluation for the disorder.

Novartis stresses long-term safety database for Cosentyx – with five years' worth of data in three indications – psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.

It is a field littered with failures but Eisai remains hopeful that its pipeline of candidates for Alzheimer's disease, which has just been added to, gives the firm a number of shots at getting a disease-modifying agent to market.

Ra hopes to launch a Phase III program for zilucoplan next year, with a goal of bringing an alternative therapy for MG patients into competition with Alexion’s Soliris.

Conatus’ emricasan fails to meet the primary endpoint for portal hypertension in NASH patients with cirrhosis, but firm stresses promising subgroup data. Genfit hits Phase II primary endpoint in PBC with elafibranor, which is also in Phase III for NASH.

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

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

The PD-L1 inhibitor's label excludes NSCLC patients with EGFR or ALK mutations, which could have been an advantage, but the indication largely reflects the registrational IMpower150 clinical trial's population.

This year's ASH meeting reflected a peak of development success, with many new approvals and many more in the pipeline.

With a global first marketing authorization for its darbepoetin biosimilar in South Korea, Chong Kun Dang aims to speed up the product’s entry into the Japanese and other international markets and progress clinical rials with other biosimilars and novel biologics.

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

Roche is working towards implementing PMS studies for Avastin (bevacizumab) and ensuring that a suspension of marketing authorization for the product in first line ovarian cancer is lifted in India.

Patients with heart failure on Entresto say they have fewer symptoms and greater quality of life, according to a registry study and Novartis is hoping that this and other real world data will propel the drug towards its peak sales target of $5bn.

Europe is expected to follow where the US led in expanding the label for Amgen's PCSK9 inhibitor Repatha to include a prevention indication for heart attacks and strokes. But growth will be hard-won.

Valeant is touting Siliq to lead new product growth, but the drug's significant safety concerns in a competitive psoriasis market likely will offset efficacy advantages it could offer.

With few remaining unmet needs in hepatitis C, Gilead, Merck and AbbVie are focusing on tough-to-treat niches with their next-gen combination regimens, especially treatment-experienced patients who failed on prior direct-acting antiviral therapy. Merck also is studying injectable drug users in an effort to eradicate HCV entirely.