The first detailed Phase III results for the company's next-generation oral JAK inhibitor abrocitinib appear to show efficacy on par or better than data from Sanofi/Regeneron's Dupixent and may give Lilly's Olumiant a run for its money in AD.

The C5 complement inhibitor class is in the news following UCB's bid for Ra Pharmaceuticals. Akari's CEO tells Scrip he thinks Coversin, which inhibits leukotriene B4 as well as C5, may offer more benefits in certain orphan diseases.

The Italian biotech will redirect investment, initially reserved for Zalmoxis, to other activities that would better meet its business objectives.

In a collaboration with Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Bayer is pressing ahead with Phase II clinical studies of an antisense molecule designed to reduce Factor XI production and prevent thrombosis.

Reyvow gives Lilly a second MOA in migraine, following the anti-CGRP biologic Emgality, and adds an acute therapy to the preventive agent approved in 2018.

The Italian biotech will redirect investment, initially reserved for Zalmoxis, to other activities that would better meet its business objectives.

First-in-class drug for rare disease EPP obtains FDA approval, company plans treatment center-based rollout. Scenesse, on the market in Europe since 2016, has faced reimbursement hurdles.

Shares in Eylea-maker Regeneron slid after FDA approved Novartis's competing VEGF inhibitor for treating AMD, but some observers said investors had overreacted.

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 company is keeping up the pressure on GSK, getting approval for self-administration for Fasenra a few months after a similar green light for severe asthma rival Nucala.

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.