Now that AbiVax's novel anti-inflammatory ABX464 has demonstrated solid safety and efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis, the French biotech is exploring additional programs in chronic inflammatory indications – and looking for a partner.

Combining Merck & Co’s pembrolizumab with chemotherapy first-line improves survival and PFS in metastatic cervical cancer, reinforcing its position in a condition in the sights of a number of other companies, although usually in later lines of therapy.

Arrowhead and Horizon Therapeutics have inked a deal to develop an investigational RNA interference therapy for uncontrolled gout, under which Arrowhead stands to get $40m upfront and up to $660m in milestones.

ViiV Healthcare’s head of R&D tells Scrip that extending the durations of its long acting HIV treatments is possible using drug delivery technology from Halozyme Therapeutics to expand the body’s capacity to absorb injected medicines.

With success on multiple endpoints in its first pivotal trial of lotilaner in Demodex blepharitis, Tarsus is working to bring the veterinary antiparasitic drug to market in multiple human indications.

Biogen’s investigational anti-tau antibody gosuranemab has missed its primary efficacy endpoint in a Phase II study in patients with Alzheimer's disease, prompting the end of the trial and termination of the compound’s further clinical development.

News and views from day four of the BIO Digital annual meeting include the FDA's plans to use carrots not sticks to improve diversity and reflections on how the pandemic has strengthened biopharmaceutical supply chains. 

Pfizer has unveiled promising results from a study of Xeljanz but needs a bigger trial. Given RECOVERY’s track record, the pharma company may opt to wait for its results.

CureVac is not throwing in the towel just yet, but the odds are stacked against a successful end result.