ViiV CEO predicts strong pipeline and two-drug strategy will reinforces group's HIV market position and put it ahead of Gilead by the mid-2020s.

In a busy month, MD Anderson also partners with Ipsen on an unspecified cancer drug and licenses poziotinib IP to Spectrum. Using IP from UCLA, Bloom launches with focus on neuroprotective epilepsy therapies.

Chairman says Freeline's series B financing gives it adequate funds for Phase I/II trials in hemophilia B and entry into Fabry disease.

Novartis immunology chief Eric Hughes tells Scrip a wealth of data is showing that early treatment with Cosentyx can prevent the structural changes that lead to lack of mobility in ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis patients.

ViiV Healthcare has positive early pivotal data for its second two-drug regimen for HIV, but more reassurance is needed on the relative rates of virologic suppression in patients with low and high viral loads, as well as on the long-term risk of virologic failure. The combination should help form ViiV's defense against rival Gilead and its new triple combination Biktarvy.

The Israel-based biopharma company said a Phase IIb trial of its oral treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis hit the necessary endpoints to support a Phase III trial and FDA marketing application.

In what appears to be the first open innovation-based partnership between leading South Korean pharma firms, GC Pharma and Yuhan have agreed to conduct joint early research on orphan drugs, capitalizing on each others' strengths. The move may herald a shift in domestic companies' views on such collaboration and a possible increase in similar tie-ups, amid their ongoing efforts to pursue innovation.

In a busy month, MD Anderson also partners with Ipsen on an unspecified cancer drug and licenses poziotinib IP to Spectrum. Using IP from UCLA, Bloom launches with focus on neuroprotective epilepsy therapies.

Boehringer Ingelheim’s US business development head Ioannis Sapountzis outlines BI’s efforts to catch up with competitors in NASH and immuno-oncology via early-stage partnerships and licensing deals.

Cipla expands on its in-licensing strategy in India with Lilly’s insulin glargine product, while Aptose signs second agreement with CrystalGenomics to add Chinese rights for leukemia candidate CG-806, and Yakult gains Japanese rights to Verastem's duvelisib.

Sanofi completes the transition of its infectious disease unit to Evotec. Perhaps not yet done with virology, Gilead licenses technology for HIV/hep B vaccines from Hookipa.

Eisai India chief Dr. Sanjit Singh Lamba outlines the competitive edge that the Japanese group’s Indian site offers under the deal with Nichi-Iko; the site has also never “depended” on active pharmaceutical ingredients from China. In a wide-ranging interview with Scrip, Lamba also discusses recent quality compliance initiatives in India.

Ipsen's David Meek tells Scrip a Hard Brexit looks likely and that he's preparing the French pharma for that scenario.

Emerging Company Profile: ENYO Pharma has been around for barely four years, but it is already advancing its lead programs into Phase II trials in hepatitis B and NASH, and anticipates many more uses for its virology-based platform that will go way beyond treating virus infections.

Chairman says Freeline's series B financing gives it adequate funds for Phase I/II trials in hemophilia B and entry into Fabry disease.

Presenting Phase IIb data on FLU-v, specialized CRO hVIVO now hopes to secure a big pharma partner for Phase III studies and commercialization of the universal flu vaccine candidate. The product has been developed in a joint venture with SEEK.

Targovax terminates development of TG01 in pancreatic cancer patients after data unveiled at ASCO fundamentally alters development preconditions for its TG vaccine program.

Ipsen's David Meek tells Scrip a Hard Brexit looks likely and that he's preparing the French pharma for that scenario.

Roche used its ASCO investor briefing to highlight its digital and personalized healthcare strategy, including examples of how it’s facilitating R&D and reimbursement – and how that should position it to be an oncology leader in the future. 

Lilly priced its now-approved Olumiant (baricitinib) to fight for US market share versus well-known rheumatoid arthritis therapies, undercutting Humira by 60% and Pfizer's established JAK inhibitor Xeljanz by 50%.

With Merck's Keytruda on top of the world and setting the standard for PD-1/L1 lung cancer data, Roche and Bristol defended the programs for their competing Tecentriq and Opdivo during ASCO investor events.

As results for KEYNOTE-042 are reported at ASCO, Merck's Roy Baynes says Keytruda plus chemotherapy is the standard of care in first-line non-small cell lung cancer, but Keytruda monotherapy is an option for those who don't tolerate chemo well and/or don't have very active disease.

An autologous CAR-T therapy in development by Janssen and Legend Biotech is expected to kick-off US clinical studies in the second half of 2018, adding to the race to apply the new technology to multiple myeloma.