Topline results from the Phase III ATLAS-2M study indicate that injections every two months of ViiV/Janssen’s two-drug anti-HIV regimen are non-inferior to a once-monthly injectable regimen.

The company has two oncolytic virus platforms – a herpes simplex-based intratumoral injection and a synthetic virus-based intravenous technology for repeat systemic administration.

The synthetic biotics company is discontinuing development of SNYB1020, its first clinical-stage product, which failed to lower blood ammonia in cirrhosis patients.

Bayer is relinquishing its Animal Health Unit to Elanco as the German major turns its focus more towards life sciences. The money received should help it pay down some Monsanto debt, but there are antitrust concerns.

The Phase III NEPTUNE lung cancer trial found the combination of Imfinzi and tremelimumab was no better than chemotherapy at extending overall survival. After repeat setbacks, AstraZeneca is now running out of opportunities to show its dual checkpoint blockade is effective in NSCLC.

The Turkish Government’s carrot-and-stick “localization” policy has started to yield results with some multinational pharma companies including GSK and Sanofi disclosing joint production ventures with local companies, but these ventures have been limited by difficult economic conditions and worsening investment environment, and the fixed euro rate.

The primary endpoint was missed in a Phase IIa study of Oxurion’s THR-317 in diabetic macular edema, but vision did improve in two patient subgroups.

AstraZeneca’s SGLT2 inhibitor has grabbed attention for its potential role in chronic heart failure patients, with or without type 2 diabetes, following initial results from the DAPA-HF study.

CMO Sandra Horning will retire at the end of the year, to be succeeded by Lilly's former senior VP of oncology R&D on 1 October.