China's latest round of reimbursement decisions show multinationals including AstraZeneca, BMS and Roche won’t be receiving national coverage for their latest immuno-oncology drugs any time soon.

The drug enters the increasingly competitive space of CD20-targeting therapies for multiple sclerosis, with two agents already approved.

The US is to ship only half of doses for Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 vaccines in the first instance, while Rhizen Pharmaceuticals starts a Phase I trial of a DHODH inhibitor.

Pfizer and BioNTech may be first out of the gate with robust results for a COVID-19 vaccine but amid all the excitement, Paul Hudson has issued a timely reminder that multiple vaccines will be needed to meet the huge demand.

Vifor CEO Stefan Schulze tells Scrip that an expanded deal with Korsuva developer Cara Therapeutics means the US biotech will not have to invest in a commercial organization as the Swiss firm will mobilize its well-established sales force to launch the treatment for dialysis patients with CKD-associated pruritus.

Biopharma executives discussed their strategies for treating chronic diseases during the Cell and Gene Meeting on the Mesa, including R&D and regulatory considerations.

Roche Pharma CEO Bill Anderson is excited about the prospects for REGN-COV2 but with the company and Regeneron possibly producing two million doses per year by the end of Q1 2021, meeting demand worldwide will be an impossible task.

The healthcare giant's nasal spray for hard-to-treat depression has been rejected for use on the UK's NHS for a second time because of uncertainty over cost, but comments on this consultation could result in a change of fortunes for the potential blockbuster.

Amid rising cancer incidence in the Asia Pacific region, Roche tells Scrip in this exclusive interview that it is going "beyond the pill" to widen access to drugs in the increasingly important oncology market.