Hikma has delivered on one of its key US launches for 2021 by introducing its Kloxxado naloxone 8mg nasal spray for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose, after the 505(b)(2) product was approved by the FDA earlier this year.

In a suit closely watched by industry, a US district magistrate judge found that Amarin had at least stated a plausible claim in its case accusing Hikma and US healthcare insurance provider Health Net of induced infringement of Vascepa method-of-use patents, which Hikma has carved out of its generic label.

Public Company Edition: This year is just six initial public offerings away from matching 2020’s record-breaking total of 86 biopharma IPOs in the US. Also, Idorsia raised $662.5m through the sale of convertible bonds and Cytokinetics closed a $316.3m follow-on offering. 

The generics industry struggled with the prior-year comparison as it saw an expected decline in revenues in the first quarter of 2021, driven by the global impact of the COVID-19 crisis. As a result, the performance of most companies fell short of the numbers reported in Q1 2020. However, a few managed to contradict the trend by reporting growth, either based on the launch of COVID-related drugs or performance in specific geographies.