Novel candidate acquired from Ganymed in 2016 moves closer to first approval filing anywhere for a CLDN18-targeting antibody, and as a potential competitor for Opdivo in HER2-negative gastric cancer, following positive top-line Phase III results in the first-line combo setting. Results from GLOW trial in combination with CAPOX also awaited.

The French firm’s Onivyde has succeeded as part of a combination regimen in chemotherapy-naïve pancreatic cancer patients, setting it up for a label expansion, but some experts are keen to see survival data in full before raising guidance.

During Q3, biopharma merger and acquisition value reached $15.4bn and drew in $37.6bn in potential deal value from alliances. Device company M&A values reached $550m, while in vitro diagnostic firms and research tools players completed M&A activity that totaled $1.9bn.

The French firm’s Onivyde has missed the mark in an advanced small-cell lung cancer Phase III trial, prompting the firm to tout the drug’s prospects in a large pancreatic cancer indication instead.