Highlighting progress it has made over the past few years, Japan’s regulatory agency says it wants to raise even further the number of “Japan-first” approvals, as part of its stated mission to get safe and effective new drugs to patients more quickly.

Denmark’s biotech Genmab has dropped the AXL targeted antibody-drug conjugate, enapotamab vedotin from early clinical development, and is focusing its resources on other therapeutic programs.

Plus deals involving Takeda/OrigiMed, Amcure/Hinova, AUM/Newsoara, Taiho/Lung Therapeutics, 3D Medicines/Aravive, HitGen/Baiyunshan, Dong-A/Jiangsu Hengrui, and Crescita/Juyou.

Pfizer’s results may have heralded a third-quarter stabilization of pandemic-related effects had the costs and expectations for its vaccine not hijacked sentiment.