After preliminary discussions with its pandemic task force, the European Medicines Agency has begun reviewing GSK/Vir Biotechnology’s promising COVID-19 treatment to help EU national competent authorities make evidence-based decisions on its possible early use.

GlaxoSmithKline's market value has slipped in the past three years and the number of failures in the clinic have grown. The major's leadership will be casting nervous glances towards a major shareholder that has a reputation for aggressive restructuring calls.   

More C-Suite level pharma executives are lending their domain expertise to private equity firms, which then use their skills for commercial due diligence on targets or in an operating partner role in portfolio companies once a deal is sealed. PEs are also increasingly opting for control deals, at least in India, with an aim to run the acquired firm professionally thereon.

Benefits of independence from exogenous insulin outweighed the risks from long-term immunosuppression necessary with the allogeneic pancreatic islet cellular therapy, majority of panelists said, but they urged the FDA to limit the indication to a very small subpopulation of patients.