Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. not only gained the FDA's approval on Oct. 23 for Strensiq (asfotase alfa) as a treatment for patients with perinatal-, infantile- and juvenile-onset hypophosphatasia (HPP), but the win also garnered the company a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher (PRV), potentially putting hundreds of millions of dollars in the firm's pocket.

Last week was one of those weeks that makes you grateful that the stock markets close for the weekend. While the preparations and arrival of Pope Francis brought much of New York's Fifth Avenue and its surrounds to a standstill as Thursday wore on, it was a shame that his presence in the city could not have had the same effect on the stock markets based there.

It's unclear now whether legislation introduced late last week that seeks to rein in drug prices will gain enough support to actually go anywhere on Capitol Hill.

The FDA's approval on Sept. 4 of Wellstat Therapeutics' hereditary orotic aciduria (HOA) treatment Xuriden (uridine triacetate) means AstraZeneca has gained a coveted rare pediatric disease priority review voucher – a deal the two firms made last year, long before the so-called golden tickets were being sold for hundreds of millions of dollars.