Interviews

Sanofi India managing director N Rajaram and ex-GSK executive Salil Kallianpur discuss with Scrip a range of aspects around pharma’s digitization efforts including getting the "outside" talent mix right, avoiding digital "intrusion" in physician engagement and the impact of the surge in teleconsultation.

Has AstraZeneca been able to maintain its R&D productivity, even during a pandemic, and with the huge task of delivering a not-for-profit COVID-19 vaccine to the world?AstraZeneca’s Mene Pangalos believes the company has not missed a beat, and can find new energy from finally working together in its new R&D headquarters.

Fears that US regulators would take issue with AstraZeneca's decision to change the endpoints of a second pivotal trial for anifrolumab were unfounded and the first-in-class type I interferon inhibitor is the first new treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus in more than 10 years.

Artios Pharma rides the wave of DDR enthusiasm following the recent signing of big pharma partnerships with a financing to bring its first-in-class cancer treatments into the clinic.

Takeda’s vaccines chief Rajeev Venkayya tells Scrip about its COVID-19 vaccines partnerships, and how the pandemic can stimulate action against other infectious disease threats such as Dengue.

TB Alliance CEO Mel Spigelman discusses a range of new and evolving aspects pertaining to the three-drug BPaL regimen for highly drug-resistant TB, including the ZeNix trial results and adding a licensee for pretomanid. He also notes how COVID-19 has had a “terrible impact” on efforts to tackle the TB pandemic.

Sweden-based Anocca AB will use a just completed $47m Series B financing to advance its industrialized cellular biology platform and pipeline of TCR-T cellular therapies into Phase I/IIa oncology clinical trials, its CEO tells Scrip. 

Sales at the Swiss major have returned to around 80%-90% of their pre-pandemic levels, according to CFO Harry Kirsch after unveiling a healthy set of second-quarter financials.

South Korea’s Ildong Pharmaceutical has begun a major transformation from an OTC-focused firm to an innovative R&D-based operation that aims to compete with global big pharma rivals, helped by both internal and external alliances, its R&D head says in an interview with Scrip.

The Belgium-headquartered firm has struggled of late to impress investors, most recently with data from its salt-inducible kinase inhibitors, and CMO Walid Abi-Saab told Scrip that one reason could be "the level of optimism that prevails in the company. We jump on things a bit ahead of time."

Swedish biotech Amniotics is developing a broad pipeline of unique stem cell therapeutics based on technology that is broadly applicable to major disease markets which should eventually draw the attention of big pharma players, its CEO tells Scrip.

Wugen has worked on its platform in stealth mode while co-founders at Washington University in St. Louis tested initial product WU-NK-101 in AML. Its new funding will support company-sponsored trials.