Oncology

Also, CRO Syneos Health appointed an executive to its newly created DE&I position, while Alterity started a new Phase II study in multiple system atrophy, Antabio dosed the first patients in its Phase I study of an antibiotic for hospital infections, and Structure Therapeutics started a Phase IIa trial of its GLP-1 agonist in obesity and diabetes, with plans for a Phase IIb trial in 2024.

Investment from big and small players against existing and novel targets is making antibody-drug conjugates one of the fastest-growing fields in oncology, as attested by their presence at the upcoming ASCO meeting.

AstraZeneca plans to unveil multiple major data packages, while Servier reveals much-anticipated results in glioma, and ImmunoGen and Novartis will present key pivotal data in women’s cancers.

The US firm’s kinase inhibitor fell short of overall survival expectations in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor in an advanced lung cancer trial, but upcoming milestones for Krazati may be more of a concern.

The US FDA gave the drug a broad label in adults with indolent SM, without restrictions for disease severity or prior treatment, and Blueprint sees a potential $1.5bn market opportunity.

The Danish group, along with partner AbbVie, is all set for a commercial battle with Roche as Epkinly hits the US market for refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma a few weeks ahead of expected approval for the Swiss major’s same-in-class rival glofitamab.

In this week's podcast edition of Five Must-Know Things: US FTC takes action on Amgen’s Horizon deal; Hassan and Jimenez share their CEO experiences; Novartis lays out Cosentyx plans; generally strong fiscal year for Japan’s pharma firms; and new Tagrisso data lift AstraZeneca.

Having just avoided going into administration, the firm formerly known as Midatech has pivoted its business model from a drug delivery company to a therapeutics player and has hit the acquisition trail.

The congress’s late breakers highlight progress across cell and gene platforms and diseases, and Duchenne is in the spotlight as Sarepta’s SRP-9001 could soon gain accelerated approval.

Data from the FLAURA2 trial suggest AstraZeneca could soon be able to expand use of Tagrisso in the first-line setting, widening the gap over Johnson & Johnson’s Rybrevant.

Emerging Company Profile: The firm’s use of the CD2 co-stimulant in its T cell engager design could significantly boost anti-tumor efficacy while addressing T cell exhaustion, with a first-in-human trial planned for 2024.

In this week's podcast edition of Five Must-Know Things: J&J’s Duarto on the importance of diversity; Teva’s views on its new risperidone launch; Almirall’s hopes for lebrikizumab; Biogen’s Viehbacher questions the need for spending on weight loss drugs; and Citeline’s annual R&D review looks at the current state of the global biopharma pipeline.