Daily round-up from the virtual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference: Novartis explains its PD-1 deal; Biogen partners with Apple; Sanofi and Merck discuss business development priorities; and why AbbVie is confident it can grow without relying on deals. 

A Biden Administration with near-term priorities other than drug pricing and a Republican-controlled Senate dedicated to blocking any legislation that would enact government price controls is a relatively positive outcome for industry.

Worst case scenario is civil unrest that might disrupt clinical trials and manufacturing. Under a more moderate scenario, companies must delay business planning because the US policy environment remains cloudy.

The global health crisis has presented a chance for the industry to improve its reputation by highlighting the value of its R&D engines. Pharma execs and observers talk to Scrip about why they are optimistic about industry’s chance to regain public trust.

Mylan’s proposed $12bn combination with Pfizer’s Upjohn unit is expected to close next month following a settlement agreement with the FTC, with a requirement to address competition concerns in ten markets. The FTC was however strongly divided on the deal, with dissenters labelling the directives of the Commission as “deeply flawed, favoring routine over rigor.”

The industry-backed investment fund to combat antimicrobial resistance hopes to be operational by end of year and begin assessing programs to invest in during the first quarter of 2021.

The two companies can now market their HER-2 targeting antibody-drug conjugate in its second tumor type as they look to expand beyond breast cancer.

Moderna’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine has received an approval from the UK’s MHRA, while AstraZeneca is expected to apply for the EU approval of its COVID-19 vaccine next week.

The first deliveries of Moderna’s vaccine are expected to begin next week to EU countries.

Gilead's Veklury for the treatment of COVID-19 was a clear commercial standout among new drugs in 2020, but cancer drugs like Seagen's Padcev and Tukysa are poised for long-term potential.

The SOURCE failure is a reversal for the novel Amgen-partnered TSLP inhibitor after NAVIGATOR success last month, and comes just days after the US FDA requested more analyses of the pivotal data for the kidney disease anemia therapy roxadustat.

The first COVID-19 vaccine will shortly be available to the EU member states. The European Medicines Agency says that uncertainties remain over the ability of the vaccine to prevent transmission of the coronavirus and whether the new variant strain will render this and other vaccines less effective.