Research & Development

Pharma groups must decide how best to invest their cash to generate the biggest returns, and while huge sums can be made with luck and good judgement, strategic missteps can have far-reaching consequences.

Outstanding Q1 growth in sales and profits have pleased the markets, and investors are now keen to hear more about AstraZeneca’s 2030 masterplan at its investor day next month.

In a head-to-head study of Rinvoq versus Dupixent in atopic dermatitis, the AbbVie drug showed superiority on a composite endpoint measuring skin clearance and itch resolution.

The Swiss major brings a new ruthlessness to the compounds in its pipeline: if they’re not first or best, they’re out.

UK-based Ochre Bio has signed its first major deal with Boehringer Ingelheim. Scrip talked to its co-founder and CEO, Jack O’Meara, about its human tissue-based drug discovery platform, its resulting RNA platform for liver disease and how the fledgling drug company's early work mirrored that seen in diagnostics.

Ichnos Glenmark Innovation’s president and CEO talks to Scrip about the promising activity profile of the alliance’s early stage trispecific antibody versus Janssen’s teclistamab and also maintains that the setback for Gilead’s magrolimab hasn’t eclipsed prospects for its bispecific antibody.

Joincare Pharmaceutical and partner TaiGen Biotechnology tout preliminary Phase III results in uncomplicated acute influenza for TG-1000, a homegrown follower of Shionogi/Roche’s oral antiviral Xofluza. Novel antivirals for flu were hotly pursued by Chinese developers throughout 2023.

Sanofi’s BTK inhibitor – one of two from its 2021 Principia buy – passed a Phase III test in immune thrombocytopenia as the company focuses on Dupixent-like blockbusters going forward.

Bristol Myers Squibb’s head of major markets, Monica Shaw, wants to improve patients’ access to lifesaving therapies. And the group has several new products ready to roll.

In a partnership worth $380m, BMS has reserved clinical and commercial capacity with Cellares, a company whose $255m series C round it participated in last year.

Corbus has presence in both antibody drug conjugates and obesity, and was the stand-out small-cap target for investors with a fivefold increase in its share price in Q1.

The French drugmaker has not abandoned oncology but has made it very clear that immunology and inflammation is the priority for its R&D euros.

Pipeline Watch is a weekly snapshot of selected late-stage clinical trial events and approvals announced by pharmaceutical and biotech companies at medical and industry conferences, in financial and company presentations, and in company releases and statements.

Cerevel, which AbbVie is spending $8.7bn to acquire, unveiled topline results from the TEMPO-3 study of tavapadon, which an analyst said represents potentially a $1bn opportunity.

Topline results from two studies in obstructive sleep apnea among obese adults showed efficacy crossing the 50% threshold that physicians have called clinically meaningful.

Dalzanemdor (SAGE-718) showed no difference from placebo in a Phase II Parkinson’s disease study, raising concerns about readouts later this year in Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.