Taking aim at big pharma’s current penchant for acquisition over in-house innovation, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to consider the impact a biopharma merger, whether it’s proposed or a done deal, may have on future innovation.
New research published in BMJ Open claims there are inconsistencies in Amgen Inc.’s phase III Fourier study for cholesterol lowering. Cardiac deaths were numerically higher in those taking the PCSK9 inhibitor Repatha (evolocumab) combined with a statin than those in the placebo group, the research noted.
Facing a 26.5% rebate on 2023 sales of branded prescription drugs in the U.K., the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) is seeking talks with the government early in the new year to develop a new biopharma settlement for the future that will reflect the potential of the life sciences sector to drive improvements in the health and economy of the U.K.
South Korea’s Legochem Bioscience Inc. inked a licensing deal with Amgen Inc. on Dec. 23 for five undisclosed antibody drug conjugate (ADC) targets worth up to ₩1.6 trillion (US$1.24 billion). Under the terms of the deal, Legochem will out-license global rights to Amgen for five undisclosed ADC targets and will receive an undisclosed up-front payment as well as development milestones and sales royalties. The companies did not disclose additional details.
Legochem Bioscience Inc. (LCB) has entered into a research collaboration and license agreement with Amgen Inc., granting Amgen rights to research, develop and commercialize antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) directed against up to 5 targets selected by Amgen based on LCB’s proprietary Conjuall ADC technology.
The successful suitor for Horizon Therapeutics plc has been revealed as Amgen Inc., which will buy the Dublin-based company for $27.8 billion in cash in what is by far the year’s biggest acquisition. The deal brings successful biologics into Amgen’s portfolio that include Tepezza (teprotumumab), a monoclonal antibody targeting insulin-like growth factor 1 for treating thyroid eye disease, Krystexxa (pegloticase), a pegylated uricase enzyme for treating chronic refractory gout, and Uplizna (inebilizumab), a monoclonal antibody targeting insulin-like growth factor 1 for treating thyroid eye disease.
The stock rally by Tango Therapeutics Inc. over the past month or so has further revved the long-percolating interest in protein arginine methyl transferase 5 (PRMT5) and in synthetic lethality, where a number of parties have programs ongoing.
An uptick in positive clinical data reported in recent months has helped nudge the BioWorld Biopharmaceutical Index (BBI) to its highest point this year. BBI is up by 15.58%, significantly higher than the 1.36% increase recorded at the end of August, just as statistically significant clinical results began to roll in from a number of biopharma companies.
It’s taken eight years of jury trials, court reversals and appeals for Amgen Inc. to get the nod to argue its case before the U.S. Supreme Court on what is needed to meet the enablement standard for functional patent claims that envelop a genus.
Many industry watchers are looking to 2023’s Humira biosimilar launch in the U.S. as a portent of the future of biosimilars. While it should help raise awareness of biosimilars in general and produce savings in the immunology sector, its distinctness could make it an outlier in the world of current and future biosimilar competition.
