Ironwood Pharmaceuticals Inc. CEO Mark Mallon said the company will seek to grow Linzess (linaclotide) and “continue to scan the environment” for more prospects in gastrointestinal conditions after the phase III fizzle in one of two identical experiments with IW-3718 in refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease. Read More
With a Dec. 20 PDUFA date bearing down on relugolix from Myovant Sciences GmbH, of Basel, Switzerland, freshly released and slightly downbeat secondary endpoint phase III data created a rift with management and analysts on one side and investors on the other. Read More
There are millions of fungal species, but it appears only a few hundred of them cause serious fungal infections that are responsible for an estimated 1.5 million deaths globally each year and are equally as dangerous as bacterial and viral infections. Last week, the U.S. CDC pointed the spotlight on this situation with its Fungal Disease Awareness Week. Read More
HONG KONG – Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. has won regulatory approval for Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) in Japan based on a pivotal phase II trial alone. The HER2-directed antibody-drug conjugate has been approved for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric cancer that has progressed after chemotherapy. Read More
LONDON – As the last scheduled talks on the future EU/U.K. trading arrangements got underway on Sept. 29, the pharmaceutical industry across Europe issued an urgent plea for medicines to be spliced out of the contentious negotiations. In a joint statement, the U.K. and European industry organizations called for a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) to prevent the need for retesting of medicines imported from the EU to the U.K., in the event there is no deal. Read More
The governor’s signature brought California a step closer to realizing state officials’ dream of having their own generic and biosimilar drug label. In signing the California Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act into law Sept. 28, Gov. Gavin Newsom touted the legislation as a way to break down market barriers to affordable prescription drug prices. “Our bill will help inject competition back into the generic drug marketplace – taking pricing power away from big pharmaceutical companies and returning it to consumers,” he said. Read More
HONG KONG – Tokyo-based Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Roche Holding AG, has received approval from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) to add new indication to the list of those treatable with its combination of Tecentriq (atezolizumab) and Avastin (bevacizumab): unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Both medicines originated at Genentech Inc. Read More
New hires and promotions in the biopharma industry, including: Alivio, Anokion, Aziyo, Black Diamond, Brainstorm Cell, Deep Genomics, Immatics, Mina, Montis, Trisalus, Xilio. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Acceleron, Aerie, Ascendis, BMS, Bridgebio, Histogen, Infinity, Medimetriks, Neuren, Organicell, Otsuka, Painreform, Pfizer, Seed Health, Windtree. Read More
