Novartis
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The U.S. FDA approved Pfizer’s Lorbrena (lorlatinib) for ALK-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients whose disease hasn’t progressed on crizotinib and at least one other ALK inhibitor or for patients whose disease has progressed on alectinib or ceritinib as the first ALK inhibitor.
Biopharma companies set to release financial reports next week have reported positive news in recent months.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the green light to Hyrimoz, a biosimilar to AbbVie’s blockbuster drug Humira, five years ahead of the time it can be launched in U.S. markets.
In an interview with S&P Global Market Intelligence, Alex Hoos, head of oncology at GSK, said the company could narrow its drug development focus to aim at products that will generate growth.
To suggest that the pharma industry is a reluctant partner in President Donald Trump’s attempts to decrease drug prices is to overstate the fact. But now the industry appears to be pushing back, at least a little bit.
According to Jay Bradner, president of the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, the company is cutting its drug programs from 430 to 340. One of the big areas the company is abandoning is infectious diseases. The decision is a result of a strategic review by Vasant (Vas) Narasimhan, the company’s chief executive officer.
With fresh two-year data in hand, Novartis remains focused on seeking regulatory approval for brolucizumab, an ophthalmology drug for the treatment of neo-vascular age related macular degeneration..
NASH is similar to cirrhosis of the liver but occurs in people that drink little or no alcohol. It is related to the obesity epidemic and affects at least three to five percent of the adult population worldwide. Many believe that combination therapies will be the best way to approach treating NASH, because it has several components.
Biopharma companies shore up leadership roles with new hires and appointments, at Axcella Health, Twist Bioscience, and more.
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