Immunology and inflammation
Offsetting Merck’s growth in the third quarter were disappointing revenues from its HPV vaccine Gardasil and type 2 diabetes pill Januvia, with the company on Thursday narrowing its 2024 sales and adjusted profit outlooks.
AbbVie’s Humira missed Wall Street’s expectations in the third quarter but Skyrizi and Rinvoq’s continuing outperformance demonstrated the overall strength of its immunology franchise.
The Swiss pharma is paying $150 million upfront to gain rights to Monte Rosa’s VAV1-targeting molecular glue degraders, led by a Phase I candidate which holds therapeutic promise for immune-mediated diseases.
Earlier this month, Kezar Life Sciences announced that the mid-stage test of zetomipzomib in lupus nephritis had been placed on an FDA clinical hold. Now, that program is being terminated.
Sales of Johnson & Johnson’s oncology drugs jumped nearly 19% in the third quarter, driven by cancer treatment Darzalex which brought in more than $3 billion.
At 52 weeks of follow-up, more patients on Eli Lilly’s monoclonal antibody Omvoh demonstrated histologic response, suggesting better long-term outcomes than Johnson & Johnson’s blockbuster therapy Stelara.
With positive results for patients with the chronic skin condition, Jasper Therapeutics’ briquilimab is looking to take on Novartis and Genentech’s Xolair as well as Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent.
Two biotechs set out for the public markets this week, with Upstream Bio raising $255 million for its inflammatory disease work, while CAMP4 Therapeutics picked up $75 million to develop RNA-targeting drugs.
On the heels of Keytruda’s success in a Phase III perioperative trial for a disease where it had previously failed to improve event-free survival, Merck touts an I&I deal with UK biotech Mestag.
The clinical hold doesn’t cover its drug’s Investigational New Drug application for autoimmune hepatitis, for which the Phase IIa PORTOLA trial is ongoing.
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