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Deals•Feb 26, 2026
Asahi Kasei to Acquire German Biotech Aicuris for €780M
Japanese drugmaker Asahi Kasei announced it will acquire German biotech Aicuris for €780 million, gaining its antiviral therapy pritelivir targeting HSV. The deal expands Asahi Kasei's anti‑infectives portfolio and supports its goal of reaching JPY 300 billion in pharma sales by 2030.
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News•Feb 10, 2026
Lupin Settles Myrbetriq Patent Spat with Astellas for $90m
Lupin has agreed to pay $90 million to settle U.S. patent litigation with Astellas over the over‑active bladder drug Myrbetriq. The settlement includes a $75 million option payment and ongoing per‑unit license fees until Astellas' patent expires in September 2027. The deal lets...
By pharmaphorum
News•Feb 9, 2026
Data Builds on Roche's Dominance in Primary Progressive MS
Roche disclosed phase 3 data showing its oral BTK inhibitor fenebrutinib is non‑inferior to Ocrevus in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). The FENtrepid trial demonstrated a 12% relative reduction in disability progression risk over 24 weeks, with a notable 26% improvement...
By pharmaphorum
News•Feb 9, 2026
Novartis Breaks Ground on San Diego Biomedical R&D Site
Novartis has broken ground on a $1.1 billion, 466,000‑sq‑ft biomedical research centre in San Diego, the flagship of a $23 billion U.S. capital investment programme. The campus, slated to open around 2029, will house roughly 1,000 scientists and integrate the company’s West...
By pharmaphorum
News•Feb 6, 2026
Leqembi Starts to Deliver for Eisai and Biogen
Biogen and Eisai reported a 54% jump in fourth‑quarter sales of their Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi, reaching $134 million, with $78 million generated in the United States. The increase follows the FDA’s approval of a once‑weekly subcutaneous injection, offering a less‑burdensome alternative to...
By pharmaphorum
News•Feb 5, 2026
Hims & Hers Copies Novo Nordisk's New Wegovy Pill
Telehealth firm Hims & Hers has launched an oral semaglutide pill priced at $49 per month, directly copying Novo Nordisk’s newly released oral Wegovy that sells for $149. Novo reports strong uptake of its product, with roughly 50,000 prescriptions filled...
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News•Feb 5, 2026
Grail Multi-Cancer Test Taps Into Hims & Hers Network
Grail has partnered with telehealth firm Hims & Hers to sell its Galleri multi‑cancer blood test at a $250 discount off the $949 list price. The collaboration follows Grail’s recent filing for FDA pre‑market approval, based on interim results from...
By pharmaphorum
News•Feb 5, 2026
Abbott's Wireless Heart Failure Sensor Cleared for NHS Use
Abbott’s CardioMEMS HF wireless sensor has received NICE approval for routine NHS use in chronic heart‑failure patients. The tiny implant measures pulmonary artery pressure and transmits daily readings via a pillow‑embedded antenna, allowing clinicians to adjust medication remotely. Clinical trials...
By pharmaphorum
News•Feb 4, 2026
GSK Delivers in New CEO Miels' First Financial Update
Luke Miels’ first financial update as GSK chief executive shows an 8% rise in fourth‑quarter sales to £8.62 bn, lifting full‑year revenue 7% to £32.67 bn. Growth was driven by new launches such as Blenrep, Nucala and Exdensur, and a pipeline bolstered...
By pharmaphorum
News•Feb 4, 2026
Patent Losses Hit Novartis Hard, but CEO Has a Plan
Novartis faced its largest patent cliff in Q4 2025, losing exclusivity on Entresto, Tasigna and Promacta/Revolade, which dragged quarterly sales down 1% to $13.3 billion. CEO Vas Narasimhan projects a $4 billion sales hit in 2026 but expects mid‑term guidance to stay on track,...
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News•Feb 4, 2026
Fears US Drug Pricing Deal Will Weigh Heavy on the NHS
UK Science Minister Sir Patrick Vallance confirmed that the £1 billion three‑year drug pricing deal with the United States will be funded from the Department of Health and Social Care budget, not the Treasury. The agreement keeps US tariffs on UK‑origin...
By pharmaphorum
Deals•Feb 4, 2026
Novartis to Acquire Avidity Biosciences in $12B Takeover
Swiss pharma giant Novartis announced it will acquire RNA‑drug developer Avidity Biosciences for $12 billion, with the transaction expected to close in the next few months. The deal is part of Novartis' strategy to bolster its pipeline amid significant patent expiries,...
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News•Feb 3, 2026
FDA Knocks Back AstraZeneca's Self-Injected Lupus Drug
AstraZeneca's subcutaneous formulation of its lupus biologic Saphnelo was rejected by the FDA, receiving a complete response letter despite recent European approval. The IV version continues to grow, posting $483 million in sales for the first nine months of 2025, and...
By pharmaphorum
News•Feb 3, 2026
UK Will Cover Transport Costs for Children with Cancer
The UK government will allocate a £10 million fund to cover transport costs for children and young people up to age 24 diagnosed with cancer, with the scheme rolling out by 2027. The support is universal, irrespective of household income, and...
By pharmaphorum
News•Feb 2, 2026
UK Body Raps Sanofi for Disparaging Pfizer's RSV Jab
Sanofi was found to have breached the UK pharmaceutical code after its chief executive, Paul Hudson, made unbalanced statements in an Observer interview comparing the company’s RSV antibody Beyfortus with Pfizer’s vaccine Abrysvo. The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority...
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News•Feb 2, 2026
FDA Knocks Back Pharming's Bid for Wider Joenja Use
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a complete response letter rejecting Pharming's request to extend Joenja (leniolisib) to children aged four to 11 with activated phosphoinositide 3‑kinase delta syndrome (APDS). The agency flagged potential under‑exposure in lower‑weight pediatric patients...
By pharmaphorum
News•Feb 2, 2026
Mixed Data Mars Sanofi's Venglustat Programme
Sanofi announced that its oral glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor venglustat achieved statistically significant neurological improvements in a Phase 3 trial for type 3 Gaucher disease, prompting regulatory filing plans. The same drug failed to demonstrate efficacy in a Fabry disease study, adding to...
By pharmaphorum
News•Feb 2, 2026
FDA Launches Pilot Programme to Boost US Manufacturing
The FDA has opened its PreCheck pilot, a two‑phase program designed to speed regulatory approval for new pharmaceutical manufacturing sites in the United States. The agency will select facilities this year based on national‑priority products, development stage, and timeline to...
By pharmaphorum
News•Feb 2, 2026
UCB Bags First EU Approval for Rare Genetic Disease TK2d
UCB’s Kygevi (doxecitine and doxribtimine) received a CHMP recommendation for EU approval, targeting thymidine kinase 2 deficiency (TK2d) in patients whose disease began before age 12. The drug already secured FDA approval last November and is slated for launch in the...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 30, 2026
EMA Looks Into 'Data Integrity' Issue with Amgen's Tavneos
The European Medicines Agency has opened a review into the data integrity of the pivotal ADVOCATE trial that underpinned the EU approval of Amgen’s oral complement C5 inhibitor Tavneos. The regulator’s concerns focus on how the study data were handled...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 30, 2026
Three More Biotechs Price Their Nasdaq IPOs
AgomAb Therapeutics, SpyGlass Pharma, and Veradermics have filed Nasdaq IPO pricing, each seeking $150‑200 million. AgomAb plans to sell 2.5 million shares at $15‑$17, targeting a post‑money valuation near $875 million. SpyGlass will issue 9.4 million shares at the same price range, aiming for...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 30, 2026
GLP-1 Drugs Linked to Pancreatitis, Gallbladder Problems
The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has added a warning about a rare but severe form of acute pancreatitis to the product information for GLP‑1 agonists used in diabetes and obesity treatment. With an estimated 1.6 million adults...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 29, 2026
Digital Musculoskeletal Care Firm Sword Buys Rival Kaia
US digital physical‑therapy specialist Sword Health announced a $285 million acquisition of German rival Kaia Health. The deal will migrate Kaia’s millions of U.S. users onto Sword’s platform, instantly expanding its American footprint. Combined, the companies will serve over 100 million patients,...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 29, 2026
Otsuka Preps for July Decision on Centanafadine for ADHD
The FDA has placed Otsuka Pharma’s centanafidine under priority review, with a decision expected by July 24. The drug is the first norepinephrine‑dopamine‑serotonin reuptake inhibitor (NDSRI) aimed at children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD, and is backed by four phase 3 trials...
By pharmaphorum
Deals•Jan 29, 2026
Sword Health Acquires Kaia Health for $285M
US digital physical therapy specialist Sword Health announced it will acquire competitor Kaia Health for $285 million, creating a combined platform that will dominate the US market and expand into Europe. The deal brings together two digital musculoskeletal care providers,...
pharmaphorum
News•Jan 28, 2026
Halozyme Diversifies in Drug Delivery with Surf Bio Buy
Halozyme Therapeutics has bolstered its drug‑delivery portfolio by acquiring Surf Bio for a $300 million upfront payment, adding the ultrahigh‑concentration Snapshot platform. The deal follows a recent $750 million purchase of Elektrofi, giving Halozyme three complementary technologies for subcutaneous administration. Snapshot enables...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 28, 2026
Eikon Prices Its IPO, Seeking to Raise $318m
Eikon Therapeutics priced its Nasdaq IPO at $16‑$18 per share, aiming to raise up to $318 million and valuing the company at more than $900 million. The offering includes 17.6 million shares after the biotech raised roughly $1 billion in private funding, including a...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 28, 2026
Boehringer Drug Scores in Rare Kidney Disease FSGS
Boehringer Ingelheim’s TRPC6 inhibitor apecotrep, originally a COVID‑19 candidate, achieved a 40% reduction in proteinuria versus placebo in a phase 2 trial for primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The study, published in The Lancet, provides the first efficacy signal for a...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 28, 2026
CMS's Medicare Price Negotiations Start Round Three
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the third round of Medicare drug price negotiations, naming 15 drugs that will face mandatory discounts starting in 2028. The list, which adds Eli Lilly’s GLP‑1 therapy Trulicity and several physician‑administered products such...
By pharmaphorum
Deals•Jan 28, 2026
Eikon Therapeutics Prices IPO, Targets $318M Raise
Eikon Therapeutics, the biotech startup founded by former MSD R&D head Roger Perlmutter, announced pricing of its Nasdaq IPO at $16‑$18 per share, aiming to raise up to $318 million and achieve a valuation above $900 million. The company will list under...
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News•Jan 27, 2026
China Clears Its First Drug for Chronic Hepatitis D
Huahui Health’s libevitug has secured conditional approval from China’s NMPA, marking the nation’s first domestically approved drug for chronic hepatitis D. The antibody blocks the PreS1 domain of HBV and HDV, preventing viral entry into liver cells. Previously, only Gilead’s Hepcludex...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 27, 2026
Boehringer Signs €1bn+ Deal for Simcere IBD Candidate
Boehringer Ingelheim has licensed SIM0709, a bispecific antibody targeting IL‑23p19 and TL1A, from China’s Simcere in a deal valued at up to €1.05 billion. The agreement includes a €42 million upfront payment and milestone‑based payouts. SIM0709 is in pre‑clinical development and aims...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 27, 2026
Roche Claims Midstage Win for Obesity Injectable
Roche announced phase‑2 results for its dual GIP/GLP‑1 obesity drug CT‑388, showing a placebo‑adjusted 22.5% weight loss at the 24 mg dose after 48 weeks. More than half of participants fell below the obesity BMI threshold, and 96% lost at least...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 27, 2026
Vaccination Fall Costs UK Its Measles Elimination Status
WHO has stripped the United Kingdom of its measles elimination status after England recorded 2,911 laboratory‑confirmed cases in 2024, the highest in over a decade. The loss follows a decline in MMR vaccination rates, which fell below the 95 % herd‑immunity...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 26, 2026
Bausch Health Hit as Xifaxan Successor Flunks Trials
Bausch Health’s SSD rifaximin program, aimed at primary prevention of hepatic encephalopathy, failed both phase‑3 RED‑C trials, missing the primary efficacy endpoint. The setback caused the company’s shares to tumble about 11 % and raises concerns as Xifaxan, its top‑selling drug,...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 26, 2026
COPD Patients Will Get Access to Dupixent via NHS
The UK’s health technology assessment agency NICE has recommended Sanofi‑Regeneron’s Dupixent for adults with eosinophilic, uncontrolled COPD, making it the first targeted biologic for the disease. Approved in September 2024, the IL‑4/IL‑13 inhibitor is prescribed alongside standard LABA/LAMA ±ICS therapy...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 26, 2026
Introducing the Sunday Times Tech 100: Life Sciences Part 1
The Sunday Times Tech 100 list shows that 23 of the 100 fastest‑growing UK private tech firms operate in life sciences, underscoring the sector’s momentum. The list aggregates £3.7 billion in revenue and 23,100 jobs, with a focus this week on five...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 25, 2026
Nature: "Sidewinder" Tech a Leap Forward in DNA Synthesis
Nature has published a breakthrough DNA‑synthesis method called Sidewinder, which employs three‑way junctions instead of the traditional two‑way structures. This design lets researchers write DNA sequences from scratch, as demonstrated by assembling the full coding region of apolipoprotein E. Sidewinder promises...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 23, 2026
Digital Osteoarthritis, Bulimia Tools Backed for NHS Use
The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued early value assessment (EVA) guidance allowing the NHS to temporarily adopt digital health technologies for hip and knee osteoarthritis and for bulimia. Eight osteoarthritis apps—including GetUBetter, Hinge Health...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 23, 2026
Sanofi Plans Amlitelimab Dermatitis Filing After New Readout
Sanofi announced it will move forward with regulatory filings for its atopic dermatitis candidate amlitelimab after positive readouts from the SHORE and COAST 2 phase 3 trials. SHORE showed robust improvements on vIGA‑AD and EASI‑75, while COAST 2 met only the vIGA‑AD endpoint...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 22, 2026
NICE Backs Roche Lupus Drug that Supports Kidney Function
NICE has issued a draft recommendation approving Roche’s anti‑CD20 antibody Gazyvaro for lupus nephritis patients in England and Wales, making the therapy available to roughly 12,000 people with kidney‑damaging systemic lupus erythematosus. The drug is administered intravenously twice yearly alongside...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 21, 2026
EU Approves Otsuka's Long-Acting HAE Drug Dawnzera
European Commission approved Otsuka’s Dawnzera, a first‑in‑class antisense RNA therapy, for prophylaxis of hereditary angioedema in patients 12 and older. Clinical data showed an 81% attack‑rate reduction with four‑weekly dosing and up to 94% reduction after one year. Otsuka secured...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 21, 2026
Hopstem Maps Course to Bring Stem Cell Stroke Therapy to US
Hopstem Biotech received FDA clearance to begin US clinical trials of its iPSC‑derived stroke therapy, hNPC01, under an accelerated development pathway. The company completed a Phase 1 study in China showing sustained motor improvements over 18 months without safety concerns. The...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 21, 2026
ImmunityBio Rises as Route Opens to Broader Anktiva Label
ImmunityBio announced an FDA pathway to refile for Anktiva in papillary‑only NMIBC after an initial rejection. The IL‑15 agonist, already approved for BCG‑refractory CIS, generated $113 million in sales last year. Data from the QUILT‑3.032 trial show a 58.2% 12‑month disease‑free...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 21, 2026
Call Goes Out for Type 1 Diabetes Screening in UK
Researchers from the University of Birmingham reported that the ELSA feasibility trial screened roughly 17,000 UK children aged three to 13 using a finger‑prick autoantibody test, identifying early‑stage type 1 diabetes before symptoms appear. The study found 75 children with...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 20, 2026
J&J Bets on Isomorphic for AI-Powered Drug Hunt
Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Biotech unit has entered a cross‑modality, multi‑target research collaboration with Isomorphic Labs, the Alphabet‑backed AI drug‑discovery start‑up. The partnership combines Isomorphic’s planet‑scale computing and AI‑driven design engine with J&J’s experimental and development capabilities, covering both small‑molecule...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 20, 2026
ViiV Ownership Shifts as Pfizer Sells Its Stake
Pfizer is selling its ViiV Healthcare stake for $1.875 billion, reducing its involvement in the HIV joint venture. Shionogi’s ownership more than doubles to 21.7% while GSK retains a 78.3% majority and aims to push ViiV sales beyond £7 billion this year....
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 20, 2026
AstraZeneca Pays $630m to Get Full Control of AbelZeta CAR-T
AstraZeneca paid $630 million to acquire full rights to C‑CAR031 (AZD7003) from AbelZeta for China. The armored CAR‑T targets GPC3 in solid tumours and showed a 56.5% overall response in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, rising to 75% at the top dose, with...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 20, 2026
GSK Reaches $2.2bn Deal to Buy Food Allergy Biotech RAPT
GlaxoSmithKline announced a $2.2 billion acquisition of U.S. biotech RAPT Therapeutics, securing global rights to its anti‑IgE antibody ozureprubart, currently in Phase 2b trials. The deal, the first major transaction under new CEO Luke Miels, aims to strengthen GSK’s immunology pipeline and...
By pharmaphorum
Deals•Jan 20, 2026
AstraZeneca Pays $630M to Acquire Full Control of AbelZeta's CAR‑T Therapy C‑CAR031
AstraZeneca has paid $630 million to buy out AbelZeta’s 50 % share of the China development and commercialisation rights to the CAR‑T therapy C‑CAR031, securing full control of the anti‑GPC3 treatment in China. The deal expands AZ’s CAR‑T portfolio following prior acquisitions...
pharmaphorum
News•Jan 19, 2026
Sun Pharma Says Talk of $10bn Organon Bid Is 'Speculative'
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries denied rumors of a $10 billion bid for women's‑health specialist Organon, calling the Economic Times report speculative and stating no material event has occurred. The proposed price would make the deal Sun's largest acquisition since the 2015 Ranbaxy...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 19, 2026
EU Starts Review of First-Line Enhertu for Breast Cancer
The European Medicines Agency has opened its review of Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca’s Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) combined with pertuzumab as a first‑line treatment for HER2‑positive metastatic breast cancer. The DESTINY‑Breast09 trial demonstrated a 44% reduction in disease recurrence or death versus...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 19, 2026
Could Alzheimer's Be Predicted with a Finger-Prick Test?
An international trial, Bio‑Hermes‑002, is testing a finger‑prick blood test to predict Alzheimer’s risk in people over 60. The study measures three biomarkers—pTau217, GFAP, and NfL—and compares results with PET/MRI scans, lumbar punctures and digital assessments. With 1,000 volunteers across...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 19, 2026
NICE Relents, Ending Postcode Access to Prostate Cancer Drug
NICE has issued new guidance allowing abiraterone, both the Zytiga brand and generics, for men in England with high‑risk localized or locally advanced prostate cancer, aligning England with Wales and Scotland. The decision follows a patient‑led campaign and recent phase‑3...
By pharmaphorum
News•Jan 19, 2026
'Skinny' Generic Vascepa Label Case Reaches US Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Amarin’s appeal against Hikma over the use of a “skinny label” for a generic version of Vascepa, the omega‑3 drug that accounts for roughly $215 million of Amarin’s annual revenue. Hikma’s generic entered the...
By pharmaphorum