AbbVie Turbocharges Its US Investment Promise to $100bn
AbbVie has signed a most‑favoured‑nation pricing deal with the Trump administration, committing $100 billion to U.S. research, development and manufacturing over the next ten years. The agreement mirrors those of 16 other large pharma firms and secures an exemption from potential tariffs of up to 100 % on imported drugs. It covers key products such as Humira, Alphagan, Combigan and Synthroid, while promising four new manufacturing plants. Details on how the massive investment will be allocated remain scarce.
JPM: Is the UK's Clinical Trials Sector Turning a Corner?
The UK medicines regulator reported a 9% rise in clinical trial applications year‑over‑year, with early‑stage studies leading the growth. Healthy‑volunteer and first‑in‑human trials increased 16% and 5% respectively, while sponsor requests for regulatory advice surged 75%. The MHRA announced a...
JPM: AbbVie Pays $650m Upfront for RemeGen Cancer Drug
AbbVie has signed a $5.6 billion licensing agreement with China’s RemeGen, paying $650 million upfront for exclusive rights to the PD‑1×VEGF bispecific antibody RC148 outside Greater China. The deal includes up to $4.95 billion in milestone payments and gives AbbVie access to a...
Abivax Climbs on Lilly Takeover Speculation
Shares of French biotech Abivax jumped about 32% after La Lettre reported that Eli Lilly may be considering a €15 billion takeover. The speculation follows Abivax's positive phase 3 data for obefazimod, an oral miR‑124 enhancer, in ulcerative colitis. The deal would add...
Madrigal Eyes Combination MASH Therapy with Pfizer Deal
Madrigal Pharma has licensed Pfizer’s oral DGAT‑2 inhibitor ervogastat for a $50 million upfront payment, planning to pair it with its approved MASH drug Rezdiffra. The combination targets complementary pathways in triglyceride synthesis and inflammation, aiming to enhance therapeutic outcomes for...
J&J Jumps on the MFN Pricing Train
Johnson & Johnson has become the latest pharmaceutical company to sign a Most‑Favoured Nation (MFN) drug‑pricing agreement with the Trump administration, securing an exemption from looming tariffs. The deal, the 15th of its kind, will make J&J medicines available through...
Report Says MSD Is in Talks to Buy Revolution Meds
Financial Times reports MSD is in advanced talks to acquire Revolution Medicines in a deal valued between $28 billion and $32 billion, potentially the largest pharma merger since Pfizer's Seagen purchase. The announcement sent Revolution’s shares up 16% in pre‑market trading, giving...
Servier Signs €1bn-Plus AI Pact with Iktos
Servier has inked a partnership with Paris‑based Iktos valued at over €1 billion to harness generative AI and robotics for small‑molecule drug discovery. The alliance targets oncology and neurological diseases and follows a recent $888 million AI deal with Insilico Medicine. Iktos’...
Court Blocks HHS' 340B Rebate Programme Pilot
U.S. federal judges in the First Circuit upheld a Maine injunction that blocks the Health Resources and Services Administration’s pilot to replace upfront 340B drug discounts with post‑sale rebates. The decision keeps hospitals from having to purchase ten high‑volume medicines...
Study Finds Weight Returns More Quickly in GLP-1 Users
A new BMJ meta‑analysis of 37 studies involving over 9,000 adults shows that weight lost with GLP‑1 agonists such as Wegovy and Mounjaro is regained rapidly after treatment stops, at about 0.8 kg per month. This rebound rate is four times...
Hengrui Gets First OK for a PD-L1/TGF-Beta Drug for Cancer
Jiangsu Hengrui Pharma secured China’s first approval for retlirafusp alfa, a bispecific PD‑L1/TGF‑beta fusion protein, as a frontline treatment for advanced gastric and gastro‑esophageal junction adenocarcinoma. The decision follows the phase 3 RELIGHT trial, which demonstrated a 34% overall‑survival gain versus...