24 July 2025 Hospitals are rationing cancer treatments. Pharmacies are scrambling to fill routine antibiotic prescriptions. And across the USA, patients are facing growing delays, substitutions, or outright denials of essential medicines, not because the drugs don’t exist, but because the supply chains behind them have buckled.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified Bayer that it has extended the review period for the New Drug Application (NDA) for elinzanetant, the first neurokinin 1 and neurokinin 3 receptor antagonist for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS; also known as hot flashes) due to menopause. 26 July 2025
US pharma major Bristol Myers Squibb revealed it has appointed Dr Cristian Massacesi as executive vice president, chief medical officer and head of development, effective August 1, 2025. 26 July 2025
French diabetes and obesity specialist Adocia was trading 45% higher late Friday following its partner Tonghua Dongbao’s release of positive topline results from the Phase III trial of BioChaperone Lispro (THDB0206 injection), a novel ultra-rapid insulin formulation. 25 July 2025
The European Medicines’ (EMA) human medicines committee (CHMP) has recommended seven novel medicines for approval at its July 2025 meeting. 25 July 2025
Semaglutide, a GLP-1R agonist developed by Denmark’s Novo Nordisk as Ozempic, initially for type 2 diabetes, and marketed under the trade name Wegovy for obesity, is emerging as a promising candidate for neurological conditions. 25 July 2025
The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to allow the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to resume canceling hundreds of research grants supporting work on health equity, racial disparities, and other diversity-related public health initiatives. 25 July 2025
Swiss pharma major Novartis has entered into an exclusive option and license deal with Matchpoint Therapeutics to develop oral covalent inhibitors for inflammatory diseases, the companies said on July 24. The privately held biotech could receive as much as $1 billion in total payments if milestones are met. 25 July 2025
Privately-held Danish dermatology specialist LEO Pharma today revealed that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Anzupgo (delgocitinib) cream (20 mg/g) for the topical treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic hand eczema (CHE) in adults who have had an inadequate response to, or for whom topical corticosteroids are not advisable. 24 July 2025
The number of new pharmaceutical companies being set up in Russia is steadily declining due to sanctions and the ever-growing isolation of the country in the international arena, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent. 24 July 2025
China remains the most popular country for clinical trials outside North America and Europe in the second quarter (Q2) of 2025, according to a report by the data and analytics company GlobalData. 24 July 2025
Swiss pharma giant Roche this morning released financial results for the first half of 2025, showing that sales grew 7% (+4% in Swiss francs) to 30.9 billion francs ($35.1 billion) due to strong demand for pharmaceutical products. Sales were in line with Visible Alpha consensus of 30.80 billion francs. 24 July 2025
Russian nano giant Rusnano is cutting its pharmaceutical business by beginning a search for buyers for its major pharmaceutical asset – the local drugmaker Novamedica, The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent reports 23 July 2025
Privately-held Spanish CNS specialist Minoryx Therapeutics and Germany’s Neuraxpharm Group today announced that the marketing authorization application (MAA) for Minoryx’ lead candidate Nezglyal (leriglitazone) has been submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of pediatric and adult male patients with cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (cALD). 23 July 2025
Swiss contract development and manufacturing group Lonza posted a 19% rise in revenue at constant currencies to 3.6 billion Swiss francs ($4.5 billion) for the first half of 2025, driven by strong demand across its core CDMO operations. Core earnings per share rose 7% to 7.52 francs ($9.01). 23 July 2025
Neuraxpharm Group, a privately-held German specialty pharma focused on central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced the launch of a new affiliate, Neuraxpharm Australia, led by newly appointed head of commercial, Avendran Naidu, as the company continues to expand globally. 22 July 2025
Ireland-based Alkermes has announced positive topline results from the randomized double-blind treatment period of the Vibrance-1 Phase II study evaluating alixorexton in patients with narcolepsy type 1 (NT1). 22 July 2025
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified Bayer that it has extended the review period for the New Drug Application (NDA) for elinzanetant, the first neurokinin 1 and neurokinin 3 receptor antagonist for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS; also known as hot flashes) due to menopause. 26 July 2025
US pharma major Bristol Myers Squibb revealed it has appointed Dr Cristian Massacesi as executive vice president, chief medical officer and head of development, effective August 1, 2025. 26 July 2025
French diabetes and obesity specialist Adocia was trading 45% higher late Friday following its partner Tonghua Dongbao’s release of positive topline results from the Phase III trial of BioChaperone Lispro (THDB0206 injection), a novel ultra-rapid insulin formulation. 25 July 2025
The European Medicines’ (EMA) human medicines committee (CHMP) has recommended seven novel medicines for approval at its July 2025 meeting. 25 July 2025
Semaglutide, a GLP-1R agonist developed by Denmark’s Novo Nordisk as Ozempic, initially for type 2 diabetes, and marketed under the trade name Wegovy for obesity, is emerging as a promising candidate for neurological conditions. 25 July 2025
The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to allow the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to resume canceling hundreds of research grants supporting work on health equity, racial disparities, and other diversity-related public health initiatives. 25 July 2025
Swiss pharma major Novartis has entered into an exclusive option and license deal with Matchpoint Therapeutics to develop oral covalent inhibitors for inflammatory diseases, the companies said on July 24. The privately held biotech could receive as much as $1 billion in total payments if milestones are met. 25 July 2025
Privately-held Danish dermatology specialist LEO Pharma today revealed that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Anzupgo (delgocitinib) cream (20 mg/g) for the topical treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic hand eczema (CHE) in adults who have had an inadequate response to, or for whom topical corticosteroids are not advisable. 24 July 2025
The number of new pharmaceutical companies being set up in Russia is steadily declining due to sanctions and the ever-growing isolation of the country in the international arena, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent. 24 July 2025
China remains the most popular country for clinical trials outside North America and Europe in the second quarter (Q2) of 2025, according to a report by the data and analytics company GlobalData. 24 July 2025
Swiss pharma giant Roche this morning released financial results for the first half of 2025, showing that sales grew 7% (+4% in Swiss francs) to 30.9 billion francs ($35.1 billion) due to strong demand for pharmaceutical products. Sales were in line with Visible Alpha consensus of 30.80 billion francs. 24 July 2025
Russian nano giant Rusnano is cutting its pharmaceutical business by beginning a search for buyers for its major pharmaceutical asset – the local drugmaker Novamedica, The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent reports 23 July 2025
Privately-held Spanish CNS specialist Minoryx Therapeutics and Germany’s Neuraxpharm Group today announced that the marketing authorization application (MAA) for Minoryx’ lead candidate Nezglyal (leriglitazone) has been submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of pediatric and adult male patients with cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (cALD). 23 July 2025
Swiss contract development and manufacturing group Lonza posted a 19% rise in revenue at constant currencies to 3.6 billion Swiss francs ($4.5 billion) for the first half of 2025, driven by strong demand across its core CDMO operations. Core earnings per share rose 7% to 7.52 francs ($9.01). 23 July 2025
Neuraxpharm Group, a privately-held German specialty pharma focused on central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced the launch of a new affiliate, Neuraxpharm Australia, led by newly appointed head of commercial, Avendran Naidu, as the company continues to expand globally. 22 July 2025
Ireland-based Alkermes has announced positive topline results from the randomized double-blind treatment period of the Vibrance-1 Phase II study evaluating alixorexton in patients with narcolepsy type 1 (NT1). 22 July 2025