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12 June 2026 PwC expects US commercial healthcare costs to remain high in 2027, with health plans facing pressure from provider billing, hospital reimbursement, pharmacy spending, behavioral health demand and out-of-network arbitration.
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Biotechnology
India’s biotechnology sector is entering a transformative phase, with domestic and global players betting on the country’s scientific talent and cost advantages to make advanced therapies such as CAR-T cell therapy more accessible, reports The Pharma Letter’s India correspondent. 1 June 2026
Pharmaceutical
The past week was lighter on major approvals, but still produced a useful spread of regulatory activity across North America, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. The US Food and Drug Administration used the period to push further into streamlined cancer drug development guidance, while Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration posted new medicine decisions and shortage-related tools. 1 June 2026
Pharmaceutical
US pharma giant Pfizer has reported a Phase III win for Talzenna (talazoparib) plus Xtandi (enzalutamide), setting up a potential broader role for the regimen in metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer. 1 June 2026
Biotechnology
German biotech BioNTech and and US pharma major Bristol Myers Squibb announced interim Phase II data from the global Phase II/III ROSETTA Lung-02 clinical trial evaluating the investigational PD-L1xVEGF-A bispecific immunomodulator pumitamig (also known as BNT327 or BMS-986545) plus chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). 1 June 2026
Pharmaceutical
Indian drugmaker Wockhardt (BOM: 532300) has secured a major regulatory breakthrough with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) granting approval for the import and marketing of its indigenously discovered antibiotic Zaynich in India. 1 June 2026
Pharmaceutical
Fewer new innovative medicines, and in fact with a delay of almost two years from their approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), are coming to Greece, as demonstrated by the Association of Pharmaceutical Companies of Greece (SFEE) in a press conference held to present two studies concerning Greek patients' access to new, innovative treatments. 1 June 2026
Pharmaceutical
Among news of note last week, Eli Lilly impressed with early-stage data for its investigational cholesterol treatment VERVE-102. The US pharma giant also continued its M&A spending spree, announcing the acquisitions of Curevo, LimmaTech and Vaccine Company for a total of around $3.8 billion. US antiviral specialist Gilead Sciences gained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its hepatitis delta virus candidate Hepcludex. Pfizer entered into a cancer related licensing deal with Innovent, which could earn the Chinese company around $10 billion. 31 May 2026
Biotechnology
US biopharma company Mineralys Therapeutics, which is focused on developing medicines to target hypertension and related comorbidities such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and other diseases driven by dysregulated aldosterone, today presented new clinical data for lorundrostat at the 35th European Meeting on Hypertension and Cardiovascular Protection (ESH 2026) in Gdańsk, Poland. 30 May 2026
Biotechnology
Swiss drug developer Oculis Holding announced top-line results from its Phase III DIAMOND-1 and DIAMOND-2 trials of OCS-01 eye drops in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME), which disappointed, sending the firm’s shares tumbling 32% to $15.40 in after-market trading on Friday. 30 May 2026
Biotechnology
US biotech Capricor Therapeutics just named Michael Maurer as Chief Commercial Officer as the company heads toward an August 22 PDUFA date for deramiocel, its cell therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 30 May 2026
Pharmaceutical
US pharma major Bristol Myers Squibb shared data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting Friday that demonstrated its CELMoD candidate mezigdomide more than doubled progression-free survival in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. 29 May 2026
Biotechnology
UK pharma major AstraZeneca today disclosed that the global CARES Phase III clinical program showed that treatment with anselamimab, a potential first-in-class anti-fibril therapy, resulted in nominally statistically significant and highly clinically meaningful benefit in adults with advanced kappa light chain (AL) amyloidosis as first-line therapy added to standard of care plasma cell dyscrasia (PCD) treatments, compared to placebo. 29 May 2026
Pharmaceutical
US pharma giant Merck & Co, known as MSD outside of the USA and Canada, announced that calderasib (MK-1084), an investigational oral specific KRAS G12C inhibitor, in combination with Keytruda (pembrolizumab), Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, has been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 29 May 2026
Pharmaceutical
Beren Therapeutics announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended by three months the review timeline of its New Drug Application (NDA) for adrabetadex for the treatment of infantile-onset Niemann-Pick disease, type C (I-NPC). 29 May 2026
Biosimilars
South Korean biosimilar specialist Samsung Bioepis announced the launch of Opuviz 40mg/mL solution for injection in a vial, a biosimilar referencing eye diseases drug Eylea (aflibercept), across Europe, starting today. 29 May 2026
Biotechnology
UK-based Accord Healthcare has won a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendation for Hetronifly (serplulimab) in untreated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, opening routine NHS access in England and Wales for a disease where progress has been stubbornly slow. 29 May 2026
Pharmaceutical
US pharma major Pfizer is paying $650 million upfront to partner with Chinese biotech Innovent on a broad slate of early-stage cancer medicines, in another sign of Western drugmakers leaning into China’s fast-moving research base. 29 May 2026
Biotechnology
AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi (durvalumab) in combination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) induction and maintenance therapy has been approved in the USA for the treatment of adult patients with BCG-naïve, high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). 29 May 2026
Generics
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday published two final guidances for industry related to establishing bioequivalence. 29 May 2026
Pharmaceutical
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America has used National Cancer Research Month to argue that US cancer research leadership could weaken if pricing and reimbursement policies reduce incentives for drug development. 29 May 2026
All news
Pharmaceutical
Novartis presented data from the RemIND trial at the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) Congress showing that Rhapsido (remibrutinib) met its primary endpoints across the three most common chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU) subtypes. 15 June 2026
Biotechnology
Sweden’s Hansa Biopharma announced today the appointment of Adam Cutler as chief financial officer (CFO) and a member of the executive committee, effective June 22, 2026. 15 June 2026
Pharmaceutical
A new proposal from the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would establish a permanent framework for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (Negotiation Program), creating a more transparent and sustainable process for lowering drug costs for millions of Medicare beneficiaries. 15 June 2026
Generics
In a significant move to expand its oncology footprint in the United States, Indian major Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has announced the launch of Bosutinib 400mg tablets, the generic equivalent of Pfizer’s blockbuster drug Bosulif, used in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). 15 June 2026
Biotechnology
China has recently released a new edition of the Good Clinical Practice for Drugs - a guideline designed to ensure the ethical and scientific conduct of clinical studies, aiming to enhance the nation's research ecosystem and support innovation in biotechnology. 15 June 2026
Biotechnology
M&A featured heavily last week, with Incyte announcing plans to buy Vega Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Star Therapeutics, for up to $2 billion. Then came UK pharma major GSK’s revelation of an agreement to acquire US firm Nuvalent for up to $10.6 billion. Also of note, US biotech Cartesian Therapeutics entered into a licensing deal with China’s WestGene Biopharma on CAR-T therapies for autoimmune diseases. Sweden’s Camurus was served another complete response letter (CRL) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its filing for Oclaiz (CAM2029). 14 June 2026
Biotechnology
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval to French pharma major Sanofi’s Tzield (teplizumab-mzwv) to delay the decline in endogenous (own) insulin production in children aged eight to 17 years recently diagnosed with stage 3 type 1 diabetes (T1D). 13 June 2026
Pharmaceutical
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved AstraZeneca’s Truqap (capivasertib) in combination with abiraterone and prednisone as the first and only targeted treatment for adult patients with PTEN-deficient metastatic androgen pathway modulation-naïve or sensitive (mAPMN/S) prostate cancer. 13 June 2026
Biotechnology
Rocket Pharmaceuticals announced the closing of the sale of its Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher (PRV) for gross proceeds of $180 million. The firm’s shares rose 5.6% to $2.81 following the announcement. 12 June 2026
Biotechnology
UK cell therapy company Autolus Therapeutics has won the 2026 Prix Galien UK Award for Best Biotechnology Product for Aucatzyl (obecabtagene autoleucel), its CAR-T therapy for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 12 June 2026
Pharmaceutical
The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) safety committee, PRAC, concluded evaluation of new data regarding potential risk of medicines at its June meeting. 12 June 2026
Biotechnology
More than three quarters of Australia’s biotech, medtech and health tech companies recently surveyed said they will be significantly or moderately negatively impacted by the proposed Budget changes to the R&D Tax Incentive (RDTI), with many actively considering relocating overseas, or moving lifesaving clinical trials, due to the controversial reforms. 12 June 2026
Pharmaceutical
AbbVie today announced new Phase III data on a fixed-duration venetoclax-based combination at the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2026 Congress taking place June 11-14 in Stockholm, Sweden. 12 June 2026
Biotechnology
US biopharma Adial Pharmaceuticals has acquired Azora Therapeutics and lined up a private placement worth up to $64 million, broadening its pipeline beyond its historical focus on addiction disorders. 12 June 2026
Biotechnology
US cardiovascular biotech Kardigan is seeking to raise up to $373.3 million in a Nasdaq initial public offering, as it looks to fund a pipeline of clinical-stage heart disease programs. 12 June 2026
Pharmaceutical
Shares in Sweden based drug developer Camurus fell as much as 7% on Thursday, after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected the company’s application for Oclaiz (octreotide; CAM2029) extended-release injection a treatment for acromegaly. 12 June 2026
Biotechnology
A major UK Biobank epigenetics project will add another layer of data to one of the world’s most important biomedical research resources. The £16 million ($22 million) study will be led by the University of Exeter. 12 June 2026
Pharmaceutical
Shionogi today announced that, as part of its corporate venture capital (CVC) initiatives, it has invested in fellow Japan based Dioseve Inc. The amount has not been disclosed. 12 June 2026
Pharmaceutical
India’s pharma industry is still best known for low-cost generic medicines, vaccines, active ingredients and contract manufacturing. That role remains central to global drug supply, but it no longer describes the full direction of the sector. 12 June 2026
Pharmaceutical
PwC expects US commercial healthcare costs to remain high in 2027, with health plans facing pressure from provider billing, hospital reimbursement, pharmacy spending, behavioral health demand and out-of-network arbitration. 12 June 2026
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