22 May 2025 US clinical-stage biotech Vigil Neuroscience saw its share price skyrocket more than 240% to $7.89 pre-market, on the news that French pharma major Sanofi had made a takeover bid for the company.
USA-based nonprofit CureDuchenne has announced the appointment of Brenda Wong as its new chief medical advisor (CMA), effective January 5, 2026. 22 May 2025
South Korean Samsung Group’s biopharmaceutical business is being reorganized into two separate tracks: contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) and biosimilars. 22 May 2025
The US Food and Drug Administration is continuing to take steps to help state importation programs provide safe, effective and more affordable drugs for American patients, as part of its efforts to implement Executive Order Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First. 22 May 2025
Chinese drugmaker Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals priced its Hong Kong stock offering at the top of the marketed range to raise HK$9.9 billion ($1.3 billion). 22 May 2025
US clinical-stage biotech Vigil Neuroscience saw its share price skyrocket more than 240% to $7.89 pre-market, on the news that French pharma major Sanofi had made a takeover bid for the company. 22 May 2025
USA-based UroGen Pharma, a biotech developing and commercializing innovative solutions that treat urothelial and specialty cancers, closed 45% lower Wednesday. 22 May 2025
UK pharma major AstraZeneca is set to present data from more than 80 studies at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. Spanning across 20 approved and investigational medicines, the presentations include two plenary sessions and a special late-breaking abstract. 22 May 2025
Swiss biosimilars specialist Sandoz has launched what it says is the first autoinjector presentation of a biosimilar to Stelara (ustekinumab) in Europe, bolstering its presence in the region’s rapidly expanding immunology market. 22 May 2025
Privately-held US genome-scale drug discovery company Orionis Biosciences has announced a second multi-year collaboration with Genentech, a subsidiary of Roche , to discover small-molecule monovalent glue medicines for novel and challenging targets in oncology. 22 May 2025
Merck KGaA plans to move its investigational lupus drug enpatoran into late-stage development, after new Phase II data showed clinically meaningful improvement in skin manifestations of the disease among treated patients. 22 May 2025
The share of generics in the Russian pharmaceutical market is steadily growing despite the efforts of the local state to create conditions for the production of original drugs, The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent reports. 22 May 2025
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to sharply restrict vaccine availability to millions of Americans without a persuasive justification based in science. 22 May 2025
Anglo-Swedish pharma major AstraZeneca reports that it will have a historic presence at this year’s American Society of Cancer Oncology (ASCO) meeting across its expansive cancer portfolio. 21 May 2025
US biotech Moderna today announced that in consultation with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the company has voluntarily withdrawn the pending Biologics License Application (BLA) for mRNA-1083, its flu/COVID combination vaccine candidate for adults aged 50 years and older. 21 May 2025
The Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF) - managed by healthcare fund manager SV Health Investors - has announced the final closing of its second fund, DDF-2, with $269 million in commitments. 21 May 2025
Earlier this month, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it would require all future vaccines to undergo testing in placebo-controlled trials before being approved for use. 21 May 2025
Pharmasyntez, one of Russia’s leading drugmakers, plans a significant expansion of its portfolio of innovative drugs in the short-term, according to recent statements, made by representatives of the company, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent. 21 May 2025
Swiss reproductive and women’s health medicines specialist ReproNovo today announced the successful closing of a $65 million Series A financing round, which will be used to advance its pipeline of multiple Phase II programs. 21 May 2025
Harbour BioMed has appointed Michael Patten as chief strategy officer, responsible for overseeing global corporate development and growth strategy. He will also lead the company's global alliance efforts, focusing on expanding its presence in key markets outside China. 11 March 2025
Alliance Pharma has accepted a final increased cash offer from investment firm DBAY Advisors, valuing the UK-based pharmaceutical company at approximately £362 million ($468 million). 11 March 2025
USA-based Endo Inc today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to divest its international pharmaceuticals business, primarily operated through Canada-based specialty pharmaceutical company Paladin Pharma to Knight Therapeutics. 11 March 2025
Privately-held Tenpoint Therapeutics, a UK-headquartered biotech focused on developing groundbreaking treatments to rejuvenate vision in the aging eye, has announced the appointment of Carol Kearney as chief commercial officer (CCO). 11 March 2025
Shares of US biotech 2seventy Bio skyrocketed almost 76% to $4.92 today, as it agreed to a takeover bid from US pharma major Bristol Myers Squibb, which is looking to enhance its CAR T-cell therapy business. 11 March 2025
A recent study published in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics has demonstrated that the off-label use of semaglutide and tirzepatide leads to significant reductions in HbA1c levels and body weight among adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D). 11 March 2025
Sino-American biopharma Ascentage Pharma has announced that olverembatinib has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by China’s Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), alongside low-intensity chemotherapy, for first-line treatment of newly-diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). 11 March 2025
The market for Bavencio (avelumab), the checkpoint inhibitor co-developed by Pfizer and Merck KGaA, continues to grow as new indications drive demand. 11 March 2025
Danish cancer specialist Genmab’s stock took a hit after US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson opted not to license its HexaBody-CD38 (GEN301), despite its promising trial results. 11 March 2025
US healthcare conglomerate Johnson & Johnson appears to have a promising IL-23-blocking oral peptide on its hands in the shape of icotrokinra. 11 March 2025
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first generics of Xarelto (rivaroxaban), a cardio vascular drug developed by Germany’s Bayer and marketed in the USA by Johnson & Johnson. 11 March 2025
The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade has developed criteria for including drugs in the list of strategically important medicines – a measure that will provide an opportunity for their manufacturers to apply for new government support measures, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent. 11 March 2025
Mineralys Therapeutics saw its stock rise by over 40% after reporting positive top-line results from two pivotal trials evaluating lorundrostat, a potentially new option for uncontrolled and resistant hypertension. 11 March 2025
Sernova Biotherapeutics, a regenerative medicine company based in Canada and the USA, has announced the appointment of Pericles (Perry) Calias as chief development officer (CDO) and head of R&D. 11 March 2025
An Expert View from Rob Abbott, chief executive and executive director of ISPOR — The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR), a nonprofit advancing HEOR excellence to improve decision-making for health globally. 10 March 2025
AstraZeneca and Ionis’ Wainzua (eplontersen) has been approved in the European Union (EU) for the treatment of hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis in adults with stage 1 or stage 2 polyneuropathy, commonly referred to as hATTR-PN or ATTRv-PN. 10 March 2025
The US Food and Drug Administration has received a range of responses to its draft guidance on the Accelerated Approval pathway, with industry groups and advocacy organizations raising concerns about post-approval study requirements. 10 March 2025
Trevi Therapeutics reported promising results from a mid-stage study of its experimental chronic cough treatment, Haduvio (nalbuphine extended-release). Shares in the company are trading around a third higher following the announcement. 10 March 2025