Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Pharma Companies Rush in to Buy What They Hope Will Rival Keytruda

(6/3, Nicole DeFeudis, Endpoints News) ...Leerink analyst Daina Graybosch told Endpoints News that "the breadth of impact could be quite broad" for VEGF bispecifics that also target PD-1 or the related PD-L1, and that they could be a backbone for other combinations. "I think that's why you're seeing these deals," she said. The deals have been substantial. On Monday, Bristol Myers promised $1.5 billion upfront to co-develop a China-derived compound with BioNTech known as BNT327. The deal could be worth more than $10 billion in total, making it one of the biggest in recent biotech history... Sub. Req’d

Pharma Tuck-In Deals Grow After a Mediocre First Quarter for Small Biotechs

(6/4, Annalee Armstrong, BioSpace) ...Jefferies has predicted more small tuck-in deals to come, as biotechs struggle to access capital despite key clinical milestones on the horizon. And just like that, pharma is acquiring again. After a mostly dull first quarter, deals are heating up as we head into the final month of the half. Sanofi has earned the badge as the biggest buyer, putting up $9.5 billion to acquire rare disease specialist Blueprint Medicines on Monday... Full

Loss Of Exclusivity Product Launches To Fuel Aurobindo's FY26 Europe Growth

(6/3, Vibha Ravi, Generics Bulletin) ...While saying tariffs are not expected to have a "major impact", management refused to add more detail despite repeated questions on the topic during a call related to Q4 FY25 earnings, which ended 31 March, instead saying it's awaiting a July announcement...V Muralidharan, CEO, Europe formulations business, said "The generics market growth in Europe is flat or maximum 2-5% but we have been consistently clocking high single digit growth, and I'm confident in FY26 we'll be doing close to 8-9%"... Global Sub. Full

Sandoz Scores Regional First With EU Launch Of Autoinjectable Stelara Rival

(6/3, Adam Zamecnik, Generics Bulletin) ...Christophe Delenta, Sandoz's president in Europe, commented: "Access to medicine does not end when it reaches the hands of the patient. The Pyzchiva autoinjector, with its thoughtful and advanced features, addresses the real-world needs of patients in managing chronic inflammatory diseases." Pyzchiva is part of Sandoz's deal with the South Korean firm Samsung Bioepis that originally developed the biosimilar... Global Sub. Full

Sun Pharma Advanced Research Shares Tank 20% after Psoriasis Drug Fails Phase 2 Trials

(6/4, Riya Sharma, The Economic Times) ...In a filing released post-market hours on Tuesday, SPARC said, "SPARC informs that its partner Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (SPIL) announced the top-line results from the Phase 2 clinical trials evaluating Vibozilimod (SCD-044) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Psoriasis (SOLARES PsO) and Atopic Dermatitis (SOLARES AD)." "SPIL informed that both SOLARES PsO and SOLARES AD studies did not meet the primary endpoint of 75 per cent improvement in PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) score (> PASI75) at Week 16 and 75 per cent improvement in EASI (Eczema Area and Severity Index) score (>EASI75) at Week 16, respectively," the company said... Full

Zydus Lifesciences to Enter the Global CDMO Business

(6/3, Charlie Sternberg, Contract Pharma) ...Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. plans to enter the global biologics contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) business by acquiring Agenus Inc.'s U.S.-based biologics CMC facilities. This acquisition marks Zydus' strategic investment in U.S.-based manufacturing for biologics thereby adding a sustainable growth driver for the group. Agenus Inc. is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company committed to developing immune therapies that effectively combat cancer... Full

Regeneron Signs Licensing Deal Worth up to $2bn for Hansoh's Obesity Drug Candidate

(6/3, Swagath Bandhakavi, World Pharmaceutical Frontiers) ...Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has signed a licensing deal worth up to nearly $2bn with China-based Hansoh Pharmaceuticals for the latter's obesity drug candidate, HS-20094. The deal grants Regeneron Pharmaceuticals exclusive rights to develop and market the dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist outside of Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau... Full

Generic-Drug Makers Win Patent Challenge Right in Myrbetriq Case

(6/3, Christopher Yasiejko, Bloomberg Law) ...Lupin Ltd. and Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. persuaded Judge Joseph F. Bataillon of the US District Court for the District of Delaware to lift their stipulation, according to an order docketed Monday. The ruling allows the companies to argue that US Patent No. 10,842,780—the only patent for the overactive-bladder drug they'd agreed not to challenge on obviousness grounds—should be voided for covering an obvious invention... Sub. Req’d

Amazon Pharmacy Expands PillPack's Packet Services to Part D Beneficiaries

(6/3, Paige Minemyer, Fierce Healthcare) ...In addition to growing its reach in the Part D market, Amazon announced that it will roll out new services to support caregivers in managing medications for a family member or loved one. Amazon Pharmacy customers can invite trusted individuals that will be verified, and then able to manage their medications through their account on their behalf, according to the announcement... Full

Drug Distribution Industry Trends for 2025

(6/4, Keonhee Kim, Morningstar) ...Biosimilars tend to offer higher profit potential than traditional branded drugs because distributors can once again play the middleman role, negotiating prices across multiple suppliers. With several high-profile biologics like Johnson & Johnson's JNJ Stelara and Biogen's BIIB Tysabri losing patent protection, biosimilar uptake could become a meaningful tailwind for both revenue and margins over the next five years... Full

Annual Cost of Insuring a Family Tops $35,000

(6/4, Maya Goldman, Axios) ...The $35,119 annual cost to cover a hypothetical family of four this year factors in drug costs, inpatient and outpatient care, and professional services, along with an "other" category that includes home health, ambulance transport, medical equipment and prosthetics... Full

Battle Over Supply Chain Is the New Trade War

(6/4, Ana Swanson, The New York Times) ...Instead of battling over tariffs, Washington and Beijing have turned to a potentially far more harmful strategy: flexing their control over global supply chains."... Sub. Req’d

Saving Part D: US Medicare Advisors Sound The Alarm

(6/3, Michael McCaughan, Pink Sheet) ...MedPAC held its final discussion in April for the report on trends between the stand-alone plan (PDP) and fully integrated Medicare Advantage (MA-PD) portions of the Part D benefit. The meeting echoed prior discussions, where commissioners voiced increasing concern about the future of the PDP market with higher premiums and decreasing competition. With the descriptive work wrapping up, most MedPAC commissioners want to discuss potential solutions to recommend to Congress in future updates. Some are warning the current Part D trends could lead to the end of the traditional fee-for-service Medicare without changes... Global Sub. Full

Trump's Executive Order To Lower Drug Prices Still Lacks Crucial Details

(6/3, Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes) ...Aside from the logistical and legal issues, executive orders and CMMI demonstration projects haven't proven to be an expedient way of bringing about changes in drug pricing. It would seem that for a more permanent and comprehensive policy, congressional approval would be necessary. Whether that's attainable remains to be seen... Full

Lawmakers Must Fix Medicare's Drug Price Distortions

(6/3, Kenneth Mendez, DC Journal) ...Medicare can and should use its existing authority to ensure that private plans and pharmacy benefit managers don't manipulate formularies to raise costs or restrict access to the drugs the IRA is supposed to make more affordable. CMS can also fix the payment system so independent pharmacies can afford to carry the drugs. Patients deserve real savings and real access. Unless Congress and CMS act, Medicare's drug price reforms may end up hurting the people they're supposed to help... Full

The Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, Year Two: Effects On Access And Innovation

(6/3, Laura Tollen, Health Affairs) ...A key question related to access is how Medicare Part D plans might change cost-sharing requirements, formulary placement, and utilization management practices for the selected drugs once the new prices become effective on January 1, 2026. That will be clear by roughly September 2025, when Part D sponsors' 2026 plan design changes become public... Full

$423B Savings from Patent Settlements Since Actavis Ruling

(6/3, AAM Blog) ...As shown below, for molecules with settlements and early generic or biosimilar entry, generic and biosimilar entry occurred, on average (mean), 64 months before patent expiry, with 17% of settlements accelerating patient access by more than a decade... Full

Patent Settlements Are Necessary To Help Combat Patent Thickets

(6/3, AAM Blog) ...While these findings reflect that patent settlements are responsible for billions of dollars of healthcare savings and years of market entry prior to patent expiration, they also reflect a fundamental fact: brand companies have enormous leverage in patent litigation. These settlements are therefore critically necessary to ensure that generics and biosimilars can get on the market in a timely fashion... Full

Indian Pharma Can Innovate for the World: Sharvil Patel

(6/4, Sharvil Patel, Forbes India) ...Indian pharma—with its advantage in scale, reach and cost—can play a key role in improving the quality of life for global good, supporting drivers of economic growth and accelerating India's rise into a knowledge-driven nation... Full

US ‘Most Favored Nations' Drug Pricing Policy Will Jeopardize Innovation In Europe

(6/3, Francesca Bruce, Pink Sheet) ...A fall in revenues resulting from the "most favored nations" (MFN) drug pricing policy that the US is planning would hit the pharmaceutical industry's "core mission to research and develop innovative treatments and solutions," warned Alexandre Regniault, vice president of France Biotech. Regniault, who is also a partner at the law firm Simmons and Simmons, called on all stakeholders to "consider the potential long-term effects on innovation and access to new treatments."... Global Sub. Full

EU Tests Industry and Patients' Patience With Delayed Pharma Law

(6/3, Thomas Mangin, Euractiv) ..."This legislative revision must allow the EU to provide concrete responses to patients and caregivers by making the European pharmaceutical system fairer, more accessible, resilient, and focused on public health," the European Patients' Forum told Euractiv... Full

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