Novo Nordisk plans to sell its newly approved obesity pill directly to patients at a lower price than a competing medicine from Eli Lilly, as the Danish drugmaker tries to seize market share among consumers paying cash for blockbuster GLP-1 therapies. Novo will sell the highest doses of its Wegovy pill, cleared last week, at…
Competition for unique, early-stage drugs has become so intense that the average upfront payment for a Phase I asset has risen to approximately $350 million. But don’t be fooled by the smaller upfront payments for later, Phase III assets. It’s not that they’re less valuable; it’s just that the deals are structured to keep options…
During her tenure as director general of the World Health Organization, Dr Margaret Chan used to say that all of the “easy” antibiotics had already been found. Her point was that in responding to the urgent threat of antibiotic-resistant infections, we would struggle to find new medicines – or preserve the ones we have – if we didn’t…
In this second of a three-part series, an addition to his series of three articles previously published by PharmTech®, Jason Bryant, senior vice-president of Product Management—AI at ArisGlobal, continues a discussion on the adoption of agentic AI in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly regarding the roles played by autonomy and accountability when it comes to handing…
Johnson & Johnson has discontinued a phase 2 trial of one of its pipeline candidates for atopic dermatitis (AD), after it failed to meet efficacy expectations. In a statement, J&J said that JNJ-95475939 (JNJ-5939) – an IL-4 and IL-31-targeting bispecific antibody – had not met its “high-bar efficacy” in the proof-of-concept DUPLEX-AD study, which involved…
More transparent reporting of sex differences and collection of menopausal and oestrogen-exposure history may be key to addressing disparities between men and women with Alzheimer’s disease. Photo by Dusan Stankovic/ E+ via Getty Images. Researchers say that women are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as men. However, despite recent advances in treatments for…
Sanofi’s executive vice president of vaccines Thomas Triomphe said the deal “brings new option to our portfolio”. Image credit: Below the Sky via Shutterstock.com. Sanofi has agreed to acquire hepatitis B vaccine manufacturer Dynavax for an equity value of around $2.2bn, bolstering the former’s pipeline amid significant vaccine policy changes in the US. The transaction,…
The field of cancer treatment saw a variety of advancements in 2025, from new dedicated centers to approved treatments to novel therapies. In this overview, PharmTech takes a look back at significant oncology news in 2025. What cancer drug development and approvals happened in January? The focus on lung cancer was particularly sharp, highlighted by…
Leading medical experts on Monday urged the public to use antibiotics strictly under medical supervision, warning that careless consumption is accelerating the global threat of antibiotic resistance. Their remarks came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi cited findings from an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study highlighting the growing danger of antimicrobial resistance. Echoing the…
Sanofi went into the Christmas break with news of a takeover deal to boost its vaccines business, even as the FDA sent an early complete response letter for its oral multiple sclerosis candidate tolebrutinib. The timing of the decision came as a surprise, as the FDA delivered its verdict on Sanofi’s application months earlier than…