The pharma industry briefing

The latest news, approvals and clinical trials you need to know about this month

Data: 
News in Numbers

Data: News in Numbers

$357bn   

In 2019, life sciences dealmaking reached an all time high, breaking the previous record set in 2014

1.4 million 

The number of flu vaccines provided in 2018/19 by 9,105 NIAVS in community pharmacies according to the NHS

$100m 

AstraZeneca will take a $100m writedown after trials of a heart disease drug Epanova showed it to be ineffective in treating a particular cardiovascular condition

48

The number of new drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2019

$3.4bn 

The estimated cost of the Global Virome Project a proposal that would provide a “pathway to improve capacity to detect, diagnose, and discover viruses”

Data: News in Numbers

$357bn 

In 2019, life sciences dealmaking reached an all time high, breaking the previous record set in 2014

1.4 million  

The number of flu vaccines provided in 2018/19 by 9,105 NIAVS in community pharmacies according to the NHS

$100m 

AstraZeneca will take a $100m writedown after trials of a heart disease drug Epanova showed it to be ineffective in treating a particular cardiovascular condition

48 

The number of new drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2019

$3.4bn 

The estimated cost of the Global Virome Project a proposal that would provide a “pathway to improve capacity to detect, diagnose, and discover viruses”

 Rare disease drugs stand out in 2019’s top-performing pharma stocks

Among top-performing stocks, as determined by the increase in their value from Jan. 1, 2019 through the end of the year, many belonged to drug companies.

Source: QZ

 Novartis, Merck and Allergan join Big Pharma's 2020 price-hike parade

So far this month, 471 meds have bigger stickers now than they did a week ago, an update from GoodRx shows.

Source: Fierce Pharma

 NHS to pioneer cholesterol-busting jab

A twice-a-year injection that reduces bad cholesterol to protect the heart is to be pioneered by the NHS in England.

Source: BBC

Melatonin should not be offered by NHS to treat jet lag 

The hormone melatonin should not be available on the NHS to help treat jet lag, a review of the evidence has concluded.

Source: The Guardian

Approvals

 Dysport®

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has granted a licence update for Dysport® for the symptomatic treatment of focal spasticity of upper limbs in paediatric cerebral palsy patients, two years of age and older

Source: Ipsen

fremanezumab (Ajovy®)

NHS Scotland has approved Teva’s fremanezumab for the treatment of patients with chronic and episodic migraine who have had prior failure on three or more migraine preventive treatments.

Source: Scottish Medicines Consortium

Valtoco (diazepam)

Valtoco (diazepam) is a nasal spray formulation for the treatment of epilepsy cluster seizures. It was approved by the US FDA in January 2020.

Source: Neurelis

Ayvakit (avapritinib) 

The US FDA has approved Ayvakit (avapritinib), a potent and highly selective KIT and PDGFRα inhibitor for the treatment of PDGFRα Exon 18 mutant gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and fourth-line GIST.

Source: Blue Print Medicines

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