Pfizer is launching a direct-to-consumer pharmacy service – like Lilly’s LillyDirect, launched at the beginning of 2024 - to sell some medicines directly to consumers. Pfizer claim the move will bypass industry middlemen to reduce expenses and simplify distribution.

AstraZeneca’s CEO, Pascal Soriot said he thinks it is in an FT interview, adding that, “investments in life sciences are taking place in the U.S. and, as a consequence, lots of the talent is based in the U.S.”

The Swiss-based pharma firm exceeded first-quarter forecasts and raised its financial outlook due to strong demand for its leading drugs, Entresto and Cosentyx. The company reported a core net income of $1.80 per share and a 9.5% increase in revenue to $11.83 bn, surpassing estimates.

A report recently published by Evaluate titled “Are Orphan Drugs Losing Their Sparkle” might sound apprehensive, but it highlights why pharma companies can still expect plenty of promise and activity within the orphan drug sector.

Primarily aimed at fostering early drug discovery programs in Japan, the three companies’ initiative aims to bridge academic discoveries to practical applications, enhancing the global pharmaceutical market's reach, focusing on incubating competitive drug discovery technologies and foster entrepreneurship, with a focus on creating high-caliber startup companies.

As the industry looks to find more effective ways to manage the rising burden of genetic, autoimmune, rare diseases, and cancers, the next 10 years could be significant for companies with an interest in biologics drug products. The sector – estimated to have been worth $460 bn in 2022 – is expected to grow significantly due to rising demand in emerging markets across Asia and Latin America.

Nanoform and PlusVitech have partnered to repurpose the anti-nausea drug aprepitant, as a treatment for lung cancer using Nanoform’s nanomedicine technology. This collaboration aims to enhance the drug's efficacy through nanoparticle engineering, and reduce pill size and dosage complexity. Initial trials are focusing on patients with non-small cell lung cancer who are unresponsive to standard treatments.

Head of R&D, Dr. Houman Ashrafian, announced a simplified structure aimed at reprioritizing the company’s pipeline and transforming Sanofi into an immunoscience leader by reallocating resources to accelerate high-potential programs.

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals has decided to withdraw its amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) drug, Relyvrio, from the market after it failed to meet the primary and secondary endpoints in its phase 3 trial.

SCHOTT Pharma is set to open a new $371 mn manufacturing facility in Wilson, North Carolina, to produce prefillable syringes. The facility is aiming to commence operations in 2027, which will create 401 jobs and focuses on meeting U.S. demands for mRNA and GLP-1 therapy syringes to enhance the domestic supply chain.

Terumo Medical Corporation (TMC) is investing $30 mn to expand its manufacturing capabilities in Puerto Rico and meet the increasing global demand for its Angio-Seal vascular closure device.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought its fair share of disruption and uncertainty; propelling biopharma-related topics into the public consciousness.

Taiwan’s largest CDMO, Bora Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. has completed the acquisition of Minnesota-based Upsher-Smith Laboratories, LLC., a generics manufacturer and marketer.

French pharmaceutical company, Sanofi, and AI biotech company, Owkin, have further expanded their initial 2021 oncology alliance to include drug positioning within immunology. The partnership will see Owkin's machine learning expertise used to identify optimal disease indications for Sanofi's drugs targeting autoimmune diseases.

Eli Lilly's CEO, David Ricks, has reaffirmed the company's commitment to the Chinese market during a meeting with China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao - stating Lilly's intention to increase investments and enhance R&D cooperation.

To enhance its biologic manufacturing capabilities, Lonza is acquiring Genentech's Vacaville plant from Roche in a $1.2 billion deal. Once completed, Lonza will enhance capacity at the biologics facility, which is already one of the world’s largest, for clinical- commercial-stage manufacturing.

2023 proved a tough year for biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and it seems that some companies are still having to make big decisions to stay in business.

Eli Lilly and Amazon Pharmacy have announced a partnership set to enhance the delivery of Lilly’s prescription medications via a direct-to-consumer service, LillyDirect.

Kasim Kutay, CEO of Novo Holdings, was recently interviewed by Bloomberg regarding the ongoing acquisition of Catalent, outlining Strategy 2030 and how they plan to reinvest cashflow and remain attractive to investors.

Looking forward in 2024, Fierce Pharma has published a report listing the drug patents that will expire in 2024, including for blockbusters from Bristol Myers Squibb and Biogen, plus medicines with prominent histories from Novo Nordisk, Astellas and Novartis.