The U.K.’s Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s ‘sandbox’, AI Airlock, will be used to create simulated environments to address regulatory challenges associated with AI as a Medical Device (AIaMD).

Takeda joins major pharmaceutical companies in restructuring to focus on late-stage assets to drive growth after CEO Christophe Weber announced the shift, emphasizing the need for prioritization and efficiency.

Following its FDA approval in February, Teva is set to launch Simlandi, a biosimilar to AbbVie's arthritis drug Humira, in the coming weeks. Separately, Teva reported earnings missing analysts' estimates, although revenue was up.

Sanofi will make a $500 mn upfront to Novavax and take a sub-5% equity stake in the vaccines company $70 mn. The partners will co-develop and commercialize a combined flu and COVID-19 vaccine, and Sanofi will expand the reach of Novavax's protein-based COVID-19 vaccine.

The biologics drug substance CDMO says it is letting go of around 100 employees at its Seattle HQ and Colorado site - nearly 4% of its workforce – blaming post-pandemic economic strains. 

Google DeepMind, in collaboration with Isomorphic Labs, has introduced AlphaFold 3 - the latest iteration of its AI model for biological research and drug discovery.

Last month, Taiwanese-based Bora Pharmaceuticals completed their acquisition of leading generics manufacturer Upsher-Smith, as the company looks to further its expansion into the U.S.

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.”

To respond to a greater proportion of clients’ projects requiring potent drug capabilities, specialist oral dose CDMO Adare is to extend its high potency handling and packaging capabilities in Philadelphia, Vandalia in Ohio, and Milan, Italy.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has entered a significant collaboration with Mammoth Biosciences to develop in vivo CRISPR-based gene editing therapies, in a deal that includes an upfront payment of $100 mn and potential milestone payments totaling $370 mn per target.

The company said it will use the funds raised to invest in commercialization of nanoparticle-enabled formulations for next generation medicines.

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.

A study reveals that regular aspirin use may protect against colorectal cancer by boosting the immune system's surveillance of tumor cells. Researchers found that aspirin users had less cancer spread and higher immune cell infiltration in tumors.

Eli Lilly has agreed to acquire a sterile injectable medicine manufacturing facility in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, from Nexus Pharmaceuticals.

The agreement is to enhance CAR T cell therapy production and will see Cellares' Cell Shuttle platform used for scalable and automated manufacturing, with the initiative planned to expand BMS's manufacturing capabilities in the U.S., EU, and Japan.

The UK-based company raised $25 mn in Series B funding to further develop its innovative cancer immunotherapy. Led by BMS, with support from existing investors like Canaan and Brandon Capital, the funds will be used to progress Pathios' novel therapy targeting GPR65, a receptor linked to immunological diseases, into clinical trials later this year, where it will be assessed for treating advanced solid cancers. 

The FDA has approved Lumicell's LumiSystem, which combines the company’s FDA approved optical imaging agent with its direct visualization system. The imaging system will help surgeons identify residual cancer cells during breast cancer surgeries, and claims 84% diagnostic accuracy.