The company will depend on Keytruda for growth after spinning out some franchises, but executives argued during its Q4 earnings call that there will be much more to Merck than the cancer blockbuster.
Merck posted 11% pharma sales growth in 2019
Merck & Co. Inc. issued an earnings day surprise for investors when it announced on 5 February that it will spin out a handful of older franchises in a new company, leaving Merck with a portfolio dominated by the immuno-oncology blockbuster Keytruda (pembrolizumab).
[Sidebar#SC141610]
Keep up with the top pharma business news of the week. On the go.
Merck’s immuno-oncology blockbuster was the world’s best-selling drugs by revenues for the second year in a row, with an almost $12bn lead over its closest rival, Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 drug Ozempic.
Ordspono, a bispecific antibody newly approved in the EU to treat follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, joins Libtayo in Regeneron’s growing oncology portfolio.
CEO Bill Anderson would not be drawn on whether the drug, currently approved for chronic kidney disease associated with type 2 diabetes, will hit a previous forecast of €3bn peak sales, but expansion into heart failure may make that figure look conservative.
Companies stand a better chance of securing public reimbursement in Mexico for innovative medicines if they understand changing approaches to healthcare. The shift means the emergence of managed entry agreements and a focus on economic impact, explains AMIIF, Mexico's research-based pharmaceutical industry association.
Novartis’s APMA chief outlines the company’s tailored approach to deliver long-term outcomes, novel access solutions via innovative financing options and shape the CVD disease ecosystem in the extraordinarily diverse region. Partnering to build AI infrastructure is another key prong.
A court order encompassing funding, drug pricing, clinical trials and overall policy implementation aspects is expected to bring about a paradigm shift in the treatment of rare diseases in India. Sarepta, Roche and Sanofi are among the key players that have been part of pricing discussions.