Merck will develop Chord’s lead drug candidate, an oral version of cladribine, for the treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and generalized myasthenia gravis.
It comes as no great surprise that Chord Therapeutics SA, the Swiss biotech which has been looking at the potential of cladribine in rare diseases, has been snapped up by Merck KGaA given that the German group has been been selling an oral version of the well-established chemotherapy as Mavenclad for the treatment of multiple sclerosis for the past few years.
Chord only emerged from stealth in October 2020 with a $16m series A cash injection from healthcare venture capital firm...
The Swiss pharma company is rebalancing the portfolio, emphasizing best-in-class drugs and moving into new areas like cardiovascular and metabolic disease.
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.
Francesco Hofmann, head of R&D at the mid-sized French group, tells Scrip that its strategy of not playing in the spaces that are dominated by big pharma is paying off.
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.
