Core trends in 2023 FDA drug approvals: Oncology, neurology and hematology dominate

2023 was a big year for hematology, neurology and oncology, with the medical specialties seeing the most FDA approvals. In terms of sponsors, Pfizer had the most approvals with six total, followed by UCB and Chiesi, each with three apiece.

When looking at commercial prospects, AstraZeneca’s respiratory syncytial virus antibody Beyfortus could be the biggest blockbuster from the 2023 cohort with expected peak sales of $1.9 billion. Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi could also be a major success, making up for the tepid demand for Aduhelm, which won conditional approval in 2021. While Aduhelm’s sales have sputtered, Leqembi could see peak revenue of $4.8 billion according to analysts.

Oncology continues to be a hot specialty with the most competition among the newly approved drugs, as the FDA continues to green light new entrants in crowded target classes such as PD-1 inhibitors.

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Prominent pharma M&A deals to watch in Q1 2023: Pfizer, Sanofi and others on the hunt

[Image courtesy of Rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock]

After a relatively quiet 2022, 2023 is anticipated to be a more robust year for pharma M&A activity. In recent months, players such as Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), Sanofi (NYSE:SNY), Chiesi, AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) and Amgen (Nasdaq:AMGN) have unveiled acquisition plans that could reshape the landscape of the sector. This article delves into the details of prominent recent M&A deals and explores their potential impact on the future of the pharma sector.

Pfizer plans to acquire Seagen

New York City–based Pfizer has recently been on a shopping spree, scooping up Trillium Therapeutics, Biohaven, Global Blood Therapeutics, and Arena Pharmaceuticals. Now, the company has unveiled its plans to acquire Seagen (Nasdaq:SGEN), a Seattle biotech firm focused on oncology. The proposed acquisition, valued at $43 billion, awaits regulatory approval. Pfizer plans to offer $229 per share…

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Biopharma company Chiesi appoints former Medtronic exec as CEO

New Chiesi CEO Giuseppe Accogli. [Image from Baxter India website]

Chiesi announced today that it appointed former Baxter and Medtronic executive Giuseppe Accogli as its new group CEO.

Parma, Italy–based Chiesi said Accogli’s appointment becomes effective April 3, 2023. The R&D-focused pharmaceutical company develops and commercializes products for the hospital, rare disease and adjacent specialty care settings.

Accogli brings 25 years of international experience to Chiesi. The longtime executive leader’s experience includes medtech companies such as Baxter and Medtronic. In addition, his background includes work across multiple disciplines, like sales, marketing, R&D, M&A, strategy and product innovation. In past roles, he focused on the U.S. and EMEA markets.

“I am honored to lead Chiesi into its new stages of growth and I thank the board of directors for their tr…

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