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The best-selling pharmaceuticals of 2023: Immunology and oncology return to prominence

Note: This feature on the best-selling pharmaceuticals of 2023 will be updated regularly as new data becomes available. Stay tuned for our ongoing coverage of the pharma sector’s sales dynamics.

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In 2023, as the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic began to loosen, the pharma sector returned to relying on immunology and oncology as sales drivers. So far this year, the two segments are on track to be the strongest in the pharma landscape. In the first half of 2023, the immunology and oncology domains drove sales of $31.110 billion and $37.982 billion, respectively, based on a review of financial data from 13 Big Pharma companies. Conversely, the infectious disease segment accumulated sales of approximately $28.587 billion.

Contrasting the boom of prior years, 2023 has seen a pronounced dip in the appetite for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. For instance, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine generated roug…

Johnson & Johnson pharma rebrand highlights innovation as a pillar to reinforce trust

Global pharma and medical device giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has ditched its iconic cursive logo that dates back to the late 19th century, and rebranded its Janssen pharma division as Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. The move underscores the company’s push to prioritize higher-margin prescription drugs. This strategic move comes amidst a backdrop of significant legal challenges the company has faced in recent years.

In the five-year period from 2018 to 2022, Johnson & Johnson was the most active defendant in medical device and pharmaceutical cases. In addition, before spinning off its consumer health division, the company was targeted in tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging J&J-branded talcum powder causes cancer. Earlier this year, a judge dismissed the company’s attempt to settle thousands of lawsuits through bankruptcy.

The chart below shows the number of cases filed against J&J-affiliated entities in the life sciences secto…

Mapping the cancer patient journey with liquid biopsy

Pancreatic cancer cells with blue nuclei forming a sphere surrounded by red membranes in a lab setting. [Credit: National Cancer Institute]

According to the American Cancer Society, one in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. Patients seek treatment to shrink their tumors and ideally achieve remission; however, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. At its core, cancer is a genetic disease: Different types of cancer that affect specific organs or systems can share genetic qualities, but every individual can also carry unique mutations that affect how their tumor behaves. Therefore, molecular testing has a critical role to play in all stages of cancer treatment, from developing new drugs to delivering these as treatments.

The promise of molecular testing approaches

Over the years, increasingly complex molecular testing approaches have gained favor in the fie…

iBio’s chief reveals strategy behind AI-driven bispecific antibody discovery plans

Immunotherapy firm iBio (NYSEA:IBIO) has incorporated EngageTx, a machine learning-driven technology, into its development roadmap. This T-cell engaging antibody panel assists in generating bispecific antibodies targeting cancer cells. In particular, the firm is developing a novel Trophoblast Cell Surface Antigen 2 (TROP-2) bispecific molecule to target TROP-2-positive cancers.

A look at the rise of AI in oncology

As part of a broader trend, drug developers are employing machine learning in biotech to handle complex targets in areas like oncology, genomics, personalized medicine and rare diseases. In 2022, AI-employed companies had more than 150 small-molecule drugs in discovery and more than 15 in clinical trials, according to Boston Consulting Group. The group projected an almost 40% annual growth rate for the AI-fueled pipeline.

In a significant pivot, Bryan, Texas–headquartered iBio announced in November 2022 that it was divesting its contract development a…

The 50 best-selling pharmaceuticals of 2022: COVID-19 vaccines poised to take a step back

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the best-selling pharmaceuticals, leading to shifts in the list with Pfizer and BioNTech’s Comirnaty surpassing AbbVie’s Humira for the No. 1 spot in 2021. That momentum continued in 2022, with Pfizer and BioNTech jointly raking in $59.1 billion in revenue from the sales of the COVID-19 vaccine. Although Comirnaty maintained its position as the best-selling pharmaceutical of 2022, it experienced a roughly 5% drop in sales compared to the previous year.

As the best-selling pharmaceuticals of 2022 demonstrate, signs are emerging that the reign of COVID-19 vaccines and other therapies appears to be slipping.. The two companies — and Moderna — plan on hiking prices to address the weakening demand.

Humira: The second best-selling pharmaceutical of 2022 looking strong

Meanwhile, the heavyweight tumor necrosis factor (TNF) block…

Understanding cellular heterogeneity and its implications for disease diagnosis and treatment

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Cellular heterogeneity enables cells in the body to perform an array of functions, but it also plays a role in diseases like cancer as well. In oncology, this fact influences molecular therapy targets, tumor evolution as well as drug sensitivity and resistance. Cellular heterogeneity is also a consideration in areas such as immunotherapy, neuroscience, stem cell research and infectious diseases. By probing cellular heterogeneity in diseased tissues, drug developers can help uncover potential molecular targets for treatment, highlight varying drug sensitivities and unravel the mechanisms responsible for treatment resistance.

To learn more about the importance of cellular heterogeneity, we recently conducted an email interview with two executives at Bio-Rad Laboratories, Mina Zeinali, single cell field application specialist and Joby Chesnick, senior segment manager, single cell technologies …

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

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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…

Dostarlimab drug trials: The science behind cancer and the therapy’s future

[Image courtesy of GSK]

Cancer treatment has been a critical point for clinical diagnostics. Over the years, various treatment approaches- from naked nucleic acid-based therapy, targeting microRNAs, oncolytic virotherapy, and suicide-gene-based therapy to CRISPR/Cas-9-based therapy. More recently, drug-based therapy has also emerged as a promising area for cancer therapeutics. Regarding drug administration, a major buzz has been created around dostarlimab, whose trials have yielded substantial results. Before this discovery, a series of gene therapeutics were initiated, with varying degrees of success.

Dostarlimab was first developed by AnaptysBio and later licensed to GSK (NYSE:GSK). The trade name for dostarlimab is Jemperli.

FDA approved dostarlimab for women with recurrent or advanced dMMR endometrial cancer in April 2021. In August of the same year, GSK won FDA accelerated approval for dostarlimab fo…

Localizing next-generation sequencing testing for cancer patients

Output from a DNA sequencer. [Image courtesy of National Human Genome Research Institute]

The concept of “locality” differentiates a business or company and conveys its value. Phrases like “shop local,” “locally sourced” or “local place” demonstrate the importance of something that doesn’t require significant time, travel or expense, offers convenience and is trustworthy. Locality breeds familiarity and comfort, particularly in healthcare, where it can heavily influence decisions. Patients trust local physicians. Those physicians have faith in local laboratories where they conduct tests and send samples for analysis. The ability to say something is “local” is important in healthcare decisions because time and resources are minimized when consultations, procedures, and tests are done in familiar venues, in close proximity to patients.

For people battling cancer, the concept of locality is essential. Local oncolog…

Why research on hematologic malignancies is ramping up

Micrograph of a plasmacytoma, a hematological malignancy. [Image courtesy of Wikipedia]

Oncology has benefited from a wave of advances in recent decades. From 1991 to 2018, the age-adjusted overall cancer death rate dropped 31%, according to an analysis from American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). That death rate dropped 2.4% between 2017 and 2018, marking the most significant annual reduction.

The reasons for such improvements are multifaceted, including falling smoking rates, improved diagnosis and more effective drugs.

The popularity of immunotherapy has played a vital role in improving treatment outcomes of certain cancers. “It is amazing to think about how much immunotherapy has changed the practice of oncology,” recently wrote Dr. John M. Burke in Targeted Oncology. Burke, a hematologist and medical oncologist at Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, said data from the past two decades…

How Mission Bio is working to drive precision medicine

[Image courtesy of Mission Bio]

Mission Bio (San Francisco) is a growth-stage company spun out of the microfluidics lab at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in 2014.

“We have been commercial since late 2017,” said the company’s CEO, Yan Zhang, in a recent interview.

Initially focusing on oncology, Mission Bio has cast its gaze across precision medicine to cell and gene therapies. “We’re really in this incredible cross-section of oncology and cell and gene therapy,” Zhang said.

The company’s Tapestri platform can simultaneously provide:

Genotype and immunophenotype data from a single cell. Detection of copy number variants (CNV).

Mission Bio has raised $110.9 million to date.

Zhang said that the company aims to “help drug developers take precision medicine to the next level.”

GSK to purchase biopharma Sierra Oncology for $1.9 billion

GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE/NYSE:GSK) has reached a deal to acquire Sierra Oncology (Nasdaq:SRRA) to bolster its oncology pipeline.

Under the terms of the proposed deal, GSK would pay $44 per share for a total value of approximately $1.9 billion.

GSK shares were mostly flat in mid-day trading, dipping 0.032% to $46.52. SRRA shares surged 38.31% to $54.66.

Sierra Oncology’s differentiated momelotinib, which inhibits JAK1 and JAK2, offers potential for patients with myelofibrosis, a rare bone marrow cancer. Myelofibrosis can lead to scarring in the bone marrow, thus causing severe anemia.

GSK expects to benefit from sales of momelotinib starting in 2023, with growth ramping up after that.

There is a significant unmet need for patients with myelofibrosis. Roughly 40% of patients diagnosed with myelofibrosis are already anemic, with the majority developing anemia eventually.

Momelotinib has been the subject of 22 clinical trials to date. Read more