AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
NEWS
Big Pharma had plenty of drama to keep journalists busy this quarter, which painted an accurate portrait of the wild and wonderful world of biopharma.
A tale of two multi-billion schizophrenia deals, AstraZeneca touts strong sales while deflecting questions about an investigation into China exec, the Huntington’s pipeline builds momentum and layoffs continue with Sana Biotechnology and 23andMe.
The U.K. drugmaker also announced plans to drop another $2 billion on expanding its R&D and manufacturing footprint in the “important” U.S. market.
The companies did not provide detailed data for Tezspire, however, and William Blair’s Matt Phipps said in a note he does not expect the antibody to outperform Dupixent.
BMO Capital Markets analyst Etzer Darout in a note to investors said the insurance fraud probe represents a “headline risk” to AstraZeneca, but contends that the share selloff is “overdone” and likely a knee-jerk reaction by investors.
While expected and seen as largely incremental, Jefferies analyst Peter Welford in a Tuesday note to investors said the detailed data for three early-stage assets support moving them into Phase IIb studies and creates a “foothold” for AstraZeneca in the weight loss space.
The Big Pharma companies made a last-ditch effort asking a U.S. appeals court to reconsider their lawsuits against the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare drug price negotiations, which they contend infringe on their constitutional rights.
Analysts expect the partners’ first-mover advantage, clinical data and existing presence in lung disease to translate into significant sales, with GlobalData predicting Dupixent’s COPD revenues will top $6.5 billion within 10 years.
As companies roll out data showing the power and improved safety profile of antibodies that target two antigens, analysts say the class could overtake monoclonal antibody Keytruda as the “immunotherapy backbone” of solid tumor treatment.
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