Infectious disease
CEO Albert Bourla, who is under attack from activist investor Starboard Value, got a much-needed victory on Tuesday as Pfizer reported that third-quarter revenue and adjusted profit beat the analysts’ consensus.
Orlynvah is the first oral penem approved in the U.S. and Iterum Therapeutics’ first FDA-approved product. CEO Corey Fishman said the company will renew its efforts to look for a potential partner to maximize value for its stakeholders.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla is in a tough spot as activist investor Starboard Value continues to call for a change in the company’s leadership. However, analysts are supportive of the embattled executive.
The French drugmaker’s newly launched respiratory syncytial virus antibody Beyfortus far exceeded analyst expectations, bringing in almost $700 million in the third quarter. Leerink Partners analyst David Risinger in a Friday note to investors said Sanofi expects Q4 Beyfortus sales similar to Q3.
The CDC’s vaccine advisors on Thursday maintained that respiratory syncytial virus immunization is only recommended for adults aged 75 and older, and in seniors 60 to 74 years who are at risk of severe disease.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Wednesday backed the use of Merck’s Capvaxive and Pfizer’s Prevnar 20 in adults between 50-64 years of age, opening a bigger market for the respective companies.
Pfizer’s Abrysvo is the first respiratory syncytial virus vaccine that can be used for adults less than 50 years of age. Tuesday’s label expansion covers younger adults who are deemed at higher risk of RSV-related lower respiratory tract disease.
This week marked the start of the third-quarter earnings season, with Johnson & Johnson exceeding Wall Street’s expectations. Pfizer is projected to have a strong quarter, while Eli Lilly could pull ahead of Novo Nordisk in the obesity space. Moderna, by contrast, has a decidedly negative outlook.
Merck’s investigational antibody clesrovimab demonstrated more than 60% effectiveness in reducing some types of respiratory syncytial virus-associated infections in infants, while Pfizer’s RSV vaccine Abrysvo showed 90% effectiveness at preventing the most severe RSV cases in adults 60 years and older.
Real-world evidence show that GSK and ViiV Healthcare’s long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis Apretude can prevent nearly all HIV infections, while rival Gilead Sciences is moving quickly toward an approval for a twice-yearly option.
PRESS RELEASES