Discover June’s top pharma news in our monthly round-up. From the latest market predictions to new vaccine development initiatives, there’s plenty to discover in this month’s Spotlight
Words by Jade Williams
5 June
Bloomberg intelligence predicts that sales in the multiple myeloma market will reach $33bn in 2030 – an increase of almost 10bn (USD) on 2023. Analysts predict that by 2030, J&J will be the largest player in the market – will BMS falling behind newcomers Pfizer, Regeneron, Gilead and Arcellx. Contributing factors are thought to be the Inflation Reduction Act in the US, the CAR-T race and the use of bispecific antibodies.
10 June
Ahead of the UK general election, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) urges the country’s political parties to set out plans to harness the industry’s potential to boost the country’s health and economy. The ABPI’s latest manifesto proposes strategies to improve NHS care, increase access to new medicines and create thousands of well-paid jobs. It says these measures could reduce the UK’s disease burden by 40%, add £16.3bn to GDP and attract significant inward investment.
17 June
Siemens Healthineers receives CE Mark approval for its Neurofilament Light Chain test for the management of relapsing multiple sclerosis, allowing it to be launched in Europe. The blood test, developed in collaboration with Novartis Pharma AG, will be useful in predicting the risk of MS-related nerve damage. This will help HCPs manage the disease more effectively, prevent relapses and monitor disease progression.
20 June
Gilead’s twice-yearly HIV prevention drug demonstrated 100% efficacy in its Phase III trial, marking a first for this type of medication. Tested alongside Gilead’s daily PrEP therapy in cisgender women and adolescent girls in South Africa and Uganda, none of the 2,134 participants who received the twice-yearly drug contracted HIV, compared to 16 cases among 1,068 women on the daily therapy. Already FDA-approved, this drug could significantly reduce HIV infection rates worldwide.
To enhance Africa’s vaccine sovereignty, Gavi, the African Union and the Africa CDC, with support from France and other nations, have launched the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA). The initiative aims to produce 60% of Africa’s vaccines domestically by 2040, making up to 1bn (USD) available over the next decade. Using a “pull financing mechanism”, AVMA will incentivise manufacturers by offsetting initial development and production costs to ensure viable vaccine production on the continent.
25 June
Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are rapidly expanding to meet the soaring demand for their popular obesity drugs. Following Lilly’s announcement of a 5.3bn (USD) investment in production, Novo Nordisk unveiled plans to spend 4.1bn (USD) on a new plant in Clayton, North Carolina, which will equal the combined size of its three existing facilities in the state. Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, CEO, Novo Nordisk, states that “this is yet another real signal of our efforts to scale up our production to meet the growing global need for our life-changing medicines”.
