Catch up on January’s top pharma news, from major industry deals and exciting medical innovations to big reveals in women’s health and regulatory updates shaping the future
Words by Jade Williams
6 January
WuXi Biologics agrees to sell its vaccine production facility in Ireland to Merck & Co for $500m. The sale follows reports that WuXi Biologics and WuXi AppTec are exploring asset sales due to potential US legislation, such as the BIOSECURE Act, which aims to limit federal contracts with Chinese firms.
7 January
Orna Therapeutics forms a three-year research collaboration with Vertex Pharmaceuticals involving the former company’s lipid nanoparticle delivery technology. The partnership aims to advance Vertex’s development of next-generation gene editing therapies for sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia.
8 January
Micron Biomedical receives $3.7m from CEPI to advance its microarray vaccine technology, which aims to simplify vaccine administration and address the distribution challenges seen during COVID-19. The technology uses a dissolvable microarray button to deliver vaccines painlessly into the skin through self-administration.
10 January
AESGP, EFPIA and Medicines for Europe release new position papers, outlining steps toward adopting electronic Product Information (ePI) and modernising patient information leaflets with a greater focus on accessibility, sustainability and efficiency. The transition to ePI will be fully operational within four years of the revised General Pharmaceutical Law coming into force.
14 January
French medical technology firm Robeauté raises $28m to advance its neurosurgical microrobot technology. Devices the size of a grain of rice, hey could deliver drugs, implant electrodes, or gather real-time cellular data. The funding is set to support US expansion, human trials in 2026 and FDA approval preparations.
15 January
Reshema Kemps-Polanco, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Novartis US, is named Woman of the Year by The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association. With over 25 years in the industry, Kemps-Polanco has actively mentored women into senior roles and has a strong background in healthcare equity.
21 January
Clinical-stage biopharma Bluejay Therapeutics’s lead candidate receives Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA, for its drug treating chronic hepatitis delta (CHD). Currently, there are no approved treatments for CHD in the US or most other countries, emphasising the urgent need for new treatment options.
24 January
The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association and FemTechnology unveil a survey detailing that over 80% of HCPs observed sex differences in disease progression and treatment response but less than 30% felt equipped to address them. Barriers to care included a lack of gender-specific research and guidelines and unconscious bias.
