Catch up on May’s top pharma news in EMJ GOLD’s monthly round-up. From the latest HCP insights on pharma companies to drug delivery news, there’s plenty to discover
Words by Jade Williams
6 May
HCPs overwhelmingly recognise Pfizer as the top vaccine company, according to a ZoomRx survey of physicians. 80% of respondents ranked the company in their top three for reputation, innovation, patient-centricity, promotion and HCP-centricity. ZoomRx cites that Pfizer’s “quick response to the pandemic with the COVID-19 vaccine is still holding high regards and recognition”.
12 May
Pfizer and AstraZeneca set their sights on France with major investments totalling nearly 1bn (USD) ahead of the country’s annual ‘Choose France’ business summit. For Pfizer, the decision to invest in France is driven by a desire to expand its R&D capabilities in the country. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca intends to spend 388m (USD) to strengthen its existing operations in Dunkirk – its hub for the production of inhaled devices.
14 May
French drugmaker Servier is gaining favour with US patient groups, coming out on top in Patientview’s 2023 pharma reputation survey – up from third place last year. However, additional findings show that the proportion of US groups with an excellent or good view of the industry fell from 65% to 57% by 2023, with one patient warning against treating patient engagement as a “tick-box exercise”.
15 May
Galapagos announces a new partnership with the Blood Centers of America (BCA), furthering its commitment to CAR-T therapies. The collaboration will give the company access to BCA’s network of over 50 blood centres in 43 states, helping to decentralise the production of its CAR-T therapies for haematological and oncological diseases on a national scale.
16 May
GSK pledges £45m to the Fleming Initiative, a UK programme to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which will focus on supporting countries most affected by AMR, where poverty, climate change and health inequalities exacerbate the problems caused by drug-resistant infections. It will also bring together a range of stakeholders to find, test and scale up solutions to tackle the health challenge.
22 May
The FDA grants Breakthrough Device Designation to Roche’s new blood test, developed in collaboration with Amgen, that measures key blood markers of inherited cardiovascular risk. The blood test is designed to measure levels of lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) in the bloodstream, which can lead to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as heart attacks or strokes.
BMS announces its ambition to support cancer care in low- and middle-income countries by reaching more than 200,000 patients with its medicines by 2033. To achieve this goal, the company will launch a 10-year initiative in partnership with the Access to Oncology Medicines Coalition, including the roll-out of an access model for its blockbuster immuno-oncology therapy in countries including Pakistan, Rwanda and Zambia.
