ABBVIE

Vir Biotechnology leads in immunology, focusing on infectious diseases like COVID-19. With innovative R&D, strategic partnerships, and a robust pipeline, it aims to revolutionize treatment globally, despite challenges like evolving diseases and regulatory hurdles.

Shares of AbbVie plummeted after its schizophrenia drug Emraclidine missed key goals in Phase 2 trials, while Bristol Myers Squibb's shares soared due to its recently approved schizophrenia treatment Cobenfy.

Roflumilast cream 0.15% showed high efficacy in treating mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in patients aged 6 years and older, with more patients achieving a validated IGA-AD score of 0/1 and minimal application site irritation.

U.S. patients gained access to lower-priced Humira biosimilars in 2023, but rebate practices by drug makers and PBMs limit competition, keeping out-of-pocket costs high. CVS Caremark and Express Scripts steer patients to preferred, not necessarily cheapest, biosimilars, preserving rebate-like strategies. Despite biosimilar market share growth, originator Humira still dominates with 82% share, contrasting with Europe's 65% five years ago.

A fixed-duration venetoclax-based regimen for first-line chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) treatment results in lower long-term health care costs compared to continuous Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) treatment, with an approximate $8000 decrease in costs 6 months post-fixed-duration period. The study, based on Medicare claims data from 2016 to 2021, found similar all-cause costs during the first 12 months for both treatments but a significant drop in costs for the venetoclax-based regimen in the subsequent 6 months, largely due to the absence of prescription drug costs.

Trontinemab, a transferrin receptor-based antibody, rapidly removes amyloid plaques with few ARIA cases, but a participant's death from a macrohemorrhage prompts exclusion criteria expansion. Despite safety concerns, CTAD attendees remain optimistic about TfR-based therapies for safer brain delivery.

Howard Jacob discusses AbbVie's use of AI and ML in genomics research, emphasizing data integration for cures, the shift towards data-driven drug development, and the importance of holistic patient care. He highlights the rapid adoption of AI/ML, the challenge of building data capabilities, and the potential of genomic sequencing to revolutionize medicine.

FDA considers removing oral phenylephrine from OTC guidelines due to lack of efficacy, not safety concerns. Public comments invited until May 7, 2025, before final decision. Phenylephrine is in many nasal decongestants like Sudafed and Mucinex. FDA's proposal does not affect nasal spray decongestants.

Skyrizi surpasses Humira in sales, causing concerns for adalimumab biosimilar market growth. Despite biosimilars capturing 22% market share by Oct 2024, Skyrizi's rise and product hopping complicate biosimilar sustainability. Clinical trials show Skyrizi's superior efficacy in psoriasis treatment, and policy reforms are advocated to enhance biosimilar access and competition.

Cigna forecasts 2025 profit growth of at least 10%, driven by strong demand for specialty drugs and new pharmacy benefit management clients. Shares rose nearly 3%. The company benefits from biosimilars adoption and plans to offer a Stelara biosimilar in 2025. Revenue for Evernorth rose 36% to $52.64 billion. Cigna is selling its Medicare Advantage business and unlikely to acquire Humana, focusing instead on share buybacks. Quarterly net income fell 47.5% to $739 million, but adjusted profit beat expectations.