Novartis Completes $12 Billion Acquisition of Avidity Biosciences, Strengthening RNA Neuroscience Pipeline

novartis

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) has officially closed its acquisition of San Diego-based Avidity Biosciences, marking one of the most significant deals in the neuromuscular disease space in recent years. The transaction, originally announced on October 26, 2025, values Avidity at approximately $12 billion on a fully diluted basis, with an enterprise value of roughly $11 billion.

PADCEV and Keytruda FDA Approval: Breakthrough Perioperative Treatment Cuts Bladder Cancer Death Risk by 50%

pfizer news

The FDA has approved PADCEV (enfortumab vedotin) in combination with Keytruda (pembrolizumab) as the first perioperative treatment regimen to significantly improve survival in cisplatin-ineligible patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Based on pivotal Phase 3 EV-303 trial data, the combination demonstrated a 60% reduction in recurrence or death risk and a 50% reduction in mortality risk compared to surgery alone.

Lilly’s Oral GLP-1 Orforglipron Demonstrates Superior Efficacy Over Semaglutide in Landmark Type 2 Diabetes Trial

Eli Lilly and Company

Eli Lilly and Company has announced breakthrough results from ACHIEVE-3, a head-to-head clinical trial that establishes orforglipron as a superior oral GLP-1 receptor agonist for type 2 diabetes management. The investigational medication outperformed oral semaglutide across all primary and key secondary endpoints, delivering clinically meaningful improvements in blood sugar control and weight loss. With FDA obesity approval expected in Q2 2026 and regulatory submissions already filed in over 40 countries, orforglipron represents a significant advancement in cardiometabolic treatment options.

IQVIA Acquires Charles River Laboratories Drug Discovery Assets to Enhance End-to-End Capabilities

iqvia news

IQVIA Holdings Inc. announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire certain discovery services assets from Charles River Laboratories. The acquisition includes five sites specializing in in vitro drug discovery services, supported by over 20 years of scientific data, creating an industry-leading integrated drug discovery platform.

Pfizer’s BRAFTOVI Receives FDA Full Approval for First-Line Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treatment

pfizer news

Pfizer announced FDA full approval of BRAFTOVI (encorafenib) in combination with cetuximab and fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for treating adults with BRAF V600E-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer. The landmark approval is backed by Phase 3 BREAKWATER trial data demonstrating a 51% reduction in mortality risk and 47% reduction in disease progression risk compared to standard chemotherapy.

Novo Nordisk Announces Significant Price Reduction on Wegovy & Ozempic

novo nordisk

Novo Nordisk announced today a significant reduction in US list prices for
Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus, with prices dropping to $675 per month effective
January 1, 2027. The price cuts approximately 50% for Wegovy and 35% for Ozempic
represent a major step toward improving patient access and affordability for
obesity and type 2 diabetes treatments.

Zepbound (Tirzepatide) Receives FDA Approval for Multi-Dose KwikPen

Eli Lilly and Company

Eli Lilly expands Zepbound access with FDA-approved KwikPen multi-dose device. Patients can now choose between KwikPen or single-dose vials at the same price through LillyDirect, with self-pay pricing offering 50% or greater discount compared to other GLP-1 medicines.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Landmark TREMFYA Data: 80% of Patients Achieve Sustained Clinical Remission in Ulcerative Colitis Through 3 Years

JohnsonAndJohnson

Johnson & Johnson announces groundbreaking long-term clinical data revealing that TREMFYA (guselkumab) maintains sustained clinical, endoscopic, and histologic remission in adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis through 3 years of treatment. The QUASAR long-term extension study demonstrates 80.8% clinical remission and 78.6% mucosal healing rates, setting new standards for inflammatory bowel disease management.

U.S. FDA Approves Venclexta and Acalabrutinib Combination for First-Line CLL Treatment

AbbVie

On February 20, 2026, the U.S. FDA approved the combination of Venclexta (venetoclax) and acalabrutinib for the first-line treatment of adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). This landmark decision establishes the first and only all-oral, fixed-duration (time-limited) regimen for previously untreated patients, offering a significant alternative to continuous therapy or chemoimmunotherapy