Advisory committee supports further research on end-of-induction response as an early interim clinical endpoint for drugs in treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma. FDA has approved two drugs for this rare disease in children, who have a 40-50% chance of long-term survival.

The family-owned German group is the market leader in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with Ofev but the big-selling drug has significant side effects and only slows, but does not stop, the progression of the disease. It is hoping that the Phase III-ready compound BI 1015550 will offer a significant improvement.

The Danish diabetes titan teams with Moderna’s founder on cardiometabolic R&D. Troubled cell therapy biotech Bone Therapeutics negotiates reverse merger with Medsenic.

Pharma’s R&D engine has been firing on all cylinders in the past year – pipeline growth in 2021 stood at nearly twice that for the previous year, pushing the number of products under active development over 20,000 for the first time.