Portola touts exec's commercial management experience with Genentech success stories Avastin and Tarceva.

Pipeline Watch is a weekly snapshot of selected late-stage clinical trial events announced by pharmaceutical and biotech companies at medical and industry conferences, in financial and company presentations, and in company releases and statements.

With a new hyperkalemia therapy nearing EU markets and its injectable iron product showing strong sales growth, Switzerland’s global specialty pharma company Vifor Pharma has been able to upgrade its financial guidance for 2017.

First quarter VC investments in biopharma set high expectations for the second quarter; Acorda cuts jobs after patent litigation defeat, plus other strategic realignments; no new US IPOs, but Europe has three; and notable follow-on offerings.