And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda is, so far, rather modest. We plan to catch up on our reading, promenade with the official mascots, and hope to hold still another listening party, where the rotation will likely include this, this, this, this and this. And what about you? Depending on your location, remaining cozy indoors with a book may be in order or watch a moving picture show on the telly. Perhaps this is an opportunity to stimulate the economy and visit an eatery or two. Or you could simply plan the rest of your life. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon. …
Merck is in talks to buy cancer drug developer Revolution Medicines in a deal that may be worth $28 billion to $32 billion, Reuters reports. But other large pharmaceutical companies were still circling the biotech and another suitor might yet prevail. Merck, which is set to lose patents for its blockbuster cancer treatment Keytruda later this decade, has nearly tripled its late-stage pipeline since 2021 through in-house development and deals. Buying Revolution could give Merck access to its experimental drug daraxonrasib, which is in late-stage trials and has won a fast-track review voucher from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The drug is designed to target multiple mutations in the RAS genes, which are common drivers of major cancers, including certain pancreatic, lung, and colorectal cancers.
Eli Lilly reported that adding its weight loss drug Zepbound on top of its immunology therapy Taltz helped obese patients with an autoimmune condition that causes joint pain more than Taltz did alone, STAT writes. The data suggest the GLP-1 drug Zepbound, which has already been shown to help with obesity and sleep apnea, among other conditions, may also be helpful for psoriatic arthritis, or PsA. But it is not clear if these results will have a significant impact on prescribing patterns for Lilly’s drugs, given that there’s already huge demand for Zepbound due to its significant weight loss effects. As for Taltz, Lilly appears to be using the trial to boost the profile of the autoimmune drug, saying it is “now the first and only biologic for PsA with data supporting a potential comprehensive treatment approach alongside” a GLP-1 drug. But there are other similar immunology drugs on the market that many patients and doctors have preferred.Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…