Hong Kong Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) chief executive Nicolas Aguzin has stepped down after a term fraught with upheaval. Having survived COVID-19 isolation, under Aguzin HKEX was confronted with strict regulatory crackdowns and has seen a drop in funds raised from initial public offerings by almost 40 percent. Newly…

USA As the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) starts to become a reality, and both big pharma and biotech companies brace themselves for its more widespread impact, BIO names Washington fixture, rare disease advocate and entrepreneur John Crowley as its new CEO.   After waiting for a new leader for over…

India In the latest blow to Indian pharma’s reputation, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended the suspension of marketing authorisations for a large number of generics tested by Indian CRO Synapse Labs. While the Indian government has taken steps to regulate the industry and improve quality, including a new Drugs,…

UK A roundup of the biggest stories from UK pharma, including the latest agreement between the British government and industry on a renewed drug pricing clawback scheme; GSK’s search for deals in China; the London-based CRO hVIVO’s new USD 21 million contract, and the latest biotech arising from Cambridge startup incubator…

USA The US Food and Drug Administration has increasingly recognized the importance of diversity and representation in clinical trials over the past few decades. This evolution reflects growing awareness across medicine that differences in age, gender, race, and ethnicity can impact disease risk, treatment response, and health outcomes. Darshan Kulkarni of…

Global AI is the buzzword du jour across all industries, but what is needed for it to truly make a difference in clinical trials? Writing in December 2023’s DIA Global Forum magazine, Lokavant’s Rohit Nambisan lays out the three essential characteristics for AI impact in clinical research, foregrounding the vital importance…

Asia-Pacific The APAC region —with an approximate ten percent growth in trial numbers between 2017 and 2022— is rapidly becoming the world’s leading market for clinical trials. Karen Chu, CEO of Harvest Integrated Research Organization (HiRO), a CRO that serves Asian, US and European clients, has experienced the boom first hand.…

Europe The European Union’s just-released and first essential medicines list is the latest in a series of measures designed to limit the bloc’s reliance on countries outside its borders and avoid drug shortages. As Elisabeth Stampa of generic and biosimilar lobby group Medicines for Europe recently explained to PharmaBoardroom, this is…

China A roundup of some of the biggest news stories from the pharma industry in China including Aspen’s purchase of Sandoz’s Chinese business; Moderna’s first mRNA facility in China; WuXi Biologics’ stock plunge, and BeiGene’s USD 1.33 billion CDK2 inhibitor deal with Ensem Therapeutics.   Bristol Myers to pay $800 million…

United Kingdom AstraZeneca has made a bold move by offering its in-house digital clinical trial expertise to clinical research organisations (CROs) and other pharmaceutical companies via the launch of healthtech business Evinova. AstraZeneca’s apparent willingness to share expertise with its competitors has raised some eyebrows, but the British firm is steadfast in…

USA Eli Lilly has turned its numbers around and become the world’s most valuable pharma company, thanks to its type 2 diabetes and off-label use obesity drug tirzeptide, which generated no less than USD 1.4 billion in its first full quarter on the market. As the US firm prepares to launch…

Brazil The latest pharma news from Brazil, including the partnership between Biophytis and Innovation Solutions Pharma; Merck’s 100 years in Brazil; Eurofarma’s USD 100 million biotech investment, and GSK’s green light from ANVISA.   Biophytis and Innovation Solutions Pharma Sign a Partnership Agreement to Accelerate Market Access for Sarconeos in Brazil…