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Novo Nordisk A/S maintained its leading position for glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) diabetes medicines with a 52.7% global market share in 2021, up by 2.3 percentage points from a year earlier. Novo's portfolio consists of just three GLP-1 medicines, but together they generated 38% of the company's sales.  Group sales were DKK 140.8 billion ($21.4 billion) in 2021, an increase of 11% from a year earlier. The GLP-1 medicines generated DKK 53.6 billion, while insulins produced revenue of DKK 56 billion.

AstraZeneca Plc grew revenue by 41% to $37.4 billion in 2021, achieving significant increases across its four business sectors and in nearly all geographies except China where drug prices came under pressure. The top-line figure includes nearly $4 billion in revenue from the company’s Covid-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria, as well as $3.1 billion from drugs for rare diseases generated by the recent acquisition of Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

In the fourth quarter, revenue was $12 billion, up by 62%.

Bayer AG has decided to discontinue development of the Phase 2 drug candidate, eliapixant, a P2X3 receptor antagonist that was being evaluated in endometriosis, refractory chronic cough, overactive bladder and diabetic neuropathic pain.

This is based on a review of data showing that the overall benefit no longer outweighs the risk in these indications. The drug was developed in collaboration with Evotec SE which will regain rights to the assets. Bayer announced its decision on 4 February 2022.

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Pfizer Inc and Valneva SE have reported further positive Phase 2 data for their Lyme disease vaccine candidate, VLA15. As a result, the companies plan to proceed with a three-dose primary series vaccination schedule in a planned Phase 3 trial. The trial is expected to start in 2022.

GlaxoSmithKline Plc expects to deliver sales growth of 5-7% at constant exchange rates this year and a double-digit increase in adjusted operating profit as it repositions itself as a pure biopharmaceutical enterprise. This will follow the demerger of its jointly-owned consumer healthcare business at mid-year. GSK owns 68% of the business, while Pfizer Inc has 32%.

Dupixent and a group of other specialty care products lifted sales of Sanofi SA in 2021 offsetting declines for legacy cardiovascular and diabetes products. At the same time, the company refreshed its portfolio with three acquisitions in the fourth quarter. Group turnover was €37.76 for the year, up by 4.8% from 2020. The increase was 7.1% when calculated using constant exchange rates. Sales of Dupixent, a treatment for asthma and other auto-immune diseases, amounted to €5.25 billion, up by 52.7% from the previous year.

The Roche Group reported sales of CHF 62.8 billion ($68.12 billion) in 2021, a rise of 8% from a year earlier and largely driven by brisk demand for its Covid-19-related diagnostic products. Diagnostic sales increased by 29% during the year. By contrast, the pharmaceutical division, which accounts for 72% of group turnover, reported a sales increase of just 1%. Measured in constant exchange rates, this increase was 3%.

Novartis saw its profit margin expand in 2021 as operating expenses were kept in check while sales grew. However the pace of expansion was limited to the company’s proprietary medicines division. Sandoz, its generics business, had flat sales for the year as volume growth was more than offset by a decline in prices. In a statement on 2 February, Novartis said it is exploring several options for Sandoz, including a separation of the business. Further information is expected, at the latest, by the end of 2022.

Pharming Group NV of the Netherlands has achieve positive results from a Phase 2/3 registration-enabling study of the small molecule drug leniolisib, a candidate treatment for activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase delta (PI3K delta) syndrome, an ultra-rare primary immunodeficiency disease. The placebo-controlled study consisted of two sequential parts, the first of which was a successful dose escalation study which reported results in 2018. Results from the second part of the study, reported on 2 February, showed clinical efficacy, including a normalisation of immune dysfunction.

Ethris GmbH has raised $26.3 million in a Series B financing round to support development of messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics, an area of growing interest to the pharmaceutical industry. The Munich, Germany-based company has developed a technology enabling the delivery of candidate therapies directly to the respiratory system. Whereas the small number of approved RNA medicines are delivered to patients by injection, Ethris has developed nebulisation technologies for inhaled administration.