AstraZeneca

First approved in 2006 as an asthma treatment, AstraZeneca’s (LON:AZN) Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol) has also won an indication related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Now, FDA has approved the first generic of Symbicort for both indications. Viatris (Nasdaq:VTRS) partnered with Kindeva Drug Delivery (St. Paul, Minnesota) to manufacture the generic version. Last week, the companies…

AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) will require that its American employees be fully vaccinated if they plan to work in its facilities or visit customers. Cambridge, U.K.–based AstraZeneca said the plan would also apply to workers at Alexion Pharmaceuticals (Boston, Mass.). AstraZeneca completed its acquisition of Alexion in July. AstraZeneca employees can seek vaccine exemptions but must obtain a…

After facing months of setbacks concerning its contract production of COVID-19 vaccine, Emergent BioSolutions (NYSE:EBS) is making progress. Most recently, the FDA announced that “certain lots” of AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) COVID-19 vaccine drug substance produced in a facility in Baltimore are acceptable for export. Last week, the FDA gave the company permission to restart Johnson &…

The rate of vaccination in the U.S. continues to tick upward. On Aug. 1, healthcare workers administered 816,203 doses, marking one of the highest totals in recent weeks. Vaccination rates have increased about 24% in the past week, according to an estimate from UBS. If the trend holds, the daily vaccination rate could surpass one…

The Baltimore-based company Emergent BioSolutions (NYSE:EBS) is the subject of at least four lawsuits asking for refunds and pushing for change in the company’s executive ranks. Some of the lawsuits targeting Emergent accuse the company of securities fraud and insider trading. Emergent has denied the allegations. “Our executives strictly follow the law and our own…

Now that we have passed the year’s midway mark, pharma continues to be in a unique position. While COVID-19 gave the industry an opportunity for a reputational reset in 2020, the pandemic is now a net positive for the industry, according to the recent Moody’s report, “Solid demand, lift from COVID-19 products continue to drive…

The pandemic has eased throughout much of the world. But demand for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments continues to be brisk, according to ratings agency Moody’s. In general, the pandemic will contribute to the pharmaceutical industry’s projected EBITDA growth rate of 4% to 6% over the coming 12 to 18 months, the firm concluded. While a…

After stopping the production of its COVID-19 vaccine at an Emergent Biosolutions facility in Baltimore, AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) is in negotiations with Catalent (NYSE:CTLT) to shift production to one of its plants in nearby Harmans, Md. FDA has yet to authorize the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, although it has won full approval in Australia and Brazil and…

The pharmaceutical industry is on the upswing and is poised to have a compound annual growth rate of 13.7% from 2020 to 2027, according to projections from Grand View Research. The industry’s resurgence is a good opportunity for employees in the sector, who frequently enjoy comfortable salaries. To get a sense of which pharmaceutical companies…

The global pharmaceutical industry held up well during the pandemic, with 10 of the largest businesses only seeing a roughly –3% drop in revenue in 2020. Eight of the 10 even came out ahead. That’s one of the big takeaways from our sister publication Drug Discovery & Development’s inaugural Pharma 50, a compilation of data…