WuXi AppTec Content Team Editor
A few days ago, the Fortune website announced the 2022 Fortune 500 list. These include 14 biomedical and technology companies. The companies on the list include large pharmaceutical companies such as Johnson & Johnson, as well as emerging companies that have made breakthroughs in emerging technologies, such as Moderna, which entered the Fortune 500 for the first time this year. In today’s article, WuXi AppTec’s content team will share with readers the recent R&D progress of these listed companies.
Johnson & Johnson, 500: 37
Johnson & Johnson expects to restructure the company this year, separating its consumer health business and focusing on R&D innovation. According to Dr. Mathai Mammen, global head of R&D at Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, by 2025, Johnson & Johnson is expected to submit regulatory applications for 16 innovative treatments or vaccines, 14 of which have the potential to become blockbuster drugs.
Pfizer, 500: 43
Pfizer moved up 34 places in the Fortune 500 this year. The company has played an important role in the fight against the new crown epidemic, and the mRNA new crown vaccine jointly developed with BioNTech is the first new crown vaccine to receive emergency use authorization from the FDA. The company’s oral antiviral drug Paxlovid significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization and death in COVID-19 patients.
Pfizer is also active in other areas. This year, the company completed the acquisition of Arena Pharmaceuticals, and its new-generation oral S1P modulator etrasimod recently achieved the primary endpoint in two Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of ulcerative colitis.
Allergan’s Vuity (pilocarpine, 1.25% ophthalmic solution) received FDA approval last year, making it the first FDA-approved treatment for presbyopia eye drops therapy.
The company’s JAK inhibitor Rinvoq (upadacitinib) has 4 new indications in the past 6 months, and has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis , atopic dermatitis, ulcerative colitis and ankylosing spondylitis. Another anti-inflammatory drug, Skyrizi, was also approved by the FDA this year to treat psoriatic arthritis.
Recently, the company submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the US FDA for its investigational therapy ABBV-951 (foslevodopa/foscarbidopa) for the treatment of motor fluctuations in patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease. This therapy will provide patients with the first continuous subcutaneous delivery of a prodrug of levodopa/carbidopa (levodopa/carbidopa), which is expected to better control motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
MSD, Fortune 500 Rank: 71
The PARP inhibitor olaparib (Lynparza in English) jointly developed by Merck and AstraZeneca was approved by the US FDA in March this year as an adjunctive therapy , for the treatment of patients with high-risk HER2-negative early breast cancer harboring germline BRCA mutations (gBRCAm). This is the first approved therapy targeting BRCA mutations in patients with early-stage breast cancer.
In addition to oncology, the company is also actively expanding its R&D pipeline in other areas, of which cardiovascular disease is one of the R&D priorities. At an investor meeting, the company expects to have eight innovative cardiovascular disease treatments in its pipeline to be approved by 2030.
Merck & Co. announced last year that it would buy Acceleron for about $11.5 billion for a potential “first-in-class” therapy, sotatercept. Its CEO, Mr. Robert Davis, said in an interview that the company will still seek other M&A activities to expand its R&D pipeline beyond Keytruda.
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), Fortune 500 Rank: 82
Bristol-Myers Squibb’s anti-LAG-3 antibody drug relatlimab and anti-PD-1 antibody Opdivo received FDA approval in March this year for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma of adult and pediatric (12 years and older) patients. Relatlimab also became the first LAG-3 antibody approved by the US FDA.
In addition, its potential blockbuster therapy Camzyos (mavacamten) received FDA approval for the treatment of adults with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM).
El Lillyi Lilly and Company), Top 500 Rank: 122
Mounjaro (tirzepatide), a dual agonist of Eli Lilly and Company’s glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors, was recently approved by the US FDA approved for use in combination with dietary management and exercise to control blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes. This represents the first new type of diabetes drug in nearly 10 years. It also yielded positive results in the first Phase 3 clinical trial in obese individuals, the highest dose group lost an average of approximately 24 kg of body weight.
The SGLT2 inhibitor Jardiance jointly developed by the company and Boehringer Ingelheim was also approved by the US FDA to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization in adult heart failure patients, and provide a wider range of heart failure patients. Offers new treatment options.
Gilead Sciences, Top 500 Rank: 129
The CD19-targeted CAR-T therapy Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) developed by Kite, a subsidiary of Gilead Sciences, was recently approved by the FDA to expand its scope of application for the second-line treatment of large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) adult patients. According to a press release from Kite, this is “the first approved therapy in nearly 30 years to improve patient outcomes compared to standard therapy”.
The Company’s Antibody Conjugate Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan) Meets Primary Endpoint in a Phase 3 Clinical Trial in Patients With HR-Positive/HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer After Multiple Prior Treatments , compared with physician-chosen chemotherapy, patients treated with Trodelvy experienced a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS).
Amgen, Top 500 Rank: 140
Amgen’s two “first-in-class” therapies, KRAS G12C inhibitor Lumakras and asthma therapy Tezspire, were approved by the FDA last year. At a recent investor conference, the company said it would invest more in human data, multispecific molecules, and artificial intelligence-assisted drug development to advance hard-to-target targets.
Potential “first-in-class” therapies in its pipeline include the DLL3-targeting bispecific T cell binder tarlatamab and the IL-2 mutant fusion protein efavaleukin alpha, among others.
Moderna, Top 500 Rank: 195
Moderna ranked No. 195 on the Fortune 500 for the first time this year. The company’s mRNA new crown vaccine Spikevax (mRNA-1273) is the second mRNA vaccine officially approved by the US FDA, and the company’s first product officially approved by the FDA.
As of the first quarter of this year, Moderna’s R&D pipeline included 46 R&D programs covering a variety of different treatment modalities. The company recently launched a number of clinical trials of preventive vaccines, including mRNA vaccines to prevent HIV infection and influenza virus infection. Its respiratory syncytial virus mRNA vaccine entered pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials.
Viatris, Top 500 Rank: 204
Viatris is a biopharmaceutical company created by the merger of Pfizer’s Upjohn and Mylan companies, which focus on generic branded and generic drug businesses. The company’s products include several iconic branded drugs such as Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium), Celebrex (celecoxib) and Viagra (sildenafil).
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Top 500 Rank: 231
Regeneron’s neutralizing antibody combination therapy REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab) received emergency use authorization from the U.S. FDA last year, making it for the simultaneous treatment of patients with COVID-19, And as a new crown neutralizing antibody for post-exposure prophylaxis.. It adds a new tool for treating and preventing COVID-19.
Dupixent, a blockbuster therapy jointly developed by the company and Sanofi, continues to gain ground in a variety of diseases mediated by type 2 inflammation, and has recently become a USThe first FDA-approved therapy for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).
Biogen, Top 500 Rank: 338
The investigational anti-amyloid beta (Aβ) antibody lecanemab (BAN2401) jointly developed by Biogen and Eisai has recently completed the rolling submission of a regulatory application for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Haimer disease (AD), and mild AD patients with amyloid pathology in the brain.
The company and Sage Therapeutics recently announced the rolling submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) for zuranolone for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD).
Zoetis, Top 500 Rank: 440
Zoetis is a company dedicated to advancing animal health care. The company has more than 70 years of history in predicting, preventing, detecting and treating animal diseases. Its medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and technologies are used in more than 100 countries.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Top 500 Rank: 448
Vertex has a long history of developing new drugs for cystic fibrosis. In recent years, the company has been active in the development of new treatment modalities. The in vitro gene editing therapy CTX001 jointly developed with CRISPR Therapeutics has demonstrated curative potential in clinical trials for the treatment of patients with transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT) or severe sickle cell anemia (SCD), and is expected to submit a regulatory application this year.
The company’s fully differentiated islet cell replacement therapy derived from stem cells has also received positive data in clinical trials for the treatment of patients with type 1 diabetes. At 90 days after receiving a single dose, the first patient resumed insulin production and reduced daily insulin use by 91%.