Almost 80% of novel agent submissions from the biggest companies were approved in recent years, compared with a 60% approval rate for the rest of the industry, according to a Pink Sheet analysis of FDA approval decisions since 2021.

GSK has unveiled another targeted acquisition – of Bellus – that it hopes will bolster its presence in specialist respiratory medicine.

The UK major’s first-in-class asset has matched standard-of-care in two Phase III urinary tract infection trials, setting it up to become the first novel antibiotic for the condition in 20 years with a clear niche in the second-line setting.

The pharma licensed global rights to Scynexis’s Brexafemme, a first-in-class triterpenoid antifungal approved for treat and prevent recurrence of vaginal yeast infections, for $90m up front.