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.

Clinical concerns outweigh quality issues in big pharma CRLs, a Pink Sheet analysis finds, making mirikizumab – the fourth new product candidate sponsored by Lilly to receive a CRL since 2021 – even more of an outlier: it was turned back by FDA because of manufacturing concerns.

The rate of growth of the pharma pipeline slowed last year as oncology and rare diseases tightened their grip on R&D. There are also further signs of China’s rise in importance in the industry.

Japanese tech major re-structures its teams for artificial intelligence-based drug development and strategies while expanding its presence in Europe. With confidence in the utility of AI for discovery, it is retaining a key focus on oncology while adding infectious diseases to its targets.