Over the last two years, hepatitis C has produced the most epic drug launches in history. But as the fanfare dies down, investors face a key question: How much longer can this drug pipeline pop? The question is grounded in the sheer success of the existing treatments. Gilead Sciences’ (GILD) Sovaldi and Harvoni and AbbVie’s (ABBV) Viekira Pak have been curing well over 90% of the patients who take them for a few months, and in the U.S. the
Halozyme Therapeutics has been one of 2015’s hotter biotech stocks, but it’s not exactly because of developing a drug. Halozyme’s (HALO) one marketed product, Hylenex, aids in the delivery of injectable drugs. Halozyme has also licensed Enhanz for the same purpose to such drug companies as Pfizer (PFE), Roche (RHHBY), Johnson & Johnson ‘s (JNJ) Janssen division, AbbVie (ABBV) and Baxalta (BXLT) for the development of new injectable products. San
Big biotech United Therapeutics (UTHR) agreed to sell its priority-review voucher to AbbVie (ABBV) for $350 million, giving United an infusion of cash and AbbVie a chance to speed up the FDA approval of one of its drugs. United gained the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher (PPRV) upon the March 10 approval of Unituxin, a treatment for a rare childhood cancer called neuroblastoma. The FDA started the PPRV program to encourage the