Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because that oh-so familiar routine of online meetings and deadlines has predictably returned. But you knew this would happen, yes? After all, the world, such as it is, continues to spin. So time to give it a nudge in a better direction with a cup or three of stimulation. Our choice today is strawberry creme. As always, you are invited to join us. So time to get cracking. Hope your day goes well and, of course, do keep in touch. …
AstraZeneca’s longest-serving chief executive, Pascal Soriot, has no plans to step down for now as the company tries to grab a slice of the booming weight loss market and aims to almost double revenue by the end of the decade, The Wall Street Journal says. Soriot fended off a bid by Pfizer in 2014, promising investors he could lead the company to better results on its own. He is largely credited with delivering on his pledges a decade ago, including by bolstering its cancer franchise and turning oncology into its biggest business segment. AstraZeneca shares have nearly tripled since Pfizer walked away. Pfizer shares, meanwhile, trade at roughly the same level currently as 10 years ago.
A U.S. judge allowed more than 70,000 lawsuits over the discontinued heartburn drug Zantac to go forward, ruling that expert witnesses can testify in court that the drug may cause cancer, Reuters notes. The ruling by U.S. Judge Vivian Medinilla of the Delaware Superior Court is a setback for former Zantac makers GSK, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Boehringer Ingelheim, which argued expert witness opinions lacked scientific support. GSK and Sanofi disagreed with the decision and said they would appeal, because there was no reliable evidence showing Zantac caused cancer. Spokespersons for Boehringer Ingelheim and Pfizer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
