Pharmaceuticals
How Ireland became dependent on big pharma — and the risks ahead
In just 50 years, Ireland has become the world’s third largest exporter of pharmaceuticals, with medicines now making up about 20% of Ireland’s GDP. So how did Ireland become so tied to the pharma industry — and is that reliance at risk amid tariffs, patent cliffs and geopolitical tension? Ireland manufactures some of the world’s […]
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Lilly to spend up to $7.8 billion to acquire Centessa, a maker of experimental sleep disorder drugs
Eli Lilly Chair and CEO Dave Ricks speaks during a press conference in Houston, Texas, Sept. 23, 2025. Antranik Tavitian | Reuters Eli Lilly has agreed to pay up to $7.8 billion to acquire Centessa Pharmaceuticals and its experimental drug for excessive daytime sleepiness, the company said Tuesday. Centessa is one of several companies working […]
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Novo Nordisk launches multi-month subscriptions for Wegovy obesity drugs as it tries to catch up with Eli Lilly
Wegovy semaglutide tablets. Michael Siluk | Universal Images Group | Getty Images Novo Nordisk on Tuesday launched a multi-month subscription program for its Wegovy obesity drug products that aims to ensure cash-paying patients see lower, “predictable” monthly prices. Eligible patients can choose between three-, six- or 12-month subscriptions for the Wegovy injection or the two […]
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Eli Lilly reaches $2.75 billion deal with Insilico to bring AI-developed drugs to the global market
A drone view shows the Eli Lilly logo on the company’s office in San Diego, California, Nov. 21, 2025. Mike Blake | Reuters BEIJING — U.S. pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has reached a $2.75 billion deal to bring drugs developed using artificial intelligence by Hong Kong-based Insilico Medicine to the global market. The agreement will give Insilico […]
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AstraZeneca stock jumps after surprise trial win for lung disease drug where rivals have failed
AstraZeneca‘s stock jumped nearly 5% after Britain’s most valuable company said its experimental lung disease medicine met its target in two late-stage clinical trials. The respiratory treatment tozorakimab, reduced flare-ups of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in both former smokers and in the overall population versus placebo, the company said. “This marks a notable shift […]
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Novartis shells out $2 billion for immunology biotech Excellergy, in second multi-billion dollar deal in a week
A sign of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis is seen on the top of a building at Novartis Campus in Basel, northern Switzerland, on Sept. 9, 2025. Fabrice Coffrini | AFP | Getty Images Novartis is planning to buy U.S.-based biotech Excellergy for up to $2 billion, betting on a next-generation allergy treatment that may prove […]
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Merck to buy Terns Pharmaceuticals for $6.7 billion to boost cancer pipeline
Pharma giant Merck is buying U.S. biotech firm Terns Pharmaceuticals for $6.7 billion to boost its oncology pipeline, the company said Wednesday. This is the third multibillion-dollar acquisition for Merck over the past year as the company looks to bulk up its portfolio before its best-selling cancer drug Keytruda loses key patent protection in 2028. […]
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Pfizer to seek FDA approval for Lyme disease vaccine candidate despite trial miss
Thomas Fuller | Nurphoto | Getty Images Pfizer on Monday said it will seek regulatory approval for a Lyme disease vaccine candidate despite the shot failing a late-stage trial. Pfizer said the vaccine missed the trial’s statistical goal because not enough people in the study contracted Lyme disease to be confident in the results. Still, […]
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FDA approves higher dose version of weight loss drug Wegovy as Novo Nordisk tries to win back market share
The logo of pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk is displayed in front of its offices in Bagsvaerd, Copenhagen, Denmark, Feb. 4, 2026. Tom Little | Reuters The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a higher dose version of Novo Nordisk‘s blockbuster weight loss injection Wegovy, as the company pushes to win back market share from […]
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Eli Lilly’s next-generation obesity drug retatrutide clears first late-stage diabetes trial
Eli Lilly on Thursday said its next-generation obesity drug retatrutide cleared its first late-stage trial on Type 2 diabetes patients, helping them manage their blood sugar levels and lose weight. The drug lowered hemoglobin A1c — a key measure of blood sugar levels — by an average of 1.7% to 2% across different doses at […]
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