Britain’s plans for expanding its position as a global centre for biopharmaceutical research and development hit a barrier on 10 September when Merck & Co Inc announced a decision to stop development of a £1 billion research centre in London, and vacate two other laboratories in the city.
Genmab A/S has received a ‘breakthrough therapy’ designation from the US Food and Drug Administration for an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) which is in development for endometrial cancer and has shown promising activity in heavily pre-treated patients. The designation was announced on 26 August, just weeks after the company presented new data at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago, US. The drug, rinatabart sesutecan, showed a 50% objective response rate and two complete responses in heavily pre-treated patients with advanced disease.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary has announced plans to update the regulation of pharmaceutical advertising in the US in order to prevent deceptive messages being sent to patients by developers. On 9 September, the agency issued warning letters to pharmaceutical companies to remove misleading advertisements. Approximately 100 cease-and desist letters were sent to companies judged to have issued misleading ads.
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