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Pharma Stock Roundup: EU Nod for PFE's Hympavzi, NVS Ups Sales View

Kinjel Shah
5 min read

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This week Novartis NVS upgraded its mid-term sales growth guidance. The European Commission approved Pfizer’s PFE hemophilia drug Hympavzi (marstacimab). AstraZeneca’s AZN Tagrisso was recommended for approval in the EU for expanded use in EGFR-mutated lung cancer. J&J JNJ and Lilly LLY announced positive data from mid/late-stage studies.

Here's a recap of the week’s most important stories.

Novartis Raises Mid-Term Sales Outlook

Novartis raised its mid-term sales growth guidance by increasing its CAGR target for the 2023-2028 period from 5% to 6%. Using 2024 as the base year, Novartis expects its sales to witness a CAGR of 5% during 2024-2029. The company’s guidance increase was backed by higher sales expectations for key drugs like Pluvicto, Kesimpta, Kisqali, Cosentyx and Leqvio coupled with some upcoming launches. According to Novartis, eight of its drugs have peak sales potential between $3 billion and $8 billion. Additionally, it said that there are 30 candidates in its pipeline, which should help continue mid-single-digit sales growth beyond 2029. NVS remains on track to deliver core operating income margin of more than 40% by 2027.

EU Approval for Pfizer’s Hemophilia Gene Therapy Hympavzi

The European Commission granted marketing authorization to Pfizer’s anti-TFPI inhibitor Hympavzi (marstacimab) for the treatment of hemophilia A and B. The drug will be marketed as a prophylactic treatment to prevent or reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes in adults and adolescents with hemophilia A or B without inhibitors. Hympavzi’s approval was based on positive data from the phase III BASIS study. It was approved in the United States by the FDA last month.

Hympavzi is Pfizer’s second hemophilia treatment to be approved this year. Beqvez/ Durveqtix (fidanacogene elaparvovec), a one-time gene therapy for hemophilia B, was approved by the FDA in April 2024 while it is still under review in the EU.

J&J’s Icotrokinra Meets Goals in Pivotal Plaque Psoriasis Study

J&J pivotal phase III study evaluating icotrokinra (JNJ-2113) for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) met its co-primary endpoints at week 16. The ICONIC-LEAD study’s primary endpoints were Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 90 and Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) of 0/1 response at week 16. Top-line data from the study showed that at week 16, 64.7% of adult and adolescent patients treated with icotrokinra achieved clear or almost clear skin (IGA 0/1) and 49.6% achieved PASI 90.

The positive responses continued to improve through week 24. At week 24, 74% achieved clear or almost clear skin (IGA 0/1), and 64.9% achieved PASI 90. J&J also said that another phase III study, ICONIC-TOTAL, which evaluated once-daily icotrokinra, met the primary endpoint of IGA of 0/1 at week 16 compared to placebo.

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