Global Scans · Pharmaceuticals · Weekly Summary

• [New] Novo invested $220 million in Denmark to build a raw materials plant scheduled 2027, as chronic-disease drug demand rises. IntuitionLabs
• [New] In 2024-2025, a surge of new pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities has been initiated worldwide, as major drug makers respond to supply-chain vulnerabilities, government incentives, and growing demand for cutting-edge therapies. IntuitionLabs
• [New] Takeda has now shifted its priority to six drug candidates, including elritercept for anaemia in blood cancers, which is being tested in late-stage trials and is expected to bring in an estimated combined peak sales of $10 billion to $20 billion. pharmexec
• [New] Alice & Bob's demonstration that useful quantum chemistry simulations require 27 times fewer qubits than previously thought means applications in drug discovery and sustainable agriculture could arrive years earlier than expected. Our Haven: Tech
• [New] Amgen announced that it is going to sell its cholesterol drug at a 60% discount to cash paying U.S. patients. MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
• [New] Semaglutide could become the first GLP-1 drug approved for Alzheimer's disease (AD) by late 2026. Lockton
• [New] FDA delays and budget cuts risk 135 fewer drug approvals by 2039, pushing companies toward AI R&D and biologics to extend exclusivity. Ainvest
• [New] Major pharmaceutical companies have already pledged over $350bn in US manufacturing investments for 2025-2030. Bizcommunity
• [New] The FDA recently approved the diabetes drug Ozempic to reduce the risk of worsening kidney and cardiovascular issues in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. AARP
• [New] GSK plans to spend $30 billion over the next five years boosting drug production, expanding drug discovery research and running clinical trials in the U.S.. BioPharma Dive
• If approved, Xbrane and Stada's product will be the third ranibizumab biosimilar in the U.S. Prime Therapeutics
• If approved, AVT05 will be the first golimumab biosimilar in the U.S. Prime Therapeutics
• New drug launches will see quantum jumps in the next five years. KOMPANIONS
• In a first-of-its-kind finding, Amgen's PCSK9 drug protected heart health when tested as a primary prevention therapy, which could pave the way for access to a much broader population. BioPharma Dive
• A 25% tariff on pharmaceuticals is projected to raise annual US drug costs by US$ 51 billion, driving prices up by as much as 13%. Eurasia Review

Last updated: 14 October 2025