Pharmaceuticals 23 February 2026 - 1 April 2026

GSK plc simplifies ViiV Healthcare ownership as Pfizer exits and Shionogi raises stake
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GSK plc simplifies ViiV Healthcare ownership as Pfizer exits and Shionogi raises stake

GSK completed a reshaping of ViiV Healthcare’s ownership on April 1, with Shionogi raising its stake to 21.7% after Pfizer exited the HIV-focused venture. ViiV issued new shares to Shionogi for $2.125 billion and cancelled Pfizer’s holding. GSK retained a 78.3% majority and took a $250 million special dividend. The deal extinguished a put option liability tied to the old structure.
April 2, 2026
GSK plc Completes ViiV Healthcare Shake-Up as Pfizer Exits, Shionogi Lifts Stake
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GSK plc Completes ViiV Healthcare Shake-Up as Pfizer Exits, Shionogi Lifts Stake

Shionogi increased its stake in ViiV Healthcare to 21.7% as Pfizer exited, leaving GSK with a 78.3% majority. ViiV issued new shares to Shionogi for $2.125 billion and paid Pfizer $1.875 billion. GSK received a $250 million special dividend and removed an accounting liability tied to Pfizer’s exit. The transaction followed Chinese approval of GSK’s asthma drug Exdensur.
April 1, 2026
GSK plc wins China approval for Exdensur as hepatitis B drug bepirovirsen enters review
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GSK plc wins China approval for Exdensur as hepatitis B drug bepirovirsen enters review

China approved GSK’s asthma drug Exdensur for patients 12 and older and accepted its hepatitis B candidate bepirovirsen for regulatory review, the company said Monday. Exdensur’s approval followed trials showing it reduced annual asthma attacks by up to 58% versus placebo. The drug will compete with Dupixent and Xolair. Bepirovirsen targets chronic hepatitis B, where current treatments rarely clear the virus.
March 30, 2026
GSK Stock Rises as EMA Review of Bepirovirsen Lifts 2026 Approval Prospects
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GSK Stock Rises as EMA Review of Bepirovirsen Lifts 2026 Approval Prospects

GSK shares rose 0.54% to 2,056 pence in London after the European Medicines Agency agreed to review its experimental hepatitis B drug, bepirovirsen. The company said Phase III trials showed higher functional cure rates when bepirovirsen was added to standard care. The drug is not yet approved. JPMorgan maintained a sell rating, with a target price near current levels.
March 27, 2026
GSK Stock Price Today: Shares Rise After FDA Approval of Lynavoy for Rare Liver-Disease Itch
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GSK Stock Price Today: Shares Rise After FDA Approval of Lynavoy for Rare Liver-Disease Itch

GSK shares rose 0.6% after the FDA approved Lynavoy, the first U.S. drug specifically for severe itching in primary biliary cholangitis. Alfasigma agreed to pay GSK $300 million upfront for global rights to the drug, plus $100 million more on U.S. approval. GSK and Alfasigma have not disclosed launch pricing or availability. Lynavoy approval follows recent regulatory wins for GSK.
March 19, 2026
Olema Pharmaceuticals Shares Sink More Than 40% After Roche Trial Miss
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Olema Pharmaceuticals Shares Sink More Than 40% After Roche Trial Miss

Olema Pharmaceuticals shares fell over 40% Monday after Roche’s breast cancer drug giredestrant failed to meet its main goal in a late-stage trial. Investors viewed the setback as a negative signal for Olema’s lead drug, palazestrant, which is in Phase 3 studies. Roche said the trial showed no significant improvement in progression-free survival. Olema ended September with $329 million in cash and expects top-line data in late 2026.
March 9, 2026
Xenon’s epilepsy drug posts strong Phase 3 data; XENE shares jump ahead of U.S. filing
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Xenon’s epilepsy drug posts strong Phase 3 data; XENE shares jump ahead of U.S. filing

Xenon Pharmaceuticals said its Phase 3 trial showed azetukalner cut monthly focal onset seizures by 53.2% at the 25 mg dose versus 10.4% for placebo. Shares rose over 40% in premarket trading. The company plans to file for U.S. FDA approval in the third quarter of 2026. Dizziness was the most common side effect, with higher discontinuations in the 25 mg group.
March 9, 2026
Eli Lilly’s $449 Zepbound play: new “Employer Connect” targets workplace coverage gap
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Eli Lilly’s $449 Zepbound play: new “Employer Connect” targets workplace coverage gap

Eli Lilly launched “Employer Connect” to let U.S. employers offer its obesity drug Zepbound at network pharmacies for $449 per dose. Partners include GoodRx, Teladoc Health, and Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. Lilly shares fell about 2% after the announcement. The company said final out-of-pocket costs will depend on each employer’s cost-sharing model.
March 6, 2026
OCUL stock dips in premarket after 23% pop as Ocular Therapeutix Axpaxli data sparks fresh targets
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OCUL stock dips in premarket after 23% pop as Ocular Therapeutix Axpaxli data sparks fresh targets

Ocular Therapeutix shares fell 2.6% to $10.70 in premarket trading Tuesday after a 22.8% surge Monday, following detailed SOL-1 study results for Axpaxli in wet AMD. The company reported 74.1% of patients maintained vision at week 36 versus 55.8% on aflibercept. Clear Street raised its price target to $28, while Needham lowered its target to $18. Ocular will present at two healthcare conferences in March.
March 3, 2026
Eli Lilly stock rises as new orforglipron data puts side effects in the spotlight
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Eli Lilly stock rises as new orforglipron data puts side effects in the spotlight

Eli Lilly shares rose 0.8% Friday after full trial results for its oral diabetes drug orforglipron showed higher discontinuation rates—8.7% to 9.7%—than Novo Nordisk’s oral semaglutide, which saw 4.5% to 4.9%. The study found orforglipron led to greater blood sugar and weight loss, but more side effects. Investors are watching for U.S. regulatory decisions on obesity use, expected in the second quarter.
February 27, 2026
Eli Lilly stock slips as new orforglipron data raises side-effect questions vs Novo pill
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Eli Lilly stock slips as new orforglipron data raises side-effect questions vs Novo pill

Eli Lilly shares fell about 1% Thursday after new trial data showed its experimental weight-loss pill, orforglipron, caused more stomach-related side effects and patient dropouts than Novo Nordisk’s rival drug. The ACHIEVE-3 trial found Lilly’s pill led to greater blood sugar and weight reduction, but 10% discontinued due to side effects, double the rate seen with Novo’s oral semaglutide.
February 26, 2026
Eli Lilly stock price today: LLY slips as Zepbound pen rollout meets Novo’s trial, price-cut shocks
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Eli Lilly stock price today: LLY slips as Zepbound pen rollout meets Novo’s trial, price-cut shocks

Eli Lilly shares fell 0.8% to $1,033.36 by midday Wednesday after two days of volatility in obesity-drug stocks. The drop followed Novo Nordisk’s decision to cut U.S. list prices for Wegovy and Ozempic by up to 50% starting in 2027. Traders cited shifting focus from supply concerns to pricing pressure. Lilly recently launched a new four-dose KwikPen for its Zepbound weight-loss drug at $299 per month.
February 25, 2026
Eli Lilly stock price dips after-hours as Zepbound pen news meets Novo’s Wegovy price-cut plan
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Eli Lilly stock price dips after-hours as Zepbound pen news meets Novo’s Wegovy price-cut plan

Eli Lilly shares fell 1.6% to $1,042.15 Tuesday, then edged up 0.1% after hours, following FDA clearance of a four-dose Zepbound KwikPen for weight loss. The new device will cost $299 per month for cash customers. Novo Nordisk announced it will cut U.S. list prices for Ozempic and Wegovy by up to 50% starting in 2027. Investors weighed pricing moves and clinical trial results as competition intensified.
February 25, 2026
Eli Lilly stock price slips as Novo Nordisk signals Ozempic, Wegovy list-price cuts
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Eli Lilly stock price slips as Novo Nordisk signals Ozempic, Wegovy list-price cuts

Eli Lilly shares fell 1.3% to $1,045.05 after Novo Nordisk said it will cut U.S. list prices for Ozempic and Wegovy to $675 a month starting January 2027. The move shifts investor focus to drug pricing and margins, despite Lilly’s recent clinical win over Novo’s CagriSema. Barclays slashed its peak sales forecast for CagriSema to $2 billion from $12 billion after new trial data.
February 24, 2026
Vanda Pharmaceuticals stock jumps 41% on Bysanti FDA approval filing as analysts weigh uptake risk
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Vanda Pharmaceuticals stock jumps 41% on Bysanti FDA approval filing as analysts weigh uptake risk

Vanda Pharmaceuticals shares jumped 41% to $8.15 after the FDA approved its new antipsychotic, Bysanti, for schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. The company expects a U.S. launch in the third quarter. Analysts questioned demand given similarities to Vanda’s older drug Fanapt, which faces generic competition in 2027 or 2028. Trading volume surged to 47.6 million shares, far above average.
February 23, 2026
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