Top Ten most popular articles on Pharmafile.com this week

The first day of June - time for another top ten run-down. It's been a week somewhat characterised by trial failures, terminations, and job cuts, but there have been triumphs too. Perhaps one of the most striking stories this week was the news that a Google AI platform showed the capacity to identify skin cancer with greater accuracy than more than 50 professional dermatologists after it was trained to do so.

But the most popular article this week was our interview with Gilead's Mike Elliott on the company's sponsorship of a garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show in London, and its rejeuvenated pursuit of a cure for the disease.

Check out the week's ten most popular articles on Pharmafile.com now!

10. Roche's Tecentriq/chemo combo smashes both co-primary endpoints at Phase 3

Roche has lifted the curtain on new Phase 3 data for its anti-PD-L1 cancer immunotherapy Tecentriq (atezolizumab), showing that the drug met its co-primary endpoints when used in combination with carboplatin and Abraxane chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NCSLC).

9. UCB's Cimzia secures first-of-its-kind FDA approval in plaque psoriasis

The FDA has expanded the label for UCB’s Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) in the US, approving the therapy for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients eligible for systemic therapy or phototherapy, it has emerged.

8. Head of Sandoz UK becomes BGMA chair

Tim de Gavre has been announced as the new chair for The British Generic Manufacturers Association, a position he will now retain for the next two years.

7. J&J terminates PD-(L)1 combo studies of cancer therapy Darzalex

Johnson & Johnson is to terminate its studies investigating Genmab’s CD38-targeting, human IgG1κ monoclonal antibody Darzalex (daratumumab) in combination with Roche’s PD-L1 inhibitor Tecentriq (atezolizumab) in patients with previously treated non-small cell lung cancer.

6. Allergan recalls 170,000 birth control packs in US over pregnancy fears

Allergan has issued a voluntary recall of its birth control medication in the US marketplace after an error in packaging was identified that could mean users are at a higher risk of falling pregnant due to the medication not working as intended.

5. AZ’s hopes for Fasenra in COPD suffer terminal blow

It looked unlikely that Fasenra would achieve success in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease area, after it suffered in trial results released earlier this month, and it's just released further bad news.

4. BioMarin receives FDA nod for its would-be blockbuster

BioMarin is confident that its newly approved treatment for phenylketonuria is set to become a blockbuster and it’s priced the drug accordingly, at $488 per unit.

3. AZ's Imfinzi hits second major milestone at Phase 3 in unresectable lung cancer

AstraZeneca's immunotherapy Imfinzi met its second primary endpoint in the treatment of unresectable Stage III non-small cell lung cancer in patients whose disease had not progressed following platinum-based chemotherapy concurrent with radiation therapy.

2. Google AI outperforms 58 dermatologists in detecting melanoma

An deep learning artificial intelligence system has demonstrated its ability to outperform over 50 human dermatologists in the detection of melanoma, a skin cancer which kills around 55,000 worldwide each year.

1. Insider Interview: Gilead's fight against HIV comes into bloom

Mike Elliott, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Gilead, chats about the company’s sponsorship of a 'A life without walls' at the annual Chelsea Flower Show in London last week – a garden dedicated to combating the stigma surrounding HIV – as well as its rejuvenated efforts to cure the disease.