Shares of biopharmaceutical firm AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) jumped 2.1% after the company received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for its rheumatoid arthritis drug Rinvoq. The approval came after the treatment met all the primary and secondary endpoints in the Phase 3 trials.
Rinvoq is likely to hit the US markets as early as later this month.
Affecting almost 1.3 million people in the US, rheumatoid arthritis causes the immune system to mistakenly attacks joints, damaging the bones and tissues.
The approval comes at a crucial time for the North Chicago, Illinois-based firm, which has been seeing weakness in its flagship drug Humira, used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, especially in Europe.
During the most recently reported quarter, revenues from the Immunology unit fell 5.2%, as sales of Humira dipped 6% year-over-year. During the quarter, Humira still accounted for almost 60% of its total revenues.
The company is also diversifying its portfolio with a recently announced that it would acquire Irish competitor Allergan (NYSE: AGN) for $63 billion. Immediately following the deal, AbbVie shareholders are expected to have approximately 83% stake in AbbVie on a fully diluted basis, and the rest with Allergan shareholders.
AbbVie shares have tumbled 28% so far this year.
Most Popular
United Parcel Service (UPS) seems on track to regain lost strength
Cargo giant United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS) ended fiscal 2023 on a weak note, reporting lower revenues and profit for the fourth quarter. The company experienced a slowdown post-pandemic
IPO Alert: What to look for when Boundless Bio goes public
Boundless Bio is preparing to debut on the Nasdaq stock market this week, and become the latest addition to the list of biotech firms that have launched IPOs this year.
Nike (NKE) bets on innovation and partnerships to return to high growth
Sneaker giant Nike, Inc. (NYSE: NKE) has been going through a rough patch for some time, with sales coming under pressure from weak demand and rising competition. Post-pandemic, the company
Comments
Comments are closed.