In a call with analysts on Monday, CEO Albert Bourla put the spotlight on the big pharma’s shift to becoming a “smaller, more focused, science-based company with a singular focus on innovative pharma” now that Upjohn has been dealt with and he has a consumer deal with GSK.

In the Bourla era, that means a steady flow of new deals, but nothing that tips the big pharma scale. 

That approach has already triggered deals for Therachon (small, with $340 million cash upfront) and Array (mid-sized at $11.4 billion), and Bourla says the BD team continues to scout for “bolt-on opportunities, that would be on early to mid-stage opportunities, where maybe there is higher risk as you know, but the value creation is further greater. And the risk of operational disruption is perhaps lower.”

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Brian Kaspar’s head was among the first to roll at Novartis after company execs became aware of the fact that manipulated data had been included in its application for Zolgensma, now the world’s most expensive therapy.

But in his first public response, the scientific founder at AveXis — acquired by Novartis for $8.7 billion — is firing back. And he says that not only was he not involved in any wrongdoing, he’s ready to defend his name as needed.

I reached out to Brian Kaspar after Novartis put out word that he and his brother Allen had been axed in mid-May, two months after the company became aware of the allegations related to manipulated data. His response came back through his attorneys.

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Vas Narasimhan has warily stepped up with what might pass as something close to a borderline apology for the latest scandal to engulf Novartis.

But he couldn’t quite get there.

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In one of the least anticipated moves of the year, the FDA has rejected Sarepta’s application for an accelerated approval of its Duchenne MD drug golodirsen after fretting over safety issues.

In a statement that arrived after the bell on Monday, Sarepta explained the CRL, saying:

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We found out Monday morning where Levi Garraway was headed after he left Eli Lilly as head of oncology R&D a few days ago. Roche named Garraway as their new chief medical officer, replacing Sandra Horning, who they say is retiring from the company.

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As Bloomberg notes, most of the Wall Street analysts that cover Sarepta $SRPT are an upbeat bunch, ready to cheer on the team when it comes to their Duchenne MD drugs, or offer explanations when an odd setback occurs — as happened recently with a safety signal that was ‘erroneously’ reported last week.

Ritu Baral Cowen

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