Biotechs Adopt ‘Two-in-One’ Strategy to Target Multiple Diseases

Biotechs Pursue a ‘Target Two Objectives With One Solution’ Strategy

The History that Led to a Change in the Strategy

From 2012 to 2020, AbbVie’s Humira, an excellent I and I, ranked as the most effective drug globally. The sales bar hit the growth level in 2022 in the times when biologics earned around $21.2 billion and became the highest earning drug to date. Currently, after losing patent safety and market share to the biosimilars, Humira has given up its throne to Merck’s PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda, which last year peaked at $29 billion in revenue, giving tough competition to all the competitors.

These two drugs dominated the market with their numerous factors, but there is a common aspect between the drugs as both are related to pharma analytics firms' way of evaluating pipelines in products, and also are the drugs from which the various chronic disease indications can be utilized the best.

Biotechs Pipeline Strategy

Cantex Pharmaceuticals is accelerating the pipeline strategy to identify diseases in multiple therapeutic areas. The Florida biotech is forming its business, starting with its small-molecule drug azeliragon, which seems relevant to a vast range of illnesses, according to CEO Stephen Marcus. Whereas, azeliragon focused on a central receptor known as RAGE. The rage has been strongly executed in the succession and initiation of many various lung conditions and common cancers. In December 2024 FDA accepted azeliragon as an orphan drug designation for breast cancer and brain metastasis. Cantex is now working on respiratory indications involving advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and extreme asthma.

The Pennsylvania-related cognition therapeutics are diving into the neurodegenerative ocean. Cognition is also initiating the drug for Alzheimer's disease, dementia with geographic atrophy, and Lewy bodies as secondary to the age-based macular degeneration. The recent data is highlighting the ability of zervimesine to cover all three conditions.

According to Airway Therapeutics’ CEO and chief medical officer, Marc Salzberg, the pipeline in a product should contain around two major characteristics to meet one solution. On the other hand, Ohio Biotech is focusing on testing zelpultide alpha for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in infants. For this testing, the company conducted a global phase 3 study in December 2024.

Inspired by Merck’s Keytruda, small players also started to develop drugs that can be applied across a vast range of oncology indications. Also, Missouri-based immunophotonics is racing to win over Keytruda with its IP-001 a. it is a glycan polymer that supports as an activator of the immune system and an antigen depot.