Both AbbVie and Gilead started 2024 off with solid quarterly earnings and subsequently revised their respective full year financial outlooks. AbbVie’s net revenue inched up 0.7% to $12.3 billion, overcoming the 1.7% slide in U.S. net revenue.  The company’s net revenue from its immunology portfolio dropped nearly 4% to $5.3 billion due to increased Humira biosimilar competition. Net revenue of the drug tumbled 36% to $2.2 billion during the quarter, though revenue of Skyrizi and Rinvoq rose 47.6% and 59.3%, respectively. The pharma giant’s earnings were released one day after AbbVie rele ..read more

Not surprisingly, given the massive popularity of the obesity wunderkinds sold by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, major competition is brewing. In fact, analysts say the obesity drug market is about to get a lot more crowded, with more than a dozen new therapies poised to launch by decade’s end.  Encouraged by the blockbuster debuts of Novo’s Wegovy in 2021 and Lilly’s Mounjaro in 2022 (the drug was subsequently approved for weight loss as Zepbound), pharma companies are vying to launch several alternative treatments, adding to a drug market which is expected to be t ..read more

BBDO New York has hired Emily Portnoy as its chief strategy officer, it shared exclusively with Campaign US. She departs McCann New York for the role, where she held the same position, and will start work at BBDO in May. Portnoy will report to Nancy Reyes, BBDO’s CEO of the Americas. She inherits the role from Nicole Granese, who will transition to the role of chief strategy officer for AT&T. “You know when you meet someone and you immediately feel inspired? That’s how I felt meeting Emily,” said Reyes in a press release. “She is insanely optimistic, provocative and curious. She believes ..read more

Deals: Ipsen entered into an RNA research collaboration with Skyhawk Therapeutics that could reach $1.8 billion. Boehringer Ingelheim signed a $1.3 billion deal with Ochre Bio to develop treatments for chronic liver diseases, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis cirrhosis. Vertex Pharmaceuticals agreed to an exclusive licensing agreement with TreeFrog that could be worth more than $750 million based on milestone payments. Incyte acquired Escient Pharmaceuticals for $750 million. San Diego biotech Cidara Therapeu ..read more

As the battle over abortion rights continues, the issue is expected to remain in the spotlight during the upcoming presidential elections. The Biden administration made moves this week to further protect reproductive rights, as the issue is central to Democrats’ overall campaign messaging. On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services published a final rule to place abortion under the same federal privacy protections as other health data under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. The move strengthens HIPAA by prohibiting the disclosure of protected healt ..read more

The Ad Council has returned with the latest iteration of its Seize the Awkward mental health campaign, this time with the help of a former Dance Moms star. The organization unveiled the seven-part Capture the Convo series directed by Nia Sioux, an actress and former executive producer of Dance Moms on Thursday. Capture the Convo, which marks Sioux’s directorial debut, features the actress and her friends sharing personal experiences and advice on how to have mental health conversations that can be both necessary and difficult.  Participating entertainers include Gram ..read more

Interpublic Group’s total revenue (including billable expenses) fell by 1% to $2.5bn in the first three months of 2024 compared with Q1 of 2023. Reporting its first-quarter results, IPG said net revenue (excluding billable expenses) was up 0.3% to $2.2bn during the period, an organic increase of 1.3%. Philippe Krakowsky, IPG’s chief executive, said the results marked a “solid start to the year” and were in line with 2024 targets. The group, which owns agencies including McCann, MullenLowe, FCB and IPG Mediabrands, recorded a year-on-year net income (or net profit) fall of 12% to $110.4m, down ..read more

TikTok is most well-known for being a platform for young people who are incredibly open about their mental health.  However, it’s also a platform where thousands of creators who serve as caregivers for older patients showcase their day-to-day lives. The search for “dementia caregiver” has nearly 158 million posts on TikTok and produces a near endless stream of videos from creators who care for family members with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.  The videos show their family members struggling to remember who they are, what they ate for dinner or experiencing diffic ..read more

Johnson & Johnson consumer health spinoff Kenvue has hired Russell Dyer as chief corporate affairs officer, effective May 13. Based in New Jersey, Dyer will serve as a member of the Kenvue leadership team and report to Kenvue CEO Thibaut Mongon.  He will lead Kenvue’s global corporate affairs function, inclusive of communications, government and public affairs, and social impact, and be responsible for driving impact for the company and its portfolio of brands across a diverse set of stakeholders, including approximately 22,000 Kenvuers around the world, according to a statement. The ..read more

Explore solutions for practically implementing omnichannel approaches into your go-to-market activation. You will hear successes in adopting omnichannel strategies and learn actionable steps for incorporating omnichannel into this year’s activation plans, emphasizing the importance of identifying the gateway initiatives and involving relevant stakeholders. We’ll discuss the evolution of omnichannel from an intriguing concept to an indispensable element for HCP brand marketers, focusing on transitioning from trial to adoption and the cultural shifts necessary for embracing data-driven precisi ..read more