• Indiana: Eli Lilly has paid CSL Limited $100 million for the rights to its drug clazakizumab, an antibody designed to bind to and block a protein that contributes to inflammation. Under the terms of the deal, CSL will retain rights to the drug for the prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with end-stage kidney disease while Lilly will gain rights for the drugs forin other indications. CSL is also eligible to receive milestone payments depending on clazakizumab's progress and royalty payments if Lilly can commercialize the drug. According to MedCity News, the deal helps Lilly expand its portfolio of cardiometabolic medications. "Longer term, the durability of our cardiometabolic health product offerings and sustainability of our growth and prospects will depend on our ability to maintain or strengthen our competitive position as the therapeutic landscape evolves and to deliver further innovations that provide sufficient value to sustain our growth momentum," the company said in an annual report. (Vinluan, MedCity News, 2/18)
• Massachusetts/New Jersey: Sanofi has named Belen Garijo CEO after the company's board decided not to renew the mandate for current CEO Paul Hudson. Hudson became Sanofi's CEO in 2019 and left the company on Feb. 17. Garijo, who is currently CEO of Merck KGaA, will take over as CEO after Sanofi's annual general meeting on April 29. Garijo previously worked for Sanofi before leaving to work for Merck in 2011. Merck announced Garijo's departure last year, and Kai Beckmann will succeed her as CEO. "Belen Garijo will bring an increased rigor to the implementation of Sanofi's strategy and accelerate the preparation of the group's future," the company said. During the transition in leadership, Olivier Charmeil, Sanofi's EVP, will serve as the company's interim CEO. (Gray/Loftus, Wall Street Journal, 2/12)
• New Jersey: Bayer has agreed to a proposed settlement of $7.25 billion to resolve thousands of lawsuits alleging that the company's popular weedkiller Roundup could causes cancer. Monsanto, the company that originally developed Roundup in the 1970s, was acquired by Bayer in 2018. So far, roughly 200,000 claims have been made against Roundup, including over 125,000 since 2015. Only a few cases have gone before jurors, with 13 cases decided in favor of Bayer and 11 in favor of the plaintiffs. Under the proposed settlement, Bayer would make annual payments into a special fund for up to 21 years for as much as $7.25 billion. "No settlement can erase a diagnosis, but this agreement is designed to ensure that both today's and tomorrow's patients have access to meaningful compensation," said Christopher Seeger, an attorney representing the current claimants. So far, the proposed settlement has been submitted to a Missouri circuit court judge for approval, but it is not guaranteed to go through. In 2020, a $10 billion settlement was thrown out after a judge objected to how future claims would be handled. Aside from this settlement, Bayer is preparing to go before the U.S. Supreme Court in April, where the justices will decide whether federal law could protect the company from future Roundup-related lawsuits. (Associated Press/MedPage Today, 2/18; Draper, New York Times, 2/17)

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