The top five most expensive drugs in 2025

New advanced therapeutic medicines are reaching the market, but their price tags remain exceptionally high. This year’s ranking of the most expensive drugs in the US reveals a common denominator: all are gene therapies administered as one-time treatments.

Novo Nordisk appoints Mike Doustdar as new CEO

The Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has appointed Mike Doustdar as its new CEO. At the same time, the company announced it was lowering its forecasts – which caused the stock to drop sharply on Wednesday.

Miljonregn över två svenska biotechbolag – utvalda av EU:s innovationsråd

Pixelgen Technologies och Single Technologies, båda Stockholmsbaserade life science-företag, får finansiering från Europeiska innovationsrådet (EIC) på 12,5 miljoner euro vardera, motsvarande cirka 139 miljoner konor.

An organ seldom in the spotlight – but utterly vital

The kidneys consist of more than 40 types of cells and have more functions in the body than most people know. Julie Williams leads AstraZeneca’s work in preclinical research about kidney diseases. “They are probably one of the most complicated organs in the body, and I like a challenge”, she says.

Moderna develops mRNA vaccine against norovirus

A highly anticipated vaccine is in late clinical evaluation and could be ready for approval within a couple of years. The target is the norovirus, often called “food poisoning” or the “stomach bug”.

Joy at Egetis after positive CHMP opinion – ”The single most important milestone”

Stockholm-based Egetis Therapeutics has received a positive CHMP opinion for Emcitate, which could become the first approved treatment for the rare disease MCT8 deficiency."

“Research is always a lot of failures and a few successes”

Gene therapies open up fantastic possibilities, but they are also extremely expensive to produce. Genenova aims to change that and make the treatments accessible to more people. “Our overall ambition is to reduce costs a hundredfold”, says professor Johan Rockberg at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

Anna Törner: ”If I fall seriously ill, I’ll move to Finland”

”It is both undignified and undemocratic that cancer patients must travel to Finland to uphold a façade of fairness that does not truly exist”, Anna Törner writes in a column.

AstraZeneca to use American AI platform for cancer trials

In a collaboration AstraZeneca will use an AI model from Israeli-American biotech Immunai to streamline its clinical trials in cancer.

Forskare skapar miniorgan från fostervatten

För första gången har forskare lyckats skapa organoider från celler som utvunnits från fostervatten. Något som kan öka möjligheten att behandla medfödda tillstånd – före födseln.

Rising interest in CRISPR treatments

Treatments using CRISPR technology are emerging as one of the hottest medical trends in the United States – and the FDA is doing its best to promote the development.

AI-stödd mammografi hittade fler cancerfall i studie

Screening med hjälp av AI hittade fler bröstcancerfall och minskade arbetsbördan kraftigt jämfört med sedvanlig röntgengranskning av två radiologer i en studie från Lunds universitet.

“An entire industry is about to be wiped out”

According to Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of Umeå Biotech Incubators, Sweden risks not having any small diagnostic companies left in five years.

Rapid development in blood analysis – “Sweden is leading the race”

Thousands of analytical tests using just one single drop of blood. What was revealed as a hoax just a few years ago is now a reality, according to KTH professor and serial entrepreneur Mathias Uhlén.

Ny metod för mikroskopi öppnar genväg till nya läkemedel

Forskare vid Chalmers har utvecklat en helt ny mikroskopiteknik för att kunna studera de minsta biologiska partiklarna i sitt naturliga tillstånd – och därmed öppna vägar för snabbare utveckling av nya läkemedel och vaccin.

Investments worth 40 billion in the Öresund region – “A huge investment wave”

A new report reveals that medical companies in the Oresund region are investing like never before.

New rules for diagnostic products, but who will certify them? “An extreme shortage area”

In less than two weeks, new and stricter EU rules will enter into force for thousands of products used in important diagnoses of, among other things, cancer and Covid-19. However, not one single institute in the entire Nordic region is able to certify

Marie Gårdmark: Finally, it’s time for a revision of the EU pharma legislation

A challenge for the EU Commission is to deliver a new framework that will also take care of another “pillar” of the pharmaceutical strategy, namely, to ensure that new medicines will be available for all citizens in Europe, writes Marie Gårdmark in a column.

The route to vaccines for everyone: “We did not just sit around and wait”

The pandemic was in full swing, and no one knew when or even if a vaccine would come. At that point, the Swedish Minister of Social Affairs called with a proposal, and Richard Bergström did not hesitate. “I already had a notion that this would work,” he says in an interview with Life Science Sweden.

Karta över 192 mänskliga celltyper ska gynna forskning

En ny karta över enskilda celltyper i mänskliga vävnader har presenterats och kan fungera som en grund för forskning om människans biologi och sjukdomar.

Björn Arvidsson: Let's build on the positive momentum

Progress needs narratives and heroes, and more than ever, going into the new year feels like an opportunity for a fresh start.

New diagnostic test soon ready for the market

Blodtest hittar tidig alzheimer

Test som utvecklats av forskare vid Göteborgs universitet detekterar alzheimer med ett enkelt blodprov.

Scilifelab-spinoff får ny vd

Mårten Winge tar över rollen som vd på Cartana.