Global Pharmaceutical Innovation and Invention Rankings Announced: Hengrui Debuts, AstraZeneca Leads Pipeline, Roche Crowned Most Innovative

AstraZeneca

After dropping from 1st place in 2018 to 12th in 2019 in the innovation rankings, AstraZeneca has returned to the top ten this year, ranking sixth. Due to the absence of new drug approvals or Biologics License Applications (BLA) in 2019, with the majority of its achievements stemming from clinical data, AstraZeneca also ranked first in the R&D pipeline rankings.

IDEA Pharma attributes AstraZeneca’s success primarily to two drugs—Anifrolumab and Breztri Aerosphere. After experiencing multiple setbacks, AstraZeneca’s monoclonal antibody Anifrolumab achieved its primary endpoint in the Phase III TULIP-2 study for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). When combined with standard of care, Anifrolumab demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in lupus disease activity compared with placebo. In the Phase III ETHOS clinical trial, Breztri Aerosphere (budesonide/glycopyrronium/formoterol fumarate, formerly known as PT010) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) yielded positive results, with the triple therapy showing a statistically significant reduction in the rate of moderate or severe COPD exacerbations.

Roche surged from 8th place in 2019 to first in the innovation rankings, marking its first time topping the industry’s innovation leaderboard. IDEA Pharma attributed this significant rise to the accumulation of multiple clinical data sets for the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab (brand name Tecentriq), as well as two new FDA approvals. The drug can also be used in combination with Genentech’s MEK inhibitor Cotellic (cobimetinib) and BRAF inhibitor Zelboraf (vemurafenib) to reduce the risk of disease progression or death in patients with BRAF-positive melanoma.

Roche actively entered the immuno-oncology market in 2019, generating compelling data in key areas such as lung cancer, melanoma, bladder cancer, and liver cancer. Although Tecentriq was Roche’s strategic focus in 2019, several other important products also achieved notable success. Multiple studies of Ocrevus successfully demonstrated robust efficacy in primary progressive multiple sclerosis; Venclexta reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 81% over four years of treatment, outperforming the combination of Rituxan and Bendamustine. In addition, Perjeta, Hemlibra, and Tamiflu all delivered impressive results.

AbbVie ranked second in this year’s innovation rankings, marking the second consecutive year it has held this position. In the R&D pipeline rankings, AbbVie placed seventh.

AbbVie received approval for two new drugs in 2019: Skyrizi (risankizumab-rzaa) and Rinvoq (upadacitinib). Skyrizi is indicated for systemic therapy or phototherapy in patients with severe psoriasis and plaque psoriasis. Rinvoq is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to or intolerance to methotrexate (MTX-IR). Both drugs achieved favorable outcomes, with Rinvoq meeting both primary and secondary endpoints in all five studies of its Phase III clinical program, SELECT. The SELECT program evaluated the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of Rinvoq in patients with various types of RA, including those who had failed or were intolerant to biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs), including TNF inhibitors such as Humira, as well as patients who were MTX-naïve or had an inadequate response to MTX.

Novartis received FDA approval for six new drugs in 2019, namely Egaten (triclabendazole), Mayzent (siponimod), Piqray (alpelisib), Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi), Beovu (brolucizumab), and Adakveo (crizanlizumab-tmca). This achievement propelled Novartis from 9th place in the 2019 innovation rankings to 3rd place in 2020. In terms of its R&D pipeline, Novartis maintained its 4th-place ranking.

Merck & Co. ranked eighth on the 2020 Innovation Index, securing its place among the top ten innovative companies. This achievement is largely attributable to the success of Keytruda, which received multiple approvals in 2019. Recently, Keytruda was approved in China for a clinical trial to treat prostate tumors, and the FDA has accepted its second tumor-agnostic indication application. In the R&D pipeline rankings, Merck & Co. rose six places to rank seventh.

Merck & Co.’s other new drug is the combination antibiotic Recarbrio, which combines imipenem-cilastatin with relebactam. It is indicated for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI, including pyelonephritis) and complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI) caused by certain susceptible Gram-negative bacteria in patients aged 18 years and older who have limited or no alternative treatment options. Recarbrio demonstrated positive results in the pivotal Phase III clinical trial RESTORE-IMI 1.

Furthermore, another factor contributing to Merck’s rise in rankings was the approval of Ervebo, the first Ebola vaccine for adults. This vaccine has been approved in the United States and the European Union, and approximately 275,000 doses of the investigational drug have been shipped to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to combat the Ebola outbreak there.

After surging from 13th place in 2018 to third in the 2019 innovation rankings, Eli Lilly saw little change this year, slipping two spots to rank fifth. Despite this two-position drop in the innovation rankings, Eli Lilly remained third in the 2020 R&D pipeline rankings.

In 2019, Eli Lilly received approval for a new drug, Reyvow, which is the first acute migraine treatment approved by the FDA in over 20 years and the first 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)1F receptor agonist approved by the FDA for the acute treatment of migraine.

New entrants to the innovation rankings include Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Alexion, the Japanese companies Shionogi & Co. and Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, as well as China’s leading pharmaceutical company, Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine. With the FDA approval of its breakthrough triple-combination therapy for cystic fibrosis, Trikafta, Vertex Pharmaceuticals tied with Novartis for third place in the 2020 innovation rankings. Alexion ranked seventh in the 2020 innovation rankings, driven by its blockbuster drug Soliris and its successor, Ultomiris. Making its debut on the list, Hengrui Medicine ranked 13th in innovation and 15th in R&D pipeline. Also appearing on both lists for the first time, Shionogi & Co. ranked ninth in innovation and 17th in R&D pipeline.

In the innovation rankings, Gilead Sciences, Inc. dropped 14 places from the top spot to tie for 15th place with Pfizer, which fell 11 places. Sanofi was another company that dropped 11 places. Additionally, Biogen fell 8 places to rank 21st.

This ranking was developed by IDEA Pharma through the analysis and synthesis of data sourced from company websites, third-party organizations (such as the FDA and ClinicalTrials.gov), consortia, and analyst reports.

Mike Rea, CEO of IDEA Pharma, stated: “There is no game-playing in the pharmaceutical innovation rankings; they are based on companies’ ability to develop meaningful medicines and bring them to market and to patients. High-quality products are unevenly distributed across the industry, and not every company successfully realizes the value of its drugs in development.”