Government Affairs and Market Access Manager

GSK's Ris-Rez shows 61pc response rate in early lung cancer study. 1,856.00p. 13:24 19/10/26. Drugmaker GSK reported new early-stage global data for risvutatug rezetecan (Ris-Rez), an experimental cancer treatment being tested in patients with relapsed small-cell lung cancer. 10,747.73. 5,853.07. 5,792.15. 24,009.43. 13:23 19/10/26. In a phase Ib study, GSK said the drug produced a 61% response rate at the higher 8mg/kg dose, compared with 32% at 6mg/kg. GSK said the results, which will be presented at the ESMO 2026 congress in Madrid, support using the 8mg/kg dose in its ongoing global phase III trial. The FTSE 100-listed company said the treatment's side-effect profile was manageable, with most issues linked to blood-related conditions. More serious side effects occurred in 42% of patients at the higher dose and 15% at the lower dose. One case of interstitial lung disease was reported across 50 patients. GSK's Hesham Abdullah said: "Today's first global data for Ris-Rez build on the statistically significant overall survival benefit recently reported in Hansoh's pivotal Chinese trial. As the data for Ris-Rez continues to grow, we remain focused on accelerating development in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, where patients often relapse quickly and urgently need more treatment options." As of 0905 BST, GSK shares were up 0.16% at 1,865.50p. Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com

GSK looks the better dividend stock than Pfizer, according to a comparison of the two drugmakers, which both face major patent losses before 2030. Pfizer yields 6.3% and GSK 4.1%. Over the twelve months to June 2026, Pfizer paid out 89% of its free cash flow in dividends ($9.79 billion of $10.98 billion), against 39% at GSK (£2.67 billion of £6.90 billion). Pfizer's chief executive officer, Albert Bourla, said the dividend will be maintained even in "the most stretched scenarios." Pfizer raised its 2026 revenue guidance to $60.5 billion to $62.5 billion. GSK raised its dividend 17.6% in fiscal 2025 after an earlier cut, and Q2 2026 sales rose 5%. Its main risk is debt: net debt rose to £22 billion after the Nuvalent acquisition.

Officials announce $2.9 billion from Merck to expand vaccine and medicine manufacturing in Montco. Company is currently in tax dispute with local district, township. PUBLISHED: October 15, 2026 at 1:32 PM EDT UPDATED: October 15, 2026 at 1:38 PM EDT UPPER GWYNEDD - Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger announced on Wednesday that the state has secured a $2.9 billion investment from Merck global biopharmaceutical company to expand its operations in Montgomery County by the end of 2030. Pennsylvania is investing $5 million in the company's expansion, which will support the manufacturing of lifesaving products and medicine discovery, according to a statement from Shapiro and Siger. As part of the $2.9 billion commitment, Merck is investing $550 million in ADVANCE, a state-of-the-art robotics and AI-enabled drug research and development facility at its West Point Campus, and the nearby Springhouse Innovation Park R&D facility, which will help the company produce life-saving medicines. "My administration has made life sciences a key part of our economic development strategy here in Pennsylvania, and Merck's major investment in Montgomery County is another major win for the commonwealth," said Shapiro in a statement from his office. "We are proud to partner with Merck as they expand their operations in Montgomery County, advance cutting-edge research and manufacturing, and create new opportunities for thousands of Pennsylvanians. The life sciences industry is booming in Pennsylvania and I am committed to winning more investments like this and making sure our commonwealth remains a national leader in innovation, medicine, and manufacturing." A week earlier, also in Montgomery County, Shapiro and Siger announced that pharma giant GSK will invest more than $800 million to expand its facilities in King of Prussia, establishing a biopharmaceutical innovation and manufacturing hub, integrating commercial production, research and development and advanced digital capabilities in a single site. Funding from RCAP. Merck received a funding proposal from DCED for a $5 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant for the first West Point projects. Shapiro and Siger were at Merck's West Point campus Wednesday to help cut the ribbon on the ADVANCE facility. West Point plays a critical role in global public health, manufacturing over 200 million doses of vaccines a year. "Merck's continued investment in Montgomery County is a testament to Pennsylvania's strength as a global hub for life sciences, innovation, and advanced manufacturing," said Siger. "The commonwealth's $5 million RACP investment is helping support projects that will strengthen Merck's operations, advance the development and manufacturing of critical medicines and vaccines, and reinforce our competitive edge in an industry that is extremely important in Pennsylvania." In July, Upper Gwynedd Township officials announced that Merck was developing plans for a new manufacturing facility on their West Point campus, the most recent of several approved and built since the start of the 2020s, including expanding the existing "Building 45" for labs and office space in October 2020, a new "Building 50" of roughly 101,000 square feet of manufacturing space in February 2021, a new "Building 32" for freezer space approved in May 2021, expansion of the proposed "Building 50" in August 2021, and a new "Building 63A" production facility approved in November 2021. Merck also secured approvals in 2024 for a new "Building 41" toward the center of the company's 320-acre complex and in 2025 secured approvals from the township to swap preservation of wetlands on the site for another parcel elsewhere in the region. In September township officials approved the latest plans, for a vaccine manufacturing facility of roughly 75,000 square feet. The company, township, and North Penn School District have also been in a dispute over the firm's tax bill since early May, when Upper Gwynedd's staff asked that township's commissioners to approve a contract for new assessments of two properties township's comprising the West Point campus. In June the district hired a special counsel to handle the matter, and in September the school board created a new fund to keep Merck tax payments separate, saying the company was 'paying in protest' during the dispute. Joining Shapiro and Riger on Wedneday, Rob Davis, chairman and CEO of Merck, said, "The ADVANCE facility represents the future of clinical development at Merck and underscores our continued commitment to addressing the needs of the patients we serve." "This builds on our longstanding presence in Pennsylvania where we're proud to invest in the people, communities and scientific capabilities that will help drive the next generation of medicines," he said.