Pharmaceutical Executive Daily: September 25, 2025

Welcome to Pharmaceutical Executive Daily, your quick briefing on the top news shaping the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry.

In today’s Pharmaceutical Executive Daily, we cover Glenmark’s billion-dollar exclusive licensing deal with Hengrui, Harmony Biosciences’ trial setback for Zygel, and the CDC’s unanimous vote to broaden COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.

Glenmark Specialty has announced a $1 billion exclusive licensing agreement with Hengrui Pharma for trastuzumab rezetecan, a next-generation antibody-drug conjugate. The deal grants Glenmark rights in key markets and marks a major strategic move to expand its oncology portfolio. Industry analysts see the agreement as positioning Glenmark to compete more aggressively in the ADC space, which continues to attract significant investment due to strong efficacy across hard-to-treat cancers. For Hengrui, the deal provides global reach and underscores growing interest from international partners in Chinese innovation.

Meanwhile, Harmony Biosciences reported disappointing results from a late-stage trial evaluating Zygel (cannabidiol gel) for Fragile X syndrome. The study failed to meet its primary endpoints, representing a setback for the company’s pipeline. Harmony emphasized its commitment to addressing unmet needs in neurological disorders but acknowledged the data would likely require reassessment of Zygel’s development path. Investors responded cautiously, reflecting broader challenges in translating cannabinoid-based therapies into consistent late-stage success.

And finally, the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee voted unanimously to broaden COVID-19 vaccination recommendations. The new guidance moves from a targeted strategy to a universal one, recommending that all individuals receive updated vaccines regardless of risk group. Public health officials said the shift reflects the ongoing burden of COVID-19 and the importance of maintaining broad immunity in the population. For manufacturers like Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax, the expanded recommendation could help stabilize demand as vaccines transition from emergency response to routine seasonal protection.

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