Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because that oh-so familiar routine of online meetings, phone calls, and deadlines has predictably returned. But what can you do? The world, such as it is, continues to spin. So we are trying to nudge it in a good direction by quaffing a few cups of stimulation. We are starting with bananas Foster. As always, please feel free to join us. Meanwhile, we have assembled the latest list of interesting items to help you get started on the day. We hope your journey is productive and meaningful. Best of luck, and do keep in touch. …
Sanofi says its global head of research and development, John Reed, is stepping down after shareholders criticized the development pipeline, saying it needs to offer new growth prospects beyond the best-selling Dupixent drug, Reuters notes. Reed, who joined the drugmaker in 2018 from Roche, will be leaving “to pursue a new opportunity outside Sanofi,” according to a company statement. Dietmar Berger, who is chief medical officer and global head of development at Sanofi, will take over from Reed on an interim basis, while Sanofi searches for a permanent successor. Sanofi’s R&D activity was criticized after falling behind other suppliers in the race for a Covid-19 vaccine. Reed’s tenure was marked by some big successes as well as setbacks, STAT writes.
Some members of the U.K. Parliament have stepped up calls for the government to cut taxes after AstraZeneca overlooked the U.K. and instead decided to build a $385 million manufacturing facility in Ireland, Sky News reports. Pascal Soriot, the AstraZeneca chief executive officer, said the company wanted to build a new plant close to its existing sites in northwest England but, “because the tax rate was discouraging,” chose Dublin instead. The U.K. corporate tax rate is due to rise from 19% to 25% in April, while a tax relief scheme for businesses is expected to end and energy support will begin to fall away.
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