Health minister says Germany 'remains attractive' as big pharma pulls investmentsRocket sells paediatric voucher for $180MResponse data for TKI prompts Enliven to raise $400M HUTCHMED details late-stage sovleplenib data in rare anaemia Health minister says Germany 'remains attractive' as big pharma pulls investmentsWhile legislation proposed by German Health Minister Nina Warken has prompted several large pharmas to reduce investments in the country, she isn't backing down. In an interview with the Funke newspaper group on Friday, Warken said that drugmakers will not be exempt from cost-cutting measures aimed at closing the budget shortfall faced by public health insurance funds. "Every sector must play its part in this reform," she was quoted as saying. Warken's proposal would require higher mandatory rebates from drugmakers, implement tighter reimbursement rules, and introduce a system that would allow insurers to group similar patent-protected medicines together and encourage physicians to prescribe the least expensive option.While Warken acknowledged that the legislation would not help drugmakers bring in additional revenue, she added that "Germany remains an attractive location for the pharmaceutical industry." Last week, Handelsblatt reported that Eli Lilly halved a planned €2.3-billion ($2.7 billion) investment in a manufacturing site for its weight loss drugs in Rhineland-Palatinate, while domestic drugmaker Boehringer Ingelheim has scrapped more than €900 million ($1 billion) in planned spending in Germany. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla detailed his concerns over the proposal in a letter to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and pulled out of an international investor conference in the country.-Elizabeth EatonRocket sells paediatric voucher for $180MRocket Pharmaceuticals has cashed in its rare paediatric disease priority review voucher, grossing $180 million in the sale. The drugmaker was granted the voucher when the FDA approved its Kresladi (marnetegragene autotemcel) as the first gene therapy for severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency type I (LAD-I). The voucher sale will extend Rocket's runway into the second quarter of 2028.-Elizabeth EatonResponse data for TKI prompts Enliven to raise $400M Capitalising on early-stage data showing a positive response trend for its chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) drug, Enliven Therapeutics raised $400 million in a follow-on late Thursday. The offering comprised the sale of 8.9 million shares and pre-funded warrants to purchase a further 1.7 million shares at $37.50 each.In the Phase I ENABLE trial, the company's ATP-competitive tyrosine kinase inhibitor ELVN-001 was associated with an overall major molecular response (MMR) rate of 61% by 24 weeks and an achieved MMR rate of 48%; the latter is up from 38% reported at the January update.Enliven has also aligned with the FDA on a Phase III trial for ELVN-001 in patients with CML.-Elizabeth EatonHUTCHMED details late-stage sovleplenib data in rare anaemia HUTCHMED unveiled a detailed readout from the late-stage portion of a Phase II/III study at the European Hematology Association (EHA) congress, building on top-line results announced in January for the oral spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) inhibitor sovleplenib in warm antibody autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (wAIHA). Findings showed the ESLIM-02 trial's primary endpoint was met, with the sovleplenib arm achieving a durable haemoglobin response rate of 66% versus 15% for placebo over 24 weeks; median time to response was 3.1 weeks versus 6.3 weeks, respectively. The HUTCHMED drug also beat placebo on several secondary goals, including overall response rate (70% vs 22%), reduced rescue therapy use (16% vs 54%), fewer red blood cell transfusions (11% vs 43%), and more patients tapering/stopping steroids or other baseline wAIHA therapies (50% vs 15%).The therapy remains under priority review for wAIHA by China's regulatory agency, besides also being evaluated for immune thrombocytopenia.-Pavan Kamat