AstraZeneca PLC (LSE:AZN) on Monday revealed why it is considered to have one of the strongest drug pipelines in the life sciences industry with three major announcements in the space of five minutes.
In a stock exchange missive, the Anglo-Swedish giant said it had been granted a US priority review that would pave the way for the use of its treatment Enhertu in women with the HER-2 form of breast cancer.
At the same time, investors were told that AZ had received EU sign-offs for Ultomiris, which will be used to treat a rare muscle-wasting disease called gMG, and Tezspire, for severe asthma.
Enhertu, which already has the EU green light, was developed in collaboration with Japan's Daiichi Sankyo, while Tezspire came from a collaboration with America's Amgen.
Ultomiris, meanwhile, was developed by Alexion, the rare diseases business AZ acquired last year for US$39bn.
The announcements underscore the remarkable turnaround of the business under chief executive Pascal Soriot.
Since taking over a decade ago the Frenchman has restocked what at the time was an almost empty medicines cabinet.
Via the company's own labs and through a series of deals, he and the team have developed no less than 13 blockbusters with annual revenues of more than US$1bn per year, including lung cancer drug Tagrisso, an ovarian cancer drug Lynparza and diabetes and heart treatment Farxiga.