Group 1: Leadership Transition - Luke Miels has been appointed as the new CEO of GSK, set to take over at the start of next year, succeeding Emma Walmsley [1][2] - Miels has been with GSK since 2017 and previously oversaw the global medicines and vaccines business [2][3] - Walmsley highlighted Miels as a key partner in defining GSK's strategy and improving operating performance during her tenure [3] Group 2: Company Performance and Strategy - GSK's main challenges will include delivering blockbuster drugs and lifting the share price, which has lagged behind AstraZeneca's during Walmsley's leadership [2][4] - Under Walmsley's leadership, GSK invested heavily in vaccines, expanded its HIV business, and re-entered the oncology market, while also spinning off its consumer-health unit, Haleon Plc [3][4] - Despite these changes, GSK's shares have fallen about 10% during Walmsley's tenure, contrasting with AstraZeneca's market value, which has more than doubled [4] Group 3: Future Outlook - Analysts believe Miels is well-positioned to achieve GSK's 2031 sales target of over £40 billion ($53.7 billion) due to the groundwork laid by Walmsley [5] - Miels is expected to focus on executing the existing strategy rather than making drastic changes [5] - Some analysts express caution regarding GSK's ability to deliver new drugs before the patent expiry of its HIV medicine dolutegravir at the end of the decade [6]

GSK (GSK) said Chief Executive Emma Walmsley would step down and be succeeded by commercial chief Luke Miels, as the drugmaker works to replenish its product lineup. Walmsley will step down at the end of the year, having led the company through the Covid-19 pandemic, tensions with activist investor Elliott Management and a portfolio shake-up that included the spinoff of its consumer-healthcare business. Most Read from The Wall Street Journal The leadership change comes as GSK seeks to bring to market mo ...

Group 1: Acquisition Details - GSK has signed an agreement to acquire efimosfermin alfa from Boston Pharmaceuticals for an upfront payment of $1.2 billion, with potential milestone payments of up to $800 million [5] - Efimosfermin is an investigational long-acting variant of FGF21 protein aimed at treating steatotic liver disease (SLD) and is currently in mid-stage studies for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) [2][3] Group 2: Drug Development and Market Potential - GSK plans to develop efimosfermin as a monotherapy and in combination with its investigational siRNA therapeutic, GSK'990, also targeting SLD [3] - The company believes efimosfermin could become the new standard-of-care for MASH, with a commercial launch expected in 2029 [4] Group 3: Strategic Intent and Future Outlook - The acquisition aligns with GSK's strategy to expand its pipeline as key drugs approach the end of their exclusivity period, particularly the dolutegravir HIV franchise expiring in 2028-2029 [9] - GSK aims to generate sales exceeding £40 billion by 2031, focusing on therapeutic areas such as HIV, immunology/respiratory, and oncology, with 18 candidates in late-stage development or regulatory review [10] Group 4: Recent Product Launches and Regulatory Updates - GSK expects to launch five new products or line extensions this year, with two already approved by the FDA [11] - Regulatory decisions on three additional candidates are pending, with final decisions expected throughout 2025 [11] Group 5: Setbacks in Drug Development - GSK has decided to end the development of the anti-TIGIT antibody belrestotug, which did not meet established efficacy criteria [12][13] - This decision represents a setback for GSK's oncology ambitions, following a $625 million upfront payment made in 2021 for the rights to the drug [13]