AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), headquartered in North Chicago, Illinois, is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies globally and a top peptide-adjacent sponsor through its immunology and neuroscience franchises. AbbVie's commercial anchor for a decade was Humira (adalimumab), the anti-TNF antibody for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease, which produced peak sales above $20 billion before biosimilar competition began in 2023.
The post-Humira franchise has been anchored by two successors that both entered the market in 2019. Skyrizi (risankizumab, IL-23p19 monoclonal antibody) reached Q2 2026 global net revenues of $5.505 billion (+24.4% YoY), on pace to substantially exceed Humira's historical peak. Rinvoq (upadacitinib, oral JAK1-selective inhibitor) reached Q2 2026 global net revenues of $2.525 billion (+24.5% YoY). AbbVie now expects the combined franchise to generate approximately $32 billion in peak annual sales. The Rinvoq label continues to expand across atopic dermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and forthcoming vitiligo and alopecia areata indications.
Beyond the immunology anchors, AbbVie's neuroscience portfolio delivered approximately 20% Q2 2026 growth with Vraylar (cariprazine, atypical antipsychotic), Botox Therapeutic, Ubrelvy (ubrogepant, oral CGRP-receptor antagonist for acute migraine), and Qulipta (atogepant, oral CGRP-receptor antagonist for preventive migraine) all achieving double-digit sales growth. AbbVie is one of the sponsors named in President Trump's Section 232 pharmaceutical tariff investigation with the July 31, 2026 effective date for the initial tranche.
Stories here cover AbbVie earnings, franchise commercial performance, pipeline milestones, and regulatory events across the immunology and neuroscience portfolios. See #skyrizi, #rinvoq, and #immunology for adjacent threads.
AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) announced Friday September 11, 2026 positive topline results from the Phase 3 LUNA trial evaluating Qulipta (atogepant, an oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist small molecule) for the preventive treatment of menstrual migraine in adults. LUNA is a multicenter randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial that enrolled 468 adult women with pure menstrual migraine or menstrually-related migraine across sites in Europe and Asia; participants took atogepant for 7 consecutive days starting 3 days before the onset of menses, repeated over 3 menstrual cycles. Atogepant reduced perimenstrual migraine days by a mean of 1.20 days versus 0.40 days with placebo (0.80 fewer migraine days versus placebo, p<0.0001) and met all 8 ranked secondary endpoints (p<0.0001). No treatment is currently FDA-approved specifically for menstrual migraine. AbbVie plans to submit the LUNA data to health authorities and present at future medical congresses. Qulipta is already approved in the U.S. for adults with episodic migraine and chronic migraine — the LUNA readout supports a distinct short-term perimenstrual dosing regimen and potentially a dedicated label expansion. CGRP is a neuropeptide involved in migraine pathophysiology; atogepant is a small-molecule CGRP receptor antagonist rather than a peptide itself.
AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) announced Thursday September 3, 2026 positive topline results from the Phase 3 CERVINO trial of etentamig (an investigational monthly-dosed BCMA x CD3 bispecific T-cell engager) versus investigator's choice of standard available therapies in patients with triple-class-exposed relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The 393-patient trial met both dual primary endpoints: 74% objective response rate versus standard therapies plus a 60% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death (hazard ratio 0.40). Median follow-up was 11.4 months; safety was manageable with cytokine release syndrome and infection rates consistent with the BCMA bispecific class. Full CERVINO data will be presented in a plenary session at the 23rd International Myeloma Society Annual Meeting September 23-26, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. Etentamig would enter a competitive BCMA bispecific field led by Johnson & Johnson's Tecvayli (teclistamab) and Elrexfio (elranatamab, Pfizer), with the monthly dosing profile positioned as convenience-differentiated versus the weekly and biweekly regimens of the incumbents.
PeptiDream Inc. (TSE: 4587), the Kawasaki-based peptide discovery platform company, announced the appointment of three new Executive Vice Presidents. The leadership restructure accompanies the company's multi-year deal-book growth and the increasing preclinical-to-clinical progression of its partnered peptide programs. Company background: PeptiDream operates the Peptide Discovery Platform System (PDPS), a proprietary technology for designing constrained cyclic peptides. PDPS uses genetic-code reprogramming to generate trillion-scale diverse libraries of non-standard peptides (containing modified amino acids not found in natural proteins), which are then screened to identify molecules that bind target proteins with high affinity and specificity. Applications span oncology (peptide-drug conjugates, radioligand-conjugated peptides), immunology (novel immune-modulating peptides), and rare disease peptide drug development. Partnership book: PeptiDream has active collaborations with Novartis (multiple targets), Merck (peptide-radioligand programs), Genentech/Roche (immuno-oncology), AbbVie (multiple targets), Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly (including the recent obesity-adjacent partnership), and multiple mid-cap biopharmaceutical companies. The constrained cyclic peptide modality PeptiDream specializes in sits between traditional linear peptides (subject to protease degradation and short half-lives) and small-molecule drugs (limited target diversity), and has grown as a distinct drug modality throughout the 2020s as GLP-1 and other peptide successes have expanded the industry's willingness to invest in peptide chemistry platforms.
AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) reported Q2 2026 earnings Friday July 31, 2026 before market open with total net revenues of $17 billion (+10.2% year-over-year), beating consensus by $300 million. Skyrizi (risankizumab, IL-23p19 monoclonal antibody for psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease) reached global Q2 net revenues of $5.505 billion (+24.4% YoY reported, +24.0% YoY operational). Rinvoq (upadacitinib, oral JAK1-selective inhibitor for rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, and inflammatory bowel disease) reached global Q2 net revenues of $2.525 billion (+24.5% YoY reported, +23.7% YoY operational), with Rinvoq on pace for 30% growth in gastroenterology this year. AbbVie now expects the combined Skyrizi and Rinvoq franchise to generate approximately $32 billion in peak annual sales, with management anticipating combined peak sales for Rinvoq in vitiligo and alopecia areata to approach $2 billion. Humira (adalimumab, the anchor immunology franchise before biosimilar competition began in 2023) continued its expected decline at $756 million Q2 revenue, -35.9% YoY reported / -36.1% YoY operational. The neuroscience portfolio delivered approximately 20% Q2 growth with Vraylar, Botox Therapeutic, Ubrelvy, and Qulipta all achieving double-digit sales growth. Full-year 2026 guidance was reiterated at $14.08-14.28 adjusted EPS on approximately $67 billion in revenue.
The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (chaired by Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Michigan) received responses from five drugmakers by the 5:00 PM ET Friday July 17, 2026 deadline: Merck, AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. The June 29 letters had requested records on due diligence processes, data protection standards, informed consent procedures, and oversight practices at Chinese clinical-trial and manufacturing sites, particularly at Xinjiang-region hospitals and hospitals affiliated with the People's Liberation Army. Documented trial counts: Merck 224 China studies since 2005 (31 Xinjiang + 40 military); Eli Lilly 220-plus studies since 2003 (11 Xinjiang + 16 military 2016-2024); Pfizer 6 Xinjiang + 43 military; AbbVie 100-plus studies since 2007 (17 Xinjiang + 16 military); Bristol-Myers Squibb 180 studies since 2004 (8 Xinjiang + 17 military 2015-2024). The Committee letters explicitly state there is no evidence any of the five drugmakers has engaged in illegal activity or wrongdoing. The next phase is Committee review of the submitted records and potential public hearings if oversight questions remain unresolved.
The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (chaired by Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Michigan) reaches its 5:00 PM ET response deadline today Friday July 17, 2026 for five US drugmakers: Merck, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, AbbVie, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. The June 29 letters requested records on due diligence processes, data protection standards, and oversight procedures at Chinese trial sites, particularly Xinjiang-region hospitals and hospitals affiliated with China's military. Documented trial counts: Merck sponsored or collaborated on 224 clinical studies in China since 2005, including at least 31 trials involving Xinjiang-region hospitals and at least 40 trials at Chinese military medical centers. Eli Lilly sponsored or collaborated on more than 220 clinical studies in China since 2003, including at least 11 Xinjiang-region trials and at least 16 military-medical-center trials between 2016 and 2024. Pfizer had at least 6 Xinjiang-region trials and 43 military-hospital trials. AbbVie had 100-plus clinical studies in China since 2007, including at least 17 Xinjiang-region and 16 military. Bristol-Myers Squibb had approximately 180 China studies since 2004, including at least 8 Xinjiang and 17 military between 2015 and 2024. The Committee letters state there is no evidence any of the five drugmakers engaged in illegal activity or wrongdoing. Merck said patient safety and ethical integrity are foundational; Eli Lilly said it is reviewing the letter closely; AbbVie declined to comment.
The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party's July 17, 2026 response deadline arrives tomorrow for five drugmakers on records of clinical trials conducted at Xinjiang-region hospitals and Chinese military medical centers: Merck, AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Chair Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Michigan) sent letters on June 29 requesting due diligence, data protection processes, and standards at Chinese trial sites. Updated trial counts documented in the letters: Merck sponsored or collaborated on 224 clinical studies in China since 2005, including at least 31 trials involving Xinjiang-region hospitals and at least 40 trials involving Chinese military medical centers. Eli Lilly appears to have sponsored or collaborated on more than 220 clinical studies in China since 2003, with at least 11 Xinjiang-region trials and at least 16 military-medical-center trials between 2016 and 2024. Pfizer had at least 6 Xinjiang-region trials and 43 military-hospital trials. AbbVie had 17 Xinjiang and 16 military. Bristol-Myers Squibb's specific counts were not detailed in the summary but the company received the same request. Merck stated that patient safety and ethical integrity are foundational to its clinical research; Eli Lilly said it is reviewing the letter closely.
The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (chaired by Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Michigan) faces its July 17 response deadline one week from tomorrow for five drugmakers under national-security investigation over clinical trials conducted at Chinese sites: Eli Lilly, Merck, AbbVie, Pfizer, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. The letters, first reported by Reuters, were dated June 29 and asked companies to provide details of due diligence, data protection processes, and other standards at their trial sites in China, with particular attention to the Xinjiang region and military hospitals. Eli Lilly disclosed sponsoring at least 11 trials at Xinjiang-region hospitals plus at least 16 trials at Chinese military medical centers and hospitals, across type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, Alzheimer's disease, axial spondyloarthritis, breast cancer, lupus, alopecia, Crohn's disease, and additional indications. The committee said it has no evidence of company wrongdoing but cites potential ethical and national-security risks. The letters run parallel to the BIOSECURE Act framework, the June 30 STAT Pharmalittle preview of the probe, and industry warnings from Fierce Biotech that the scrutiny risks 'huge distraction and expense' for US biopharma.