Pharma and healthcare: sector news on Friday 23 October 2026
Average tone +4.4 (positive) across 5 companies with relevant coverage, from 64 stories.
How to read a score. Each score rates how good or bad the news was for the company, from −10 (clearly bad) to +10 (clearly good). 0 is neutral, and anything beyond ±6 is strong and rare. It rates the coverage, not the share price.
Company by company
| Company | Tone | Stories | What the coverage was about |
|---|---|---|---|
| AstraZeneca | +8.3 | 32 | Coverage was dominated by the FDA's accelerated approval of Ultomiris for IgA nephropathy and the US launch of the lung cancer drug Zegfrovy, both seen as clear positives. |
| GSK | +7.2 | 18 | Coverage focused on US approval of GSK's first-in-class hepatitis B drug Hibsago, alongside a positive Jemperli approval, strong lung cancer trial data and a higher share price. |
| Smith & Nephew | −3.7 | 7 | Coverage was dominated by the collapse of merger talks with J&J's orthopaedics unit over a leadership dispute, which weighs on the outlook. |
| Haleon | +3.7 | 6 | Coverage was mostly about Haleon's rising share price, with one piece saying it may be undervalued after a flu demand outlook and another noting it looks overvalued. |
| Convatec | +6.3 | 1 | Coverage was about Convatec receiving two Vizient supplier excellence awards. |
Strongest stories in the sector
- +10.0 Hepatitis B Drug Approval Could Be A Game Changer For GSK (LSE:GSK)
Hepatitis B approval described as potential game changer. - +9.2 AstraZeneca bags another US indication for Ultomiris with IgAN approval
Another US indication for Ultomiris - +9.2 Astrazeneca's Ultomiris wins accelerated US approval
Ultomiris wins accelerated US approval - +9.2 AstraZeneca Adds IgAN To Blockbuster Ultomiris With Accelerated Approval
Ultomiris gains IgAN accelerated approval - +9.2 FDA approves fifth indication for AstraZeneca's Ultomiris, this time in IgA nephropathy
Fifth Ultomiris indication approved by FDA - +9.2 AZ's Ultomiris adds 5th rare disease feather to cap with FDA IgAN nod
Fifth rare disease indication for Ultomiris - +9.2 AstraZeneca Gets Accelerated FDA Nod for Ultomiris in IgA Nephropathy
FDA accelerated nod for Ultomiris in IgAN - +9.2 AstraZeneca Launches Targeted Lung Cancer Drug In US After FDA Accelerated Approval
US launch of lung cancer drug after approval - +9.2 FDA grants accelerated approval to AstraZeneca’s Ultomiris for rare kidney disease IgAN
FDA accelerated approval for Ultomiris in IgAN - +9.2 How First In Class Hepatitis B Approval At GSK (LSE:GSK) Has Changed Its Investment Story
First-in-class hepatitis B approval improves investment story. - +8.3 AstraZeneca launches ZEGFROVY for lung cancer in US By Investing.com
Zegfrovy lung cancer US launch - +8.3 AstraZeneca (LSE:AZN): What Does the New Ultomiris Approval Establish?
New Ultomiris approval seen as positive
Pharma and healthcare: every day · FTSE 100 overview for the day
Follow by email
A short, free morning email on how the news treated the Pharma and healthcare sector: the tone, the stories behind it, and when coverage starts to turn. Launching soon; one click to unsubscribe.