Maxim analyst Jason McCarthy said the invalidation of AbbVie's (ABBV) dosing patent for Humira is a "major victory" for Coherus Biosciences (CHRS) that has reduced its risk profile. The last IP hurdle to launching a Humira biosimilar is formulation, where Coherus has the advantage, said McCarthy, who believes the company could be first to market with a biosimilar by late 2018, which would be four years or more ahead of its competition. He raised his price target on Coherus shares to $44 from $43 and keeps a Buy rating on the stock, which is up $1.95, or 8.8%, to $24 in pre-market trading.

AbbVie announced positive top-line results from SELECT-GCA, a Phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, showing upadacitinib in combination with a 26-week steroid taper regimen achieved its primary endpoint of sustained remissiona from week 12 through week 52 in adults with giant cell arteritis. In this study, 46% of patients receiving upadacitinib 15 mg in combination with a 26-week steroid taper regimen achieved sustained remission compared to 29 percent of patients receiving placebo in combination with a 52-week steroid taper regimen. Key secondary endpoints were also met, including a higher percentage of patients receiving upadacitinib 15 mg in combination with a 26-week steroid taper regimen achieved sustained complete remissionb from week 12 through week 52 compared to patients receiving placebo in combination with a 52-week steroid taper regimen. A lower percentage of patients experienced at least one disease flare through week 52 in the upadacitinib 15 mg group versus the placebo group. The study results also showed that upadacitinib 7.5 mg did not meet the primary or any of the secondary endpoints.