Novartis dumps Ziarco eczema drug, taking $485M hit

Novartis cut an atopic dermatitis drug from the team—and it did it on the down low. Buried in its second-quarter financial report is a line revealing that the Swiss pharma is taking a $485 million impairment charge (PDF) for halting clinical development on an eczema program it picked up in its 2016 Ziarco buyout.