The week in pharma: action, reaction and insight – week to August 5

By Barbara Obstoj-Cardwell. Managing editor

Among M&A news last week, US biotech Amgen on Thursday announced it is to acquire ChemoCentryx in an all-cash deal of around $3.7 billion. In the regulatory space, US rare diseases specialist Sarepta Therapeutics said it plans to file for accelerated approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its gene therapy SRP-9001 as a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. As a result of missed efficacy goals of a Phase III study of Innate Pharma’s monalizumab in combination with cetuximab in head and neck cancer, its partner, AstraZeneca, has said the study would be discontinued. On the deal-making front, Rigel Pharmaceuticals entered into an accord to in-license Forma Therapeutics’ myeloid leukemia (AML) candidate olutasidenib. Also, Poseida inked a licensing agreement with Roche, granting the Swiss pharma giant rights to its CAR-T cell therapy that could be worth up to $6 billion.

Amgen acquiring CCXI, adding Tavneos and immuno pipeline candidates