The UK’s new 2024 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access, and growth (VPAG) came into force at the beginning of January this year. 4 October 2024
GigaGen has been awarded a contract by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 4 October 2024
Oxford, UK-based Enara Bio today announces the closing of a $32.5 million Series B financing supported by a strong syndicate of new and existing biotech investors. 3 October 2024
French drugmaker Mitem Pharmavhas the worldwide acquisition of Desferal (deferoxamine), a major MITM in hematology, from Swiss giant Novartis. 25 September 2024
The Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) is further expanding its focus on life sciences by opening an institute for biomedical artificial intelligence (AI) based on a 150 million euros ($166.8 million) funding from the German non-profit Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation (BIS). 18 September 2024
Zenas BioPharma announced the pricing of its upsized initial public offering of 13,235,294 shares of its common stock at an initial public offering price of $17.00 per share. 13 September 2024
US pharma major Eli Lilly and Egyptian firm EVA Pharma have entered into an agreement to expand access to Olumiant (baricitinib) to an estimated 20,000 people in 49 low- to middle-income countries in Africa by 2030. 6 September 2024
Novartis is building two new radioligand therapy (RLT) manufacturing facilities in the USA to enhance its supply chain for cancer treatments. This move supports the growing use of RLTs, a form of precision medicine that targets tumors with radiation. 6 September 2024
Belgium’s largest drugmaker UCB announced a strategic divestment deal in China, underscoring its strategic shift towards innovation and partnership in one of the world’s fastest-growing pharmaceutical markets. 27 August 2024
The UK’s largest pharma company AstraZeneca has rejected claims that it is moving its vaccine operations to the USA, according to media reports. 23 August 2024
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma announced the termination of its exclusive sales rights agreements with AnGes for the HGF gene therapy product, Collategene (beperminogene perplasmid) intramuscular injection targeting peripheral arterial diseases in Japan and the USA. 23 August 2024
UK pharma major AstraZeneca has become the only current UK-lis¬ted company to reach a £200 billion ($256.4 billion) valuation, the Financial Times reported today, noting that it is a vindication of the company’s bet on developing a leading portfolio of cancer drugs. 14 August 2024
Japan’s Eisai and US biotech Biogen today revealed that the Ministry of Health and Prevention in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has approved Leqembi (lecanemab) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). 14 August 2024
US pharma giant Pfizer has announced the publication of real-world results from a cohort of the longitudinal, observational Phase IV THAOS (Transthyretin Amyloidosis Outcomes Survey) study in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. 8 August 2024
Japanese drugmaker Shionogi says that its New Drug Application (NDA) for cefiderocol has been accepted for review by the Center for Drug Evaluation, National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). 5 August 2024
Germany’s Bayer has submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration for approval to market elinzanetant for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS), commonly known as hot flashes, associated with menopause. 2 August 2024
In what was a hectic news day for the German pharm major, Boehringer Ingelheim announced it has entered into a new strategic collaboration and licensing agreement with California, USA-based 3T Biosciences. 4 January 2024
By Barbara Obstoj-Cardwell. Editor
In full year 2023, the total number of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the pharma and biotech sectors was 105, compared with 109 in 2022 and just 92 in 2021, according to tracking by The Pharma Letter (TPL). 4 January 2024
Further extending its reach beyond it core diabetes business, Denmark’s Novo Nordisk today revealed it has entered into separate research collaborations, one with Omega Therapeutics and the other with Cellarity, in the area of cardiometabolic diseases. 4 January 2024
Agios Pharmaceuticals’ shares rose 5.2% to $24.02 by close of trading yesterday on the news of positive trial results for its mitapivat. 4 January 2024
China’s Suzhou Ribo Life Science and its Ribocure unit have entered into collaboration with German family-owned pharma major Boehringer Ingelheim to develop novel treatments for non-alcoholic or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (NASH/MASH). 4 January 2024
Not long after the first home-grown GLP-1 agonist was approved in China, the country’s thriving biotech sector looks set to progress another novel candidate in this class with strong potential. 4 January 2024
A significant collaboration agreement has been reached between Belgian biotech Galapagos and private Californian company BridGene Biosciences. 4 January 2024
US pharma company Esperion Therapeutics on Wednesday announced a $125 million deal with Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo’s European subsidiary (DSE) to resolve Esperion's demand for $300 million from the company over Esperion's cholesterol reduction drugs. 4 January 2024
US clinical-stage biotech start-up QurAlis has announced the opening of its European Union (EU) headquarters in Leiden, the Netherlands. 4 January 2024
French immuno-oncology company Innate Pharma today announced that it has strengthened its leadership and corporate governance with the appointment of two new executive board members. 4 January 2024
Adding to the growing list pf big pharma licensing and M&A deals in the attractive area of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) drugs, China-headquartered MediLink Therapeutics has entered into a worldwide collaboration and license accord with Swiss pharma giant Roche. 3 January 2024
Privately-held British drugmaker Mundipharma has secured European approval for Rezzayo (rezafungin), for the treatment of invasive candidiasis in adults. 3 January 2024
US clinical-stage immunotherapy specialist ImmunityBio yesterday announced an up to $320 million royalty financing and equity investment in the company by Oberland Capital. 3 January 2024
The life sciences landscape has adapted in tandem with data management solutions over the past several years, attracting significant investment. However, these solutions lack the ability to rapidly address and complement existing pain points and previous investments with the latest technological innovations. 3 January 2024
UK-based Arecor Therapeutics has announced the appointment of Dr Helen Parris as senior vice president, commercial and general manager of Tetris Pharma. 3 January 2024