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
UK oncology-focussed biotech ValiRx edged up 2.5% to 12.30 pence this morning, after it announced it has entered into an agreement with StingRay Bio to investigate a lead series of drug candidates for use in oncology. 10 November 2023
A Phase II failure for Californian cell therapy company Atara Biotherapeutics has prompted a share sell-off, with the company’s stock falling 80% in value on Thursday. 10 November 2023
Cells are the basic unit of life and are themselves living. They coordinate, construct, kill, and multiply. Using human cells as medicines is as intuitively thrilling as it is technically difficult. 9 November 2023
Indian biotech firm Biocon says that its subsidiary, Biocon Biologics, has inked a deal with Eris Lifesciences which will see it divest its dermatology and nephrology branded formulations business unit in India that is mostly comprised of its legacy small-molecule brands. 9 November 2023
WuXi XDC has published a prospectus for its upcoming initial public offering (IPO), detailing plans to raise $470 million with a listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. 9 November 2023
The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Lamzede (velmanase alfa) in its final evaluation document as an option for treating the non-neurological signs and symptoms of mild to moderate alpha-mannosidosis in England and Wales. 9 November 2023
The market for myasthenia gravis (MG), an autoimmune and neuromuscular disease characterized by muscle weakness and fatigue, is set to experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.3% across the seven major markets. 9 November 2023
German pharma, science and technology company Merck KGaA today confirmed its forecast for fiscal 2023 despite a difficult market environment in the third quarter. 9 November 2023
China-headquartered Eccogene has entered into an exclusive license agreement with AstraZeneca under which the UK pharma major will develop and commercialize Eccogene's small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) ECC5004 for the potential treatment of obesity, type-2 diabetes and other comorbidities. 9 November 2023
Britain’s biggest drugmaker AstraZeneca has exceeded revenues expectations handily in the third quarter 2023, with robust demand in oncology leading the way. 9 November 2023
The US Food and Drug Administration late yesterday approved US pharma major Eli Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide) injection for chronic weight management in adults with obesity. 9 November 2023
German pharmaceutical major Bayer has refused compensation of more than 400 million roubles ($4.3 million) from Russian Nativa (renamed Spectrum) for the use of patents on the anticancer drug Nexavar (sorafenib), reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent. 9 November 2023
US biotech major Biogen today reported third quarter 2023 results and updated full year 2023 guidance that failed to impress investors, with its shares falling 4.7% to $235.34 in early trading’ 8 November 2023
Californian drugmaker Gilead Sciences has exceeded estimates in the third quarter, with revenues of around $7.1 billion and earnings per share (EPS) of $1.73. 8 November 2023
Hungarian drugmaker Gedeon Richter has begun supplying generics of foreign drugs for diabetics to Russia – in a move to take the share of those global drugmakers that have left Russia, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent. 8 November 2023
Israeli generics giant Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has reported its latest quarterly financial results against a backdrop of war in its home region. 8 November 2023