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
US pharma giant Merck & Co has opted to pull the plug on two mid-stage trials of Alzheimer’s disease candidate MK-1942, due to safety worries. 26 October 2023
US Pharma major Bristol Myers Squibb today reported results for the third quarter of 2023, which the company says reflect significant pipeline progress and advances in the portfolio renewal strategy. 26 October 2023
Privately-held Italian drugmaker Dompé has announced the appointment of Shannon Sullivan as is chief commercial officer (CCO), with immediate effect. 26 October 2023
Independent data monitors have recommended that French microbiome specialist MaaT Pharma continues its Phase III ARES study without modification. 26 October 2023
Danish diabetes care giant Novo Nordisk recently revealed that its FLOW trial, which studies Ozempic (semaglutide) in diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), will come to a halt almost one year prior to the planned completion date, as interim results alone were sufficient in proving that the treatment was successful in treating kidney failure in this patient group. 26 October 2023
China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved ViiV Healthcare’s Vocabria (cabotegravir injection) used in combination with Rekambys (rilpivirine long-acting injection) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. 26 October 2023
USA-based BioXcel Therapeutics on Wednesday revealed that an independent third-party review of the data from a site in its TRANQUILITY II Phase III trial showed "positive findings." 26 October 2023
UK-based Revolo Biotherapeutics, which is developing therapies that reset the immune system to achieve superior long-term remission for patients with autoimmune and allergic diseases, has announced top-line data from its allergen challenge mapping study. 25 October 2023
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing an alert to provide options for clinicians to protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the context of a limited supply of nirsevimab. 25 October 2023
Barcelona, Spain-based plasma-derived medicine specialist Grifols saw its shares close down more than 5% at 9.88 euros, despite announcing positive results for a potential Alzheimer’s vaccine candidate. 25 October 2023
Fibrocor Therapeutics, a privately-held Canadian developer of therapeutics to treat fibrosis, has named William Newsome III as president and chief executive and Piet Wigerinck as chief scientific advisor.
William Newsome III was one of the co-founders of Fibrocor when he was with German drug discovery firm Evotec (ETR: EVT) and he has remained closely involved with the company as a non-executive director since 2018. 25 October 2023
UK pharma major GSK (LSE: GSK) today announced positive preliminary results from its Phase III trial the immune response and safety of Arexvy (respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, adjuvanted) in adults aged 50 to 59. 25 October 2023
Boston, USA-based biotech Elektrofi has entered a multi-target research collaboration and license agreement with US pharma major Eli Lilly to develop next-generation medicines that can be delivered subcutaneously. 25 October 2023
Norway’s clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Nykode Therapeutics today announced that its private placement has been successfully placed, raising around 505 million Norwegian kroner (~$45 million) in gross proceeds through the allocation of 29,549,400 new shares at a subscription price of 17.10 kroner per share. 25 October 2023
At the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), Johnson & Johnson has presented data from the Phase III QUASAR trial. 25 October 2023
French biotech Abivax has completed an initial public offering (IPO), listing on the Nasdaq global market with 20,325,500 new ordinary shares being issued. 25 October 2023
Indian generics major Zydus Lifesciences has announced the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its New Drug Application (NDA) for Zituvio (sitagliptin) tablets, 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg. 25 October 2023
American critical care specialist Citius Pharma is to list its oncology subsidiary on the Nasdaq exchange, via merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). 25 October 2023
The US Food and Drug Administration yesterday approved Tibsovo (ivosidenib), from French independent pharm major Servier, for adult patients with relapsed or refractory myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with a susceptible isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) mutation, as detected by an FDA-approved test. 25 October 2023
Shares of Sino-American biotech LianBio shot up 120% to $3.06 in early US trading today, on the news of an agreement with US pharm major Bristol Myers Squibb. 24 October 2023