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 biopharma CymaBay Therapeutics traded up as much as 21% to $16.73 yesterday, as the company released encouraging trial results for its primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) candidate after earlier disappointments. 8 September 2023
There is a transformative shift taking place in the Crohn's disease (CD) treatment market, challenging AbbVie's mega blockbuster biological Humira's (adalimumab) long-standing dominance. 8 September 2023
US clinical-stage biopharma Nurix Therapeutics saw its shares rise almost 11% to $9.19 yesterday morning, after it announced a multi-year, multi-target strategic collaboration agreement with Seagen. 8 September 2023
UK cancer and infectious disease drug developer Scancell Holdings has appointed Dr Mandeep Sehmi as head of business development, effective immediately. 8 September 2023
After years of uncertainty stemming from the UK’s departure from the European Union (EU), Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed that, from Thursday onwards, British scientists can apply once again for grants from the £85 billion ($106 billion) Horizon program. 7 September 2023
Swiss drugmaker Novartis has launched legal action against the US government, after administrators revealed the first drugs to be subject to pricing regulations mandated by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). 7 September 2023
Japanese pharma major Daiichi Sankyo today announced that the primary endpoint was achieved in a Phase III trial of a booster vaccination with DS-5670, an mRNA vaccine against the novel coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) being developed in Japan (in a booster vaccination trial). 7 September 2023
Japanese pharma major Astellas Pharma revealed that it has requested that the Court dismiss the company’s lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of certain provisions of the US government’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). 7 September 2023
Cardiometabolic med Jardiance (empagliflozin), a blockbuster product developed by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly, has picked up a new approval in the UK. 7 September 2023
US biotech Moderna has announced that clinical trial data from its research assay confirm its updated COVID-19 vaccine - which is pending approval by the US Food and Drug Administration for the fall 2023 vaccination season - generates an 8.7-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies in humans against BA.2.86 (Pirola), a variant under monitoring. 7 September 2023
Acquisitive US biotech Kriya Therapeutics yesterday revealed that it has acquired Tramontane Therapeutics, a private gene therapy company focused on developing treatments for metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. 7 September 2023
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published Final Guidance on a new medicine for the treatment of the most common inherited heart condition in England and Wales. 6 September 2023
US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson subsidiary has released positive top-line results from the three-arm Phase III MARIPOSA-2 study evaluating Rybrevant (amivantamab-vmjw) in lung cancer patients. 6 September 2023
The UK is an attractive place to conduct life science research and development (R&D). However, we must caveat this statement with the words, ‘for now’. 6 September 2023
Cambridge, US-based Apollo Therapeutics today announces the close of $226.5 million in a Series C financing led by lead investor Patient Square Capital. 6 September 2023
Jane Grogan has been named as executive vice president, head of research at US biotech major Biogen, with the appointment taking effective on October 2. 6 September 2023
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a complete response letter (CRL) regarding the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for long-acting C5 complement inhibitor Ultomiris (ravulizumab-cwvz). 6 September 2023