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
A US regulatory submission from microbiome company Seres Therapeutics has been accepted, with an expected decision date of April 26, 2023. 26 October 2022
Australia’s largest biotech CSL Limited today revealed it has entered into a strategic option and license agreement with Arizona, USA-based Translational Sciences for rights to its enhanced thrombus (blood clot) dissolving drug candidate, TS23. 26 October 2022
Germany’s Merck KGaA has provided new longer-term findings from its research into evobrutinib, an oral Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor. 26 October 2022
According to the Russian pharma trade body the ARPM, the 2nd Annual “Right to Health” Congress was held in Moscow, aimed to highlight the prospects of the domestic healthcare industry, which have become more acute in modern geopolitical conditions, in a wide format. 26 October 2022
HIV specialist ViiV Healthcare has announced positive findings from the Phase IIa BANNER proof-of-concept study, looking at its antibody N6LS. 26 October 2022
The US Food and Drug Administration yesterday granted accelerated approval to Tecvayli (teclistamab-cqyv), the first bispecific B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed CD3 T-cell engager, for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. 26 October 2022
Anglo-Swedish pharma major AstraZeneca’s shares were up as much as 3% this morning, after it announced new clinical data indicating that its capivasertib, a potential first-in-class AKT inhibitor, could become a new option for patients in early and 1L metastatic HR+/ET-sensitive breast cancer, regardless of biomarker status. 26 October 2022
Boston, USA-based start-up Normunity, which is working on drugs based on a potentially breakthrough biotechnology, yesterday launched out of stealth with a $65 million Series A funding round. 26 October 2022
The market for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a progressive neuromuscular disease that can be fatal, has attracted many of biopharma’s biggest names. 25 October 2022
Following USA-based JSR Life Sciences’ launch of Similis Bio in May this year as a biosimilar partner, the new unit has signed its first development and license agreement, which is with Brazilian drugmaker Blau Farmacêutica. 25 October 2022
US biotech major Biogen today reported third quarter 2022 financial results that were better than investors expected, but the stock fell 2.3% to $267.84 in early trading. 25 October 2022
Sales and income were both down at Swiss pharma giant Novartis for the third quarter of 2022, with the company missing analyst estimates on both measures. 25 October 2022
Japanese pharma major Astellas Pharma has announced a strategic investment to support the advancement of Texas, USA-based Taysha Gene Therapies’ adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy development programs for the treatment of Rett syndrome and giant axonal neuropathy (GAN). 25 October 2022
UK-based oncology specialist Scancell Holdings today announced a licensing agreement with Danish biotech Genmab to develop and commercialize a Scancell investigational anti-glycan monoclonal antibody into novel therapeutic products. 25 October 2022
Pharma trade body Medicines Australia has welcomed the Anthony Albanese’s government Budget announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers today, which takes steps towards addressing economic pressures and introduces new funding for Prescription Benefit Scheme (PBS) listings. 25 October 2022
In a note filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), California’s Lyell Immunopharma sought to reassure investors that the termination of its deal with GSK would have “minimal impact” on cash and operations. 25 October 2022
Seattle, USA-based immunotherapy company Alpine Immune Sciences dipped 5% on Monday, after saying it has voluntarily stopped enrollment in two studies – NEON-1 and NEON-2 - of its davoceticept drug candidate following the death of a second patient in one of the trials. 25 October 2022