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
Australian biotech Immutep has announced positive results from Cohort B of the TACTI-003 (KEYNOTE-PNC-34) Phase IIb trial evaluating eftilagimod alfa (efti) in combination with Keytruda (pembrolizumab). 12 July 2024
National Health Service (NHS) England has given approval to allow eligible patients access to Roche’s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) subcutaneous injection for people with relapsing multiple sclerosis and primary progressive multiple sclerosis. 12 July 2024
India's Zydus Lifesciences has been barred by the Delhi High Court from selling its breast cancer drug, Sigrima, a biosimilar version of Roche's pertuzumab (brand name Perjeta). 12 July 2024
The clinical trial landscape for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) shows a robust global effort to advance treatment options and understand the disease, according to a report. 12 July 2024
Shares of Texas, USA-based protein expert Salarius Pharmaceuticals fell more than 20% to $2.28 by close of trading on Thursday after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) placed a study of the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company's lead drug candidate on partial clinical hold. 12 July 2024
The Russian drugmaker Geropharm has demanded a compulsory license from Denmark’s Novo Nordisk to produce a generic of Ozempic (semaglutide), which is a drug used for diabetes and the active ingredient is marketed as Wegovy for weight loss, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent. 12 July 2024
GlaxoSmithKline Trading, the distribution division of the British pharma major GSK, has filed a complaint to the Russian anti-trust regulator FAS on the recent auction for state procurements of GSK’s anti-HIV drug Tivicay (dolutegravir). 12 July 2024
As part of an ongoing organizational restructuring effort, Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX) will reportedly close an R&D site in San Diego, USA, leading to job losses. 12 July 2024
Efforts to end US business deals with certain foreign biotechs considered threats are gaining traction again, with House Speaker Mike Johnson stating his intention to hold a vote on the BIOSECURE act this year. 11 July 2024
Henry Pelish has continued his rise up the ranks at Nuvalent, a Boston-based biopharma focused on creating precisely targeted therapies for clinically proven kinase targets in cancer. 11 July 2024
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for AB-1005, which is being developed for moderate Parkinson’s disease by German pharma major Bayer gene therapy subsidiary Asklepios BioPharmaceutical (AskBio). 11 July 2024
French drugmaker Ipsen has entered into an exclusive global licensing agreement for FS001, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) with first-in-class potential, from China-based Foreseen Biotechnology. 11 July 2024
German drug discovery and development company Evotec has entered into a multi-year master research collaboration and option and license agreement with US pharma giant Pfizer. 11 July 2024
Shares of US pharma giant Pfizer were up more than 3% at $29.25 pre-market, as the company announced progress in its attempt to play a role in the fast-growing obesity sector. 11 July 2024