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
The Swiss company Swixx BioPharma has stopped the supplies of Humalog insulin (insulin lispro) to Russia due to the decision of its manufacturer, the American pharma major Eli Lilly, The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent reports. 19 June 2024
Boston, USA-based biotech start-up Ascidian Therapeutics yesterday announced a research collaboration and licensing agreement with Roche for the discovery and development of RNA exon editing therapeutics targeting neurological diseases, adding to the Swiss pharma giant’s plethora of RNA alliances. 19 June 2024
The private biotech sector witnessed a 46% increase in total venture financing deal value in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. 19 June 2024
In Europe, revised rules for the Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) are now applicable, offering faster access to clinical trial information. 18 June 2024
The Russian pharmaceutical market is undergoing a large-scale transformation, as the share of foreign drugs is steadily declining due to acceleration of processes of import substitution, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent. 18 June 2024
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Biologics License Application (BLA) for Capvaxive (pneumococcal 21-valent conjugate vaccine), submitted by US pharma giant Merck & Co. 18 June 2024
US biotech Arvinas has promoted Ian Taylor to president of R&D. Angela Cacace will take over from Dr Taylor in his current role of chief scientific officer. 18 June 2024
The recent US crackdown on Chinese biotech companies marks a significant shift in the global biotechnology landscape, with profound implications for competitive strategies. 18 June 2024
Shares of US drug developer Aerovate Therapeutics plummeted 93% yesterday and were down a further 6.7% at $1.54 pre-market, after it revealed it would scrap a late-stage development of its lead investigational candidate. 18 June 2024
Johnson & Johnson has announced that its drug nipocalimab demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in a Phase II study for Sjögren’s disease (SjD). 18 June 2024
The US unit of Japan’s Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma has announced results from two studies of its already marketed Radicava (edaravone) for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the European Network to Cure Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ENCALS) 2024 meeting. 18 June 2024
US liver disease focused biotech Mirum Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: MIRM) saw its shares leap 15.4% to $29.90 by close of trading on Monday, as it reported interim results from two Phase IIb studies evaluating volixibat. 18 June 2024
Johnson & Johnson continues to be the world's most valuable and strongest pharmaceutical brand, according to a new report by Brand Finance. 18 June 2024
Elion Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focusing on invasive fungal infections, has announced the successful closing of an $81 million series B funding round. 17 June 2024
New data has laid bare the reasons why US biotech Gilead Sciences has given up on magrolimab, a monoclonal antibody that targets CD47, an antiphagocytic signal present on cancer cells. 17 June 2024
Takeda, Japan’s largest drugmaker, today announced mixed top-line data from its SKYLINE and SKYWAY Phase III trials outcomes for its drug soticlestat. 17 June 2024