28 November 2024 Johnson & Johnson has made significant strides in multiple myeloma treatment, with breakthroughs in targeted therapies like CAR-T and bispecific antibodies. At the 2024 ASH meeting, J&J aims to showcase progress, with a goal of achieving a functional cure for multiple myeloma.
After US biotech major Biogen scrapped development of its experimental Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab in March last year, but resuming development in October, the company has now announced an agreement to acquire an early-stage central nervous system (CNS) candidate from Pfizer. 13 January 2020
US gene therapy company bluebird bio has announced the first launch anywhere of Zynteglo (autologous CD34+ cells encoding βA-T87Q-globin gene). 13 January 2020
German drugmaker MorphoSys and Incyte have entered into a collaboration and license agreement to further develop and commercialize the anti-CD19 antibody tafasitamab (MOR208) globally. 13 January 2020
A group of three new treatments for acute migraine have been assessed by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) to deem what a fair US price for these yet-to-be-launched medicines might look like. 13 January 2020
AstraZeneca and partner Merck & Co today announced that a supplemental New Drug Application for Lynparza (olaparib) in combination with bevacizumab has been accepted and granted Priority Review in the USA for the maintenance treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer who are in complete or partial response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy with bevacizumab. 13 January 2020
Clinical-stage USA-based biotech Aruvant Sciences says that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted Rare Pediatric Disease designation to ARU-1801, Aruvant’s investigational therapy for the treatment of sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder. 13 January 2020
Danish allergy immunotherapy specialists ALK-Abelló has initiated a new Phase III trial in China for its house dust mite (HDM) allergy program. 13 January 2020
Venture capital-backed Canadian biotech firm Chinook Therapeutics has entered into a license agreement with US major AbbVie for worldwide, exclusive rights to atrasentan, an endothelin receptor antagonist. 13 January 2020
New York-listed biopharma company Akari Therapeutics today announced positive interim data from its Phase III PNH CAPSTONE study in complement inhibitor naïve, transfusion-dependent paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) patients. 10 January 2020
Swiss biotech NBE-Therapeutics has closed a $22 million Series C financing round, led by its existing shareholders Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and the PPF Group, along with participation from all private shareholders. 10 January 2020
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has released a Final Evidence Report assessing whether JAK inhibitors offer value for money for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in the USA, at the same time as publishing recommendations on how to stop the current 'upward trajectory' of drug prices. 10 January 2020
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Ayvakit (avapritinib) for the treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) harboring a platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) exon 18 mutation, including PDGFRA D842V mutations. 10 January 2020
US hematopoietic cell transplant therapies focussed biotech Jasper Therapeutics has expanded its Series A financing with an additional investment of $14.1 million led by Roche Venture Fund and with participation from other investors, bringing the total company financing to more than $50 million to date. 10 January 2020
Further replenishing its R&D pipeline in the face of falling sales for some its blockbuster anti-viral drugs and an aging HIV portfolio, Gilead Sciences has licensed The Rockefeller University’s portfolio of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) against HIV, including the two clinical-stage agents 3BNC117 and 10-1074. 9 January 2020
German family-owned pharma major says it has entered into a worldwide exclusive license deal to acquire Singapore-based biotech Enleofen Bio’s pre-clinical interleukin-11 (IL-11) platform to develop first-in-class therapies across a broad range of fibro-inflammatory diseases. 9 January 2020
Germany’s BioMed X has unveiled a new joint research group, in collaboration with Merck KGaA, the sixth such collaborative project between the two companies. 9 January 2020
Zug-based Galderma has published positive results from the Phase III OLYMPIA 1 trial in JAMA Dermatology, as the company’s newly-minted shares change hands in record volumes. 29 November 2024
Indian drugmaker Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has launched its toripalimab in the domestic market, sending the firm’s share up 2%. Toripalimab is a New Biological Entity (NBE), the company noted. 29 November 2024
French pharma major Sanofi has added a new plant in Singapore to make vaccines and other medicines, as the company seeks to bolster preparedness for emergencies, including potential pandemics, according to Bloomberg and other media reports. 29 November 2024
During the Belgian Economic Mission to Brazil, a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Brazilian Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) through its Institute of Technology on Immunobiologicals (Bio-Manguinhos), and the Belgian companies Quantoom Biosciences and Univercells. 29 November 2024
A report from industry analyst DelveInsight highlights progress in the myotonic dystrophy treatment landscape, with more than 20 companies developing over 22 innovative treatments. 28 November 2024
The UK subsidiary of Dutch drugmaker argenx confirmed today that its investigational therapy, subcutaneous efgartigimod alfa has been granted Promising Innovative Medicine (PIM) designation by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for the treatment of adults with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). 28 November 2024
Privately-held French drugmaker Servier has announced the inauguration of its first unit dedicated to the production of biological medicines from its R&D pipeline. 28 November 2024
The US Food and Drug Administration has received new reports of hematologic malignancies, including life-threatening cases of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), following treatment of early, active cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD) patients with Skysona (elivaldogene autotemcel). 28 November 2024
San Diago, USA-based Acadia Pharmaceuticals yesterday announced it has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Denmark’s Saniona for the development and commercialization of SAN711, a first-in-class, highly selective GABAA-α3 positive allosteric modulator. 28 November 2024
Johnson & Johnson has made significant strides in multiple myeloma treatment, with breakthroughs in targeted therapies like CAR-T and bispecific antibodies. At the 2024 ASH meeting, J&J aims to showcase progress, with a goal of achieving a functional cure for multiple myeloma. 28 November 2024
The European medicines regulator has approved a combo therapy starring PD-1 inhibitor Tevimbra (tislelizumab), from cancer firm BeiGene. 27 November 2024
After trading closed yesterday, Exelixis revealed that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified the company that the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for cabozantinib (Cabometyx) for the treatment of adults with previously treated advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET) and advanced extra-pancreatic NET (epNET) will be discussed at an Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) meeting in March 2025. 27 November 2024
Chengdu-based Kelun-Biotech has received marketing authorization in China for sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT), a Trop2-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC). 27 November 2024
AI-powered protein engineering company Cradle has raised $73 million in a Series B funding. The European firm, which has now raised more than $100 million in total, calls itself the leading platform for AI-powered protein engineering. 27 November 2024
US clinical stage biotech Alector saw its shares tumble 35% to $2.57 by close of trading yesterday, as it announced disappointing results from the INVOKE-2 Phase II clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of AL002 in slowing disease progression in individuals with early Alzheimer’s disease (AD). 27 November 2024
PTC Therapeutics has announced that its Phase II trial for utreloxastat, aimed at treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), failed to meet its primary endpoint. 27 November 2024
Clinical-stage US CAR-T therapies developer Poseida Therapeutics saw its shares skyrocket 227% to $9.36 pre-market today, on the news of a proposed takeover by Swiss pharma giant Roche. 26 November 2024
Sign up to receive email updates Join industry leaders for a daily roundup of biotech & pharma news
Company Spotlight
Acadia Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ACAD) is a leading pharmaceutical company with a focus on bringing life-changing therapies to patients suffering from CNS diseases.