US biopharma company Galmed Pharmaceuticals has entered into a research collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University to investigate its lead candidate Aramchol (arachidyl amido cholanoic acid) as a potential solution to drug resistance in gastrointestinal cancers. 17 April 2025
BigHat Biosciences, a Californian biotech with a machine learning (ML)-guided antibody discovery and development platform, has announced a strategic collaboration with US pharma major Eli Lilly. 17 April 2025
Shares in Johnson & Johnson were 1% lower in the early stages of Tuesday’s trading after the US health conglomerate presented its first-quarter 2025 financial results. 15 April 2025
Spanish biotech Reveal Genomics has formed a strategic partnership with oncology firm Ona Therapeutics to support the clinical development of ONA-255, a novel antibody-drug conjugate designed to target therapy-resistant tumor cells in advanced solid cancers. 15 April 2025
Shares of California-based Coherus BioSciences (Nasdaq: CHRS) rose more than 5% to $0.88 in pre-market activity today as it completed a transformative transaction. 14 April 2025
The European Commission has approved Columvi (glofitamab) in combination with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GemOx) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), Swiss pharma giant Roche announced this morning. 14 April 2025
Deal-making news last week included US drug developer KalVista Pharma signing a licensing agreement with Kaken Pharma to market its investigational hereditary angioedema (HAE) drug sebetralstat in Japan. US biotech firm Cartesian Therapeutics released positive Phase IIb data on its Descartes-08 in myasthenia gravis. The US Appeal Court gave a favorable ruling on Indian drugmaker Sun pharmaceuticals’ alopecia drug Leqselvi. Also of note, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week approved Bristol Meyers Squibb’s checkpoint therapy Opdivo plus Yervoy. 13 April 2025
Johnson & Johnson has announced new data from an analysis modelling long-term progression free survival (PFS) in transplant eligible (TE) and transplant ineligible (TIE) newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients given Darzalex (daratumumab)-subcutaneous (SC) therapy alongside bortezomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (VRd). 11 April 2025
US biotech giant Amgen today announced a significant breakthrough with its global Phase III DeLLphi-304 clinical trial evaluating Imdelltra (tarlatamab-dlle). 11 April 2025
The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended AstraZeneca’s Truqap (capivasertib) with fulvestrant as an option for around 1,100 adults with hormone receptor (HR)-positive HER2-negative breast cancer that has certain genetic mutations and has spread. 11 April 2025
US biotech Atossa Therapeutics has entered into a research collaboration with China-backed Nona Biosciences, aiming to identify next-generation antibody therapies for breast cancer using Nona’s proprietary platform technology. 10 April 2025
The UK’s National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended erdafitinib, trade name Balversa and manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, for some adult patients in England. 10 April 2025
Solu Therapeutics, a US biotech developing therapies to eliminate disease-driving cells in cancer, immunology and other therapeutic areas, has announced the successful completion of a $41 million Series A financing. 10 April 2025
Privately-held Finland-based Valo Therapeutics (ValoTx), an immunotherapy company developing novel, adaptable treatments for cancer, today announced the appointment of Marcella Origgi as its chief executive (CEO) of its Helsinki headquarters and Naples, Italy, subsidiary. 9 April 2025
Myricx Bio, a UK biotech focusing on the discovery and development of a novel class of payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), is expanding its team. 8 April 2025
Datroway (datopotamab deruxtecan) has been approved in the European Union (EU) for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic hormone receptor (HR) positive, HER2 negative (IHC 0, IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH-) breast cancer who have received endocrine therapy and at least one line of chemotherapy in the advanced setting. 8 April 2025
Following hot on the heels of Monday’s European Commission EC approval of an indication extension for Johnson & Johnson’s Darzalex (daratumumab) for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, comes a second EC approval today – this time in lung cancer. 8 April 2025
China-based biotech DualityBio has named Hua Mu as its global chief medical officer, as the company prepares to ramp up its international clinical development efforts and advance toward key capital market milestones. 7 April 2025
UK-based developer of novel immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to treat cancer, Epsilogen, says it has completed the acquisition of TigaTx, a Boston, USA-based biotechnology company developing engineered immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies. 7 April 2025
The European Commission (EC) has approved an indication extension of Darzalex (daratumumab) subcutaneous (SC) formulation in the frontline setting. 7 April 2025
Dark Blue Therapeutics, a UK discovery and development biotech developing precision oncology medicines, has announced the appointment of Edwin Moses as chairman. 4 April 2025
UK pharma major AstraZeneca today reported extended approvals in Europe for two of its cancer drugs: Imfinzi (durvalumab) and Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan). 4 April 2025
Sino-American biotech BeiGene today revealed it intends to discontinue its clinical development program for ociperlimab (BGB-A1217), an anti-TIGIT antibody, as a potential treatment for lung cancer. 3 April 2025
US biotech Inhibrx Biosciences has announced a leadership shake-up following the departure of co-founder Brendan Eckelman, who is leaving to establish a new privately-held biotech company. 2 April 2025
The UK’s health technology assessor the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended brentuximab vedotin in combination with doxorubicin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (AVD) to treat adult patients with untreated stage 3 or 4 CD30+ Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), within final draft guidance (FDG). 2 April 2025
US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson’s venture capital arm has made its first investment in South Korea, leading a $20 million series B financing round for Prazer Therapeutics, a biotech focused on targeted protein degradation. 2 April 2025
Privately-held German radiopharmaceutical company Isotope Technologies Munich (ITM) has announced the appointment of Celine Wilke as chief medical officer (CMO), taking over from interim CMO Heike Oberwittler. 1 April 2025
Nuage Therapeutics, a Barcelona-based firm specializing in precision therapies for cancer, has appointed Stuart Hughes as chief executive and Vanessa Malier as chair of the board. Mr Hughes succeeds founding CEO Judit Anido, who will assist during the leadership transition. 1 April 2025
AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi (durvalumab) in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin as neoadjuvant treatment, followed by Imfinzi as adjuvant monotherapy after radical cystectomy (surgery to remove the bladder) has been approved in the USA for the treatment of adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). 31 March 2025
Novartis announced late Friday that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Pluvicto (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan) for patients with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have been treated with an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) therapy and are considered appropriate to delay chemotherapy. 31 March 2025
The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA’) human medicines committee (CHMP) has recommended two new medicines and three biosimilars for approval at its March 2025 meeting. 28 March 2025
US clinical stage biopharma Candel Therapeutics has announced final survival data from a Phase IIa clinical trial of CAN-2409 in patients with stage III/IV NSCLC, inadequately responding to ICI treatment. 28 March 2025
German drugmaker Bayer has signed a global licensing agreement with China-based Puhe BioPharma, gaining exclusive rights to develop and commercialize an early-stage precision oncology therapy targeting MTAP-deleted tumors. 27 March 2025
Danish cancer specialist Genmab today announced that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has approved Tivdak (tisotumab vedotin) for the treatment of advanced or recurrent cervical cancer that has progressed on or after cancer chemotherapy. 27 March 2025
US biotech Exelixis has secured a sixth indication for its cancer drug Cabometyx (cabozantinib), following a green light from the Food and Drug Administration for advanced neuroendocrine tumors (NET). 26 March 2025
Asgard Therapeutics, a privately-held biotech working in in vivo direct cell reprogramming for cancer immunotherapy, has named experienced immunology drug development specialist Shane Olwill its chief development officer (CDO). 26 March 2025
A biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for retinal diseases, including wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME).