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
Sino-American biopharma Ascentage Pharma has announced that olverembatinib has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by China’s Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), alongside low-intensity chemotherapy, for first-line treatment of newly-diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). 11 March 2025
Danish cancer specialist Genmab’s stock took a hit after US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson opted not to license its HexaBody-CD38 (GEN301), despite its promising trial results. 11 March 2025
Finnish drugmaker Orion Corporation has announced that it is establishing a new research and development (R&D) center in Cambridge, UK, during 2025 to accelerate its global growth strategy and the development of innovative medicines. 10 March 2025
Shares of German biotech BioNTech dipped 2.5% to $105.86 today, after it reported financial results for the three months and full year ended December 31, 2024, and provided an update on its corporate progress. 10 March 2025
Indian drug major Sun Pharmaceutical Industries has entered an agreement with Checkpoint Therapeutics to acquire the US immunotherapy and targeted oncology company, with the news sending the latter’s shares rocketing more than 65% to $4.06 this morning. 10 March 2025
Valo Therapeutics says it has successfully secured a financing round of 19 million euros ($20.6 million), part of which was raised in Europe and part in Australia, to clinically develop its innovative immune therapy for cancer. 10 March 2025
Last week’s significant research news included positive new Phase III data on Tezspire in nasal polyps from Amgen and AstraZeneca. US pharma major AbbVie became the latest entrant to the weight management sector, striking a deal with Gubra for its obesity candidate GUB14295. On the M&A front, Ireland-headquartered Jazz Pharmaceuticals announced it is acquiring Chimerix for around $935 million to expand its oncology portfolio. USA-based scPharmaceuticals gained US Food and Administration (FDA) approval for its supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for Furoscix in chronic kidney disease (CKD). 9 March 2025
US pharma major Bristol Myers Squibb has announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved Opdivo (nivolumab) plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). 7 March 2025
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved Lazcluze (lazertinib) for adults with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to other parts of the body and has undergone specific changes in a gene called epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). 7 March 2025
USA-based Medicus Pharma has announced a positive-trending interim analysis for the SKNJCT-003 Phase II study, which aims to treat non-invasively basal cell carcinoma of the skin (BCC). 6 March 2025
Ireland-headquartered Jazz Pharmaceuticals has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire US biopharma company Chimerix for $8.55 per share in cash, representing a total consideration of around $935 million. The news sent Chimerix’ shares rocketing almost 70% to $8.40. 5 March 2025
German life science giant Bayer has reported 2024 group revenue of 47.6 billion euros ($51.5 billion), down 2.2% from the previous year. Core earnings per share fell 21% to 5.05 euros, while EBITDA before special items declined 13.5% to 10.1 billion euros. 5 March 2025
The combined use of two well-known active substances can fight leukemic cells and limit their spread. This is the result of a study conducted by the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (KL Krems) and recently published in the journal Cancer Letters. 5 March 2025
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Tevimbra (tislelizumab-jsgr), in combination with platinum-containing chemotherapy, for the first-line treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) whose tumors express PD-L1 (≥1). 5 March 2025
San Francisco-based 3T Biosciences, an immunotherapy company in the field of solid tumors and other immune-mediated diseases, has announced the promotion of Marvin Gee to chief research officer and the appointment of Barbara Sennino as senior vice president and head of early development. 4 March 2025
South Korea-based Celltrion today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Stoboclo and Osenvelt (CT-P41, denosumab-bmwo), biosimilars referencing Amgen’s Prolia and Xgeva brands respectively for all indications of the reference products. 4 March 2025
US clinical-stage pharma company Protagonist Therapeutics and Japan’s Takeda have announced positive top-line results for the Phase III VERIFY study, in which phlebotomy-dependent patients with polycythemia vera (PV), a rare blood cancer, were randomized to treatment with either rusfertide or placebo, as an add-on to standard of care treatment. 4 March 2025
Frazier Life Sciences has launched Callio Therapeutics with $187 illion in series A funding to advance a HER2-targeted, dual-payload antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) into clinical trials. 4 March 2025
BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics (BBOT), a company advancing small molecule therapeutics targeting RAS and PI3Ka malignancies, and Helix Acquisition Corp II , a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) sponsored by affiliates of Cormorant Asset Management, have agreed to merge. 3 March 2025
A biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for retinal diseases, including wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME).