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
US oncology-focused Nuvation Bio today announced non-dilutive financings of up to $250 million with Sagard Healthcare Partners (Sagard), with the news pushing its shares up 6.6% to $2.10 in pre-market activity. 3 March 2025
USA/China-based SciClone Pharmaceuticals has entered into a license agreement with Japan’s Eisai for the latter’s fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor tasurgratinib succinate (code named E7090). 3 March 2025
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation for Anktiva (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln) and CAR-NK (PD-L1 t-haNK) for the reversal of lymphopenia in patients receiving standard-of-care chemotherapy/radiotherapy and in multiply relapsed locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. 3 March 2025
Among significant research news last week, US CNS specialist Axsome Therapeutics released new Phase III data on its recently US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved migraine drug Symbravo, and the UK’s AstraZeneca announced positive Phase III trial results for its breast cancer candidate camizestrant. US biotech giant Amgen revealed it is pressing ahead with its $200 million investment in Indian technology center. US pharma major Eli Lilly attracted attention with its licensing deal for Organovo’s FXR program and announcing the release of new dosages and prices for its blockbuster obesity drug Zepbound. 2 March 2025
Massachusetts, USA-based start-up Magnet Biomedicine, which is advancing molecular glue discovery with rational selection and design, has announced a collaboration and license agreement with pharma major Eli Lilly & Co to discover, develop, and commercialize molecular glue therapeutics in oncology. 1 March 2025
The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) human medicines committee (CHMP) recommended three novel medicines for approval at its February 2025 meeting. The European Commission is expected to announce a final decision on approval in the coming months. 1 March 2025
Sino American biotech BeiGene has announced financial results and corporate updates from the fourth quarter and full year 2024. The company’s shares rose 7.5% to $278.38 on the news. 28 February 2025
French biotech start-up studio Argobio and non-profit biomedical research center the Institut Pasteur have announced the launch of Enodia Therapeutics. 26 February 2025
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review Regeneron Pharmaceuticals’ resubmission of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for odronextamab in relapsed/refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy. 26 February 2025
California-based biotech Eikon Therapeutics today announced the initial closing of a $350.7 million Series D financing. Since its founding in 2019, Eikon Therapeutics has privately raised in excess of $1.1 billion to support its mission of developing new medicines to address grievous illnesses, the company noted. 26 February 2025
Repare Therapeutics is set to cut approximately 75% of its workforce as part of a restructuring plan aimed at extending its cash reserves into mid-2027. 26 February 2025
Positive high-level results from a planned interim analysis of the SERENA-6 Phase III trial showed that AstraZeneca’s camizestrant in combination with a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor (palbociclib, ribociclib or abemaciclib) demonstrated a highly statistically-significant and clinically-meaningful improvement in the primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS). 26 February 2025
Ryvu Therapeutics saw its shares tumble nearly 13% to 22.70 zloty by close of trading today, as the Polish oncology-focused biotech company announced a strategic reorganization that will extend Ryvu’s cash runway to second-half 2026 to focus on driving the RVU120 clinical program and the early pipeline to key data inflection points. 25 February 2025
UK-based Swarm Oncology, a biotech developing T-cell therapies to achieve long-term remission in advanced solid cancers, has announced a strategic partnership with cell and gene therapy-focused contract development and manufacturing organization Cellex Cell Professionals. 25 February 2025
Florida, USA-based Summit Therapeutics saw its share rise 6.2% to $23.50 pre-market on the news of a clinical trial collaboration with Pfizer to evaluate ivonescimab, a novel, investigational PD-1 / VEGF bispecific antibody, in combination with several of the US pharma giant’s antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) across multiple solid tumor settings. 25 February 2025
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan has approved Sarclisa (isatuximab), in combination with bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (VRd), for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) based on data from the IMROZ Phase III study. 25 February 2025
In this episode, we’ll take a look at the role of Japanese pharmaceutical groups in the UK, with Jackie Davis, general manager at Astellas Pharma. 24 February 2025
Earlier this month, the Norwegian government launched the cancer strategy Joint Efforts Against Cancer, with five national goals and 17 new ten-year goals, which set ambitions for the cancer area up to 2035. 24 February 2025
India's pharmaceutical market is witnessing a surge in new drug launches, particularly in the oncology segment, fueled by a rising cancer burden and demand for cutting-edge treatments. Leading the charge are big domestic pharma spearheading the launch of breakthrough oncology drugs. 23 February 2025
Privately-held Austria firm pharmaand GmbH (pharma&) today announced that the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued a positive recommendation for its Rubraca (rucaparib). 21 February 2025
A biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for retinal diseases, including wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME).