News and Trends 8 Apr 2020 Evotec Makes Move into Gene Therapy with Takeda Deal German biotech giant Evotec has moved into gene therapy and partnered with Takeda to develop new therapies in oncology, rare diseases, neuroscience, and gastroenterology. The two companies did not reveal financial details of the collaboration, but did say that it will be a multi-year alliance that adds to Evotec’s existing deal with the big pharma […] April 8, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 6 Apr 2020 UK Biotech’s Arthritis Drug Enters Study in Coronavirus Patients The UK company Izana Bioscience is freely providing its phase III-ready anti-inflammatory antibody namilumab in a compassionate use program for the treatment of patients with coronavirus disease in Italy. In severe cases of coronavirus disease, also known as Covid-19, patients experience hyperinflammation. One of the drivers of inflammation is thought to be a protein called […] April 6, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By David Kirk Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Expert Advice 6 Apr 2020 How Investors Can Prepare for the Digitization of Biotech For a few decades, the worlds of biotech and digital technology have been on separate paths. Franck Lescure, Partner at the French VC firm Elaia Partners, explains how the two fields are now colliding and how investors need to catch up. At first glance, digital technology and biotech are widely different fields, each with their […] April 6, 2020 - 6 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 3 Apr 2020 UK-US Initiative to Screen Drugs Using AI for Coronavirus Treatments The UK company Exscientia will use its AI-driven drug discovery platform to examine a collection of 15,000 potential coronavirus disease treatments in collaboration with the US research institute Calibr and the non-profit synchrotron company Diamond Light Source. The team’s huge collection of drug molecules will be provided by Calibr, part of the US medical institute […] April 3, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By David Kirk Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 3 Apr 2020 Lilly Partners UK Immunometabolism Biotech in Deal Worth €811M Eli Lilly will partner Oxford-based Sitryx to develop up to four drug candidates to treat autoimmune disease in a deal worth €811M if development milestones are met. The UK biotech will receive an upfront payment of €46M from the US big pharma, which will also buy €10M of equity in the company. Sitryx can also […] April 3, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 2 Apr 2020 iTeos Therapeutics’ Cancer Immunotherapy Boosted with €114M Funding An oversubscribed Series B2 round has seen the biopharmaceutical company iTeos Therapeutics raise €114M, which will be used to advance the clinical development of its two lead cancer immunotherapies. The funds follow on from €65M raised by iTeos in Series B financing in 2018. Since then, the Belgian company has completed a phase I trial […] April 2, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Laura Cowen Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 2 Apr 2020 Update: FDA Imposes No Penalties for Novartis Data Manipulation Scandal Update (02/04/2020): The FDA has concluded an investigation into a data manipulation scandal surrounding the approval of Novartis’ gene therapy Zolgensma, and has decided against sanctions. The FDA launched an investigation into the manipulated data surrounding the gene therapy application last year, and recently reported that the investigated data violations didn’t meet the threshold for […] April 2, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 2 Apr 2020 Swiss and German Team to Develop Inhaled mRNA Coronavirus Treatment The Swiss antibody specialist Neurimmune and the German RNA biotech Ethris are collaborating to develop inhaled messenger RNA (mRNA) antibodies that can treat the catastrophic respiratory effects of coronavirus disease, also known as Covid-19. The therapeutic mRNA would be delivered directly into the lungs of symptomatic patients via nebulizers with nanoparticle aerosols. The mRNA could […] April 2, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 31 Mar 2020 Ipsen Resumes Phase III Testing for Rare Disease Drug and Abandons Pediatric Trial The French pharmaceutical company Ipsen has restarted the dosing of its treatment for a rare bone disease in a phase III trial after obtaining questionable interim results. At the same time, the company has terminated a phase II trial of the same drug in pediatric patients with a different bone disorder following a partial clinical […] March 31, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Karen O’Hanlon Cohrt Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 31 Mar 2020 Swiss Biopharma Launches Second Cancer Antibody Deal with Japanese Pharma Giant The Japanese heavyweight Ono Pharmaceutical has recruited Numab Therapeutics for a second time to co-develop a multi-specific antibody cancer treatment in a deal worth up to €246M (CHF 260M). The announcement follows a two-year collaboration between Ono and Numab announced in March 2017. Under the new agreement, which includes upfront and milestone payments, Ono has […] March 31, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By David Kirk Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 31 Mar 2020 Update: AM-Pharma Increases Acute Kidney Injury Phase III Funds to €163M Update (31/03/2020): AM-Pharma has raised an extra €47M on top of an existing €116M equity round to fund an upcoming phase III trial of a treatment for acute kidney injury. The money will help the Dutch biotech to prepare for its upcoming phase III trial of a protein drug for acute kidney injury, which is […] March 31, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 30 Mar 2020 Could mRNA Vaccines Fulfill Their Potential Against Coronavirus? The first vaccine against coronavirus disease could one day be made of mRNA. How is mRNA showing promise against the pandemic, and what could it signify for the mRNA field? The global number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases has passed 600,000 and is threatening to bring healthcare systems worldwide to their knees. To control the […] March 30, 2020 - 7 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email