News

Genmab A/S, the Danish antibody developer with several Big Pharma alliances, has raised its revenue guidance for the full year despite reporting a big loss in the third quarter on rising revenue

A candidate malaria vaccine developed by GlaxoSmithKline Plc has shown efficacy in a Phase 3 trial in infants in Africa. But the results were less robust than expected. Researchers involved in the project said they will continue to analyse the data to clarify how the vaccine might play a role in overall malaria prevention.

Citing a need to focus on its core business, GlaxoSmithKline Plc said it is returning the prodrug, gabapentin enacarbil (Horizant), to XenoPort Inc. It also announced that all litigation between the two companies has been resolved.

Evotec AG, which provides advanced discovery services to pharmaceutical companies, reported lower revenue and earnings in the third quarter but it continued to expand its alliances and collaborations.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Xeljanz (tofacitinib) a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor developed by Pfizer Inc for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The  approval represents a new treatment option in a field currently dominated by biologics.

H. Lundbeck A/S reported a decline in revenue for the third quarter and first nine months as a result of generic competition and downward pressure on prices from European buying agents.

MorphoSys AG has lowered its 2012 revenue forecast to €70 to €75 million from €75 to €80 million as certain commercial agreements have taken longer to conclude than expected. Revenue in 2011 was €100.8 million, reflecting a one-off technology fee.

Novartis has expanded its strategic alliance with MorphoSys AG to incorporate the German company’s newest antibody library and antibody selection technologies. Financial terms were not disclosed.

After a trial delay that triggered a corporate restructuring, Pharming Group NV of the Netherlands has now reported positive clinical data for Ruconest, its lead drug for hereditary angioedema (HAE). A US regulatory filing is expected in the 2013 first half.

Cytos Biotechnology AG reported a smaller loss in the third quarter and first nine months of 2012 following a reorganisation and refinancing that left the Swiss company with a reduced pipeline. The lead product is an asthma immunotherapy.