Sanofi SA moved several new oncology and immunology programmes into Phase 3 in the third quarter while simultaneously completing enrolment of a Phase 1/2 trial of a candidate vaccine for Covid-19. The company also paid $3.36 billion to acquire Principia Biopharma Inc of the US, giving it a pipeline of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Novartis has expanded its presence in the gene therapy field with the acquisition of Vedere Bio Inc, a US gene therapy company launched in 2019 by Atlas Venture, an early-stage venture capital fund. Vedere has technology for potentially restoring vision in patients whose sight has been impaired by the loss of photoreceptor cells. The technology is based on optogenetics which describes a biological technique for using light to control neurons related to sight.
A Phase 2 study evaluating the safety and efficacy of bamlanivimab, an experimental antibody treatment developed by Eli Lilly and Co, has shown potential for treating Covid-19 patients outside a hospital setting. The study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine on 28 October 2020.
Bamlanivimab is an IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds to the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 in order to block entry of the virus into human cells. The antibody was derived from convalescent plasma from a Covid-19 patient.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc reported turnover of £8.6 billion for the third quarter, down by 8% from a year earlier, with all three of its business units showing anticipated sales declines. However there were signs of a recovery in the company’s vaccine business. This, plus measures to control costs, enabled the company to reaffirm its earnings guidance for the current year. On an adjusted basis, earnings per share are expected to be at the lower end of a one to four percent decline. The adjusted figure excludes amortisations and impairments of intangible assets.
Turnover at Novartis was $12.3 billion in the third quarter, up by 1% from a year earlier, as gains in sales volumes were partially offset by a fall in prices and generic competition for the legacy medicines Afinitor and Exjade. The pattern was similar for the first nine months of the year when sales rose by 2% to $35.9 billion.
Bayer AG is to pay up to $4 billion to acquire Asklepios BioPharmaceutical Inc (AskBio), a US gene therapy company with a clinical-stage pipeline and a significant manufacturing capacity. It will pay $2 billion upfront for the company and up to $2 billion in success-based milestones, of which three quarters are expected to be due over the next five years.
Preclinical data from an experimental treatment for chronic heart failure have shown that the compound is safe, improves cardiac function and reduces both ventricular as well as left atrial volumes in chronic heart failure. The study results were obtained in a clinically relevant large animal model and published on 22 October in the European Heart Journal.
A Swiss start-up, Araris Biotech AG, with new technology for antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), has raised an additional CHF 12.7 million in seed financing to advance its candidate drugs towards the clinic, bringing the total amount raised to CHF 15.2 million. The newest round was led by Pureos Bioventures of Zurich which noted that the company’s technology addresses some of the limitations of existing therapies.
The German unit of Immunic Inc has received a loan of up to €24.5 million from the European Investment Bank to support development of its lead asset as a potential treatment for patients with moderate coronavirus disease. The small molecule drug, IMU-838 (vidofludimus calcium), is also being tested in Phase 2 trials as a treatment for chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis.
A second Phase 2 study of an experimental vaccine for Lyme disease, a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks, has shown an encouraging immunological response in older adults, one of the vaccine’s main target groups, according to the developer Valneva SE.