A new oncology company, Carrick Therapeutics Ltd, has been launched in Dublin, Ireland with $95 million in seed funding to build a portfolio of personalised medicines based on emerging knowledge about cancer growth and resistance at a molecular level.
A new combination therapy trial designed to test kinase and checkpoint inhibitors together to see whether they are effective in treating mesothelioma, non-small cell lung and pancreatic cancers, is expected to start late this year or early in 2017.
Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH has expanded its oncology portfolio to include oncolytic virus technology through a collaboration with privately held ViraTherapeutics GmbH of Austria. The deal is potentially worth €210 million.
The European Medicines Agency has appealed against a court order preventing it from releasing documents relating to two marketed medicines, arguing that the disclosures are consistent with its policy on transparency.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new device for people with Type 1 diabetes – the first to automatically monitor blood glucose levels and release insulin at the appropriate dose. The so-called ‘artificial pancreas’ is intended to adjust insulin levels in the blood with little or no input from the user.
Evotec AG and C4X Discovery Holdings Plc have upgraded their research agreement to cover a broad range of targets for small molecule drugs. The initial focus will be on cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Adaptimmune Therapeutics Plc and the MD Anderson Cancer Center of the University of Texas have agreed to cooperate on T-cell receptor technology for treating solid and blood cancers.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc has named Emma Walmsley, currently head of the company’s consumer healthcare division, as the successor to Andrew Witty, the chief executive officer. Mr Witty will be retiring on 31 March 2017.
Rejecting the advice of its advisory committee, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare disorder that causes a progressive deterioration in the muscles of people with a specific gene mutation.