The European Medicines Agency is recommending that the Roche medicine Gazyvaro (obinutuzumab) be used to treat patients with follicular lymphoma, in addition to its approved indication for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).
A review of the safety of Zydelig (idelalisib) as a combination cancer agent is ongoing, with a report expected to be made to the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) in June, according to the European Medicines Agency.
Ablynx NV has reported positive top line results from a first-in-infant study of its therapeutic protein for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a leading cause of lower respiratory tract disease in infants and young children. The results were reported on 3 May.
Wilson Therapeutics AB, a Swedish company owned by venture capital firms, is to make an initial public offering of its shares on Nasdaq Stockholm in order to take the company’s copper removal product for Wilson’s disease through Phase 3 and registration and to the market by 2020.
MorphoSys AG boosted spending on proprietary antibody development in the first quarter as its lead product was readied for combination studies in separate B cell malignancies. Financial results for the period showed a steep drop in revenue and a rise in expenses. But liquidity remained strong.
Bispecific, which is the term given to a molecule that binds to two different antigen, has largely been associated with therapeutic antibodies. But research has also been underway to discover whether the same concept can be applied to small molecules.
Galapagos NV and AbbVie Inc have raised the stakes in their bid to overtake Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc in cystic fibrosis with plans to start human trials in 2017 of a new triple combination therapy for the disease.
France-based Ipsen SA has reported a rise in sales for the global specialty care market and a decline in revenue from primary care. Overall first quarter sales were €362 million, up by 3.4%, of which specialty care sales represented nearly 80%.
Novo Nordisk A/S, the global producer of diabetes products, reported an 8% rise in net sales to DKK 27.2 billion (€3.65 billion) in the first quarter, but its operating profit declined by 11% to DKK 12.3 billion due to a one-time financial gain a year-earlier.
Sanofi SA is to team up with Recursion Pharmaceuticals LLC of the US to discover new uses for drugs in its clinical-stage portfolio that target rare diseases. The deal positions Sanofi to play a bigger role in treating rare diseases at a time when competition in the sector is increasing.