Kymab Ltd of Cambridge, UK is taking its antibody technology to Texas in order to work with scientists at the MD Anderson Cancer Center to discover and develop new monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer and biomarkers to identify responder populations.
Complix NV of Belgium has entered into a discovery collaboration agreement with Merck & Co Inc to develop treatments against two undisclosed cancer targets using technology that it says can penetrate cell membranes and modulate intracellular disease targets.
Gilead Sciences Inc has stopped a Phase 2 study of the monocolonal antibody simtuzumab in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) due to lack of efficacy. The decision was based on a recommendation of the study’s data monitoring committee.
Baxalta Inc has acquired options to buy six checkpoint inhibitors from the Denmark-based antibody developer Symphogen A/S in a move that may strengthen its hand in takeover discussions with Shire Plc. These discussions are reportedly nearing a conclusion.
A new lung cancer treatment for patients who have a specific tumour mutation has received a positive opinion in Europe. The drug, Tagrisso (osimertinib), was developed by AstraZeneca Plc.
Medivir AB has announced the termination of an early-stage hepatitis C project that was being conducted with Janssen Pharmaceuticals because early signs of clinical activity were too weak. The compound, AL-704, was nevertheless safe and well-tolerated.
Crispr Therapeutics AG of Switzerland and Bayer AG of Germany are to form a jointly owned company to exploit Crispr’s gene-editing capabilities and Bayer’s expertise in engineering proteins to develop new therapeutics, the two companies announced on 21 December.
Privately-owned Servier of France has exercised an option to acquire equity in GeNeuro SA, a Swiss biotech that is poised to test a new antibody in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
Inthera Bioscience AG, a Swiss start-up company with a new approach for treating cancer, has received €3.4 million in seed money from a syndicate of venture capital investors led by MS Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Merck KGaA.
AbbVie Inc may have surprised Galapagos NV in September when it ended a multi-year agreement to develop a new drug for rheumatoid arthritis. But now Galapagos has responded with a new deal with Gilead Sciences Inc for the same drug, but on better terms.