Evotec AG has decided to spin out a group of preclinical neurology assets into a new company that will receive €14 million in start-up capital in order to accelerate development of a prospective drug for multiple sclerosis.
Cambridge Epigenetix Ltd has raised $21 million in a Series B equity financing for the further development of its epigenetic tools for analysing the DNA methylome. Prominent financers from California, US provided the bulk of the funding.
BerGenBio AS, a privately-held Norwegian company, has raised NOK212 million (€22.4 million) in new equity to advance the clinical development of its lead product BGB324 for the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and non-small cell lung cancer.
Andrew Witty, the chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline Plc since May 2008, is to retire from the company on 31 March 2017, GSK announced on 17 March. Mr Witty rose to the top position after a succession of sales and marketing positions across the globe.
After achieving financial stability and the successful launch of its lead asthma product flutiform, the board of Skyepharma Plc has agreed to merge with Vectura Group Plc, another developer of respiratory products.
A 22-year-old joint venture vaccine company has been terminated by the partners Sanofi SA and Merck & Co Inc following a review of the parent companies’ strategic priorities.
Argenx NV, which engineers antibodies originating in llamas, almost doubled its operating income in 2015 from a combination of research funding, milestone payments and government grants. Cash on 31 December was €42.3 million which will continue to underpin product development.
Following a successful initial public offering of its shares on the AIM market in London, Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd has started patient recruitment for a pan-European Phase 3 trial of its lead product for acute respiratory distress syndrome Traumakine.
Galapagos NV reported a decline in revenue and a widening of its operating loss in 2015. But the company significantly increased its cash reserves following an initial public offering of its shares on the US Nasdaq market and a follow-up share offering during the year.
Baxalta Inc has entered the gene editing field with an agreement to work with Precision BioSciences on cancer therapies using engineered immune cells. The collaboration was announced a little more than a month after Baxalta agreed to be acquired by Shire Plc in a deal valued at $32 billion.