A new drug intended to treat low sexual desire in women has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Addyi (flibanserin) is the first pharmaceutical for this condition, which is known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).
H. Lundbeck A/S produced some promising sales figures in its report for the first half year but this was overshadowed by another, more severe, cost cutting exercise by its newly appointed chief executive, Kåre Schultz.
Merck & Co Inc has announced plans to collaborate with the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas to investigate combinations of its checkpoint antibody Keytruda (pembrolizumab) with other agents as possible treatments for three solid tumours.
A Phase 2 study of venetoclax, a new drug for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), has shown a clinically meaningful reduction in cancer cells in patients with a specific genetic mutation known as the 17p deletion. The patients all had refractory CLL.
Evotec AG increased its revenue by 37% to €55 million in the first half year, helped by favourable exchange rates, milestone payments and fees from pharmaceutical partners for whom it provides services. For the year as a whole, the company expects revenue to grow by 35%.
Merus BV of the Netherlands has secured another legal victory over Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc in a battle over intellectual property rights to transgenic mouse technology for the production of therapeutic antibodies.
Kiadis Pharma of the Netherlands has raised an additional €2 million from its initial public offering (IPO) of shares on the Euronext stock exchange in Amsterdam and Brussels following the partial exercise of an over-allotment option.
The Wellcome Trust has awarded $3.84 million to Karuna Pharmaceuticals Inc to further develop a novel treatment for schizophrenia that combines the experimental compound xanomeline with an approved medicine called trospium chloride.
Oxford Biotrans Ltd, a spin-out of the University of Oxford, has received £2.5 million in a Series A funding round to commercialise an enzyme technology that has application to soft drinks and confectionary as well as to pharmaceuticals.
France-based TxCell SA has raised €8 million in a private share placement to support development of its two lead cell therapy products, the first of which is in a Phase 2b study in patients with refractory Crohn’s disease. The funds will also support general R&D and manufacturing activities.