Merck & Co Inc has taken another step to bolster its immuno-oncology pipeline with the acquisition of privately-owned IOmet Pharma of Scotland and its pre-clinical portfolio of small molecule drugs targeting enzymes involved in a number of cancers.
F-star Biotechnology Ltd has secured a new partner to help it exploit its bispecific antibody platform for cancer therapies. AbbVie Inc has now joined Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS), Merck Serono and Boehringer Ingelheim as research partners of the UK-based company.
Shire Plc is to buy Baxalta Inc for about $32 billion in cash and shares after some six months of negotiation in which Shire obtained professional advice that the transaction would be tax-free to Baxalta shareholders, who are to end up with 34% of the combined company.
A product that is currently used to treat burns has now been approved in the US for certain diabetic foot ulcers. It is a matrix which consists of silicone, cow collagen and shark cartilage and is placed over the ulcer providing an environment for new skin and tissue to regenerate and heal the wound.
The human microbiome took front stage in early January 2016 when two large pharma companies sealed drug discovery deals with France-based Enterome Bioscience SA, a pioneer in microbiome research.
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.