Patients with one of four subtypes of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma have shown a response to treatment with a CD-19 antibody called MOR208 which was administered as a monotherapy. Data from the Phase 2a study also showed the drug was well tolerated, according to the developer MorphoSys AG.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company said that its marketed cancer drug Opdivo (nivolumab) has shown a significant survival benefit for patients with non-small cell lung cancer raising the possibility that it could establish a new standard of care for the disease.
Merck & Co Inc said that its checkpoint antibody Keytruda (pembrolizumab) achieved an overall response rate of 25% in patients with metastatic head and neck cancer. The Phase 1b study included 132 heavily pre-treated patients.
Roche said that its CD20 antibody obinutuzumab (Gazyva/Gazyvaro) has provided significant benefit to patients with indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma paving the way for regulatory filings in the US, European Union and elsewhere.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved sirolimus for the treatment of a rare, progressive lung disease after a clinical trial in 89 patients showed the drug was effective compared with a placebo. Sirolimus trades as Rapamune and is an approved immunosuppressive agent.
The antibody developer ArGEN-X NV has joined forces with the dermatology expert LEO Pharma A/S to investigate an antibody therapeutic for the treatment of inflammation-related skin diseases.
The future of the anti-inflammatory drug brodalumab is under review following a decision by Amgen Inc to quit a co-development and commercialization agreement with AstraZeneca Plc. This follows the observation of suicidal ideation and behaviour in a Phase 3 programme.
Merck Serono has extended its reproductive health franchise to include rights to three in vitro fertilization (IVF) products developed by Genea Biomedx Ltd of Australia. The financial terms of the collaboration were not disclosed.
In a reversal of a recent trend, Boston-based PureTech Health Plc is planning to launch an initial public offering of shares on the London Stock Exchange with the intention of raising $160 million. In recent months, most life science IPOs have taken place in the US.
Biotech companies continued to enjoy substantial investment in the first quarter, especially for early-stage companies. But the bulk of this capital was raised through initial public offerings (IPOs) in the US rather than Europe. Panelists at a recent BioTrinity conference in London debated whether this imbalance in funding opportunity was likely to have long-term term consequences for the European industry.