A new therapy for advanced pancreatic cancer, one of the most difficult-to-treat diseases, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. The combination therapy has been approved for patients who have previously received gemcitabine.
Roche has raised its financial forecast for 2015 and announced plans to increase its Swiss franc dividend following solid growth of its pharmaceutical business in the first nine months, led by the CD20 antibody rituximab (MabThera/Rituxan).
France’s Nicox SA, a developer of eye-care products, saw its revenue more than double to €7 million in the first nine months of 2015 from €3.2 million a year earlier following increased product sales. The year-earlier figure excludes revenue from Nicox Inc which was divested in late 2014.
A new coagulation factor replacement therapy has been approved in the US for patients with hereditary Factor X deficiency, a condition that is characterised by the failure of the blood to clot normally.
Novartis has announced plans to acquire one oncology developer and in-license experimental compounds from two other companies in order to bring three new technologies into its immuno-oncology portfolio.
Biotest AG of Germany is taking impairments totalling €84 million against its results following a plunge in US sales of Bivigam, an immunoglobulin product for the treatment of patients with primary humoral immunodeficiency.
Switzerland-based Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd has filed a registration document with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in preparation for a listing of its shares on the Nasdaq over-the-counter market.
Spain-based Minoryx Therapeutics sl, which is developing drugs for rare diseases, has raised €19.4 million in a Series A funding round to progress its lead candidate into the clinic for multiple disorders of the central nervous system.
A proposed treatment for dry eye disease has been turned down by the US Food and Drug Administration pending more clinical data and information on product quality, according to the sponsor Shire Plc. Shire announced receipt of a complete response letter on 16 October.
A proposed treatment for Type 2 diabetes that combines saxagliptin and dapagliflozin has been turned down by the US Food and Drug Administration, the drug’s sponsor AstraZeneca Plc announced on 16 October. The refusal was in the form of a complete response letter.