Company News

Evotec purchases in-licensing firm

Country
Germany

Evotec AG has announced the acquisition of a small asset management company, Bionamics GmbH, to help it accelerate the translation of academic innovations into assets for the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

Zealand Pharma gets Lyxumia revenue

Country
Denmark

Zealand Pharma A/S had revenue of DKK 6.6 million (€0.9 million) for 2013, wholly made up of royalty payments on sales of its first marketed product, Lyxumia (lixisenatide), for Type 2 diabetes. Revenue in 2012 was DKK 223.6 million and milestone based.

Lung cancer trial misses co-primary endpoints – GSK

Country
United Kingdom

A Phase 3 trial of a MAGE-A3 cancer vaccine has failed to significantly extend disease-free survival in patients with non-small lung cancer – the first and second co-primary endpoints, according to the developer GlaxoSmithKline Plc.

BMS gets access to new checkpoint targets

Country
United States

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company is set to gain access to new targets for the development of checkpoint inhibitors against cancer under a licensing deal with Five Prime Therapeutics Inc carrying an upfront payment of  $20 million.

Bosentan study doesn’t meet endpoint

Country
Switzerland

A Phase IV study of bosentan has failed to show that the drug significantly prolongs time to first morbidity or mortality in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) already receiving sildenafil. Bosentan (Tracleer) is marketed by Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

BioInvent in rights offering

Country
Sweden

BioInvent International AB, which is developing three antibodies to treat cancer, plans to raise SEK 48.9 million (€5.5 million) with a rights offering on the NASDAQ OMX Exchange in Stockholm. The proceeds will support the company’s ongoing research.

DiaGenic to raise NOK 50 million with rights issue

Country
Norway

DiaGenic ASA, a specialist in gene expression technology, is raising NOK 50 million (€6 million) with a rights offering on the Oslo Stock Exchange. The offering comprises 100 million new shares priced at NOK 0.50 per share.

Immunotherapy reduced tumours- Amgen

Country
United States

Amgen Inc said that its oncolytic virus product, talimogene laherparepvec (TVEC), reduced the size of tumours in patients with metastatic melanoma during a recent Phase 3 trial. The data comes from a retrospective analysis of nearly 4,000 tumour lesions.

TxCell secures partnership, plans IPO

Country
France

The French biotechnology company TxCell SA has signed an option agreement to license its lead cell therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to Ferring International Center SA, and simultaneously announced plans to list its shares on Euronext Paris.

Inotrem raises €18 million for sepsis

Country
France

Inotrem SA, a French start-up with a new approach for treating sepsis, has raised €18 million in a Series A round, the largest early funding round in Europe so far this year. The company was co-founded in February 2013 by Jean-Jaques Garaud, formerly of Roche.