Company News

The fortunes of biotech, at least in the US, have shifted. Gone is the gloom and in its place has arrived something close to euphoria, driven by a wave of initial public offerings (IPOs).

Merck & Co Inc has announced a further contraction of its business in order to become better focused and more flexible. The plan includes new redundancies of about 8,500, in addition to pending, previously announced staff cuts.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Brintellix (vortioxetine), an inhibitor of serotonin reuptake, for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The developers are H. Lundbeck A/S and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd.

Cell Medica Ltd has further extended its global footprint with the opening of a manufacturing facility in Germany which will support the commercial launch of its lead cell product for the prevention and treatment of cytomegalovirus infections.

Ablynx NV and Merck Serono have expanded a partnership dating from 2008 to focus on early discovery across a range of therapeutic areas with the goal of identifying antibody-derived therapeutic proteins for later stage development.

Merck Serono has changed course and decided to continue development of its MUC1 antigen-specific immunotherapy against non-small lung cancer focusing on a patient subgroup. The Phase 3 trial is being conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment with the FDA.

Galapagos NV and AbbVie Inc have reached an agreement to co-develop small molecule drugs to treat cystic fibrosis. The goal is to identify compounds that can correct defects and/or restore the activity to the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator protein.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc has described a new modality for generating monoclonal antibodies that involves the use of DNA plasmid technology to produce specific antibody molecules in the bloodstream of mice.

The US Food and Drug Administration has expanded the indication for an artificial heart valve manufactured by Edwards Lifesciences Corp to include the treatment of patients who have inoperable aortic valve stenosis.

Ablynx NV has secured a licensing deal with AbbVie Inc for its antibody-derived therapeutic protein ALX-0061 to treat inflammatory diseases. The product targets the interleukin-6 receptor and is in Phase 2 for rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).