Company News

Acacia Pharma raises £15 million

Country
United Kingdom

Acacia Pharma Ltd has raised £15 million in a Series B financing from a group led by Fidelity Biosciences and Novo A/S in order to complete Phase 3 development of one cancer supportive care product, and advance development of two others.

Christian Grøndahl to be Kymab CEO

Country
United Kingdom

Kymab Ltd has announced a change in top management as it prepares to broaden its commercial strategy to include the development of its proprietary antibody drug portfolio in addition to licensing access to its in vivo antibody technology platform.

BVF becomes strategic holder of Evotec

Country
Germany

The Biotechnology Value Fund (BVF) LP of the US and affiliates have invested €30 million via a share placement in Evotec AG and taken out an option to buy a further stake from an existing shareholder, which could raise the holding to more than 18%.

AstaZeneca to acquire Amplimmune

Country
United Kingdom

AstraZeneca Plc said that its biologics arm, MedImmune, has reached agreement to acquire privately-held Amplimmune of Maryland, US in a move that will strengthen its portfolio of immune-mediated cancer therapies.

Amgen to acquire Onyx for $10.4 billion

Country
United States

Amgen Inc has reach agreement to take over Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc for $10.4 billion in cash thereby strengthening its oncology portfolio and acquiring a marketed product for multiple myeloma. The agreement was announced on Sunday.

Phase 3 trial of vercirnon doesn’t meet endpoint

 A Phase 3 study of vercirnon, an investigational drug for patients with Crohn’s disease, has failed to meet its primary endpoint of improvement in clinical response, and a secondary endpoint of clinical remission, GlaxoSmithKline Plc said.

Bavarian Nordic has interim revenue gain

Country
Denmark

Bavarian Nordic A/S, the Danish vaccine developer, reported a 25% increase in revenue to DKK 556 million (€74.5 million) in the first-half year as a result of continuing US sales of its smallpox vaccine, Imvamune, and recognition of previous deliveries.

Ablynx in talks for licensing RA antibody

Country
Belgium

Ablynx NV, which makes antibody fragments for itself and others, reported a 22.3% decline in revenue in the first half year to £12.9 million. However, its operating loss contracted by 24% to €10.9 million, mainly as result of lower research expenses.

TiGenix reports first half loss; plans to increase working capital

Country
Belgium

TiGenix NV, the Belgian developer of cell therapies, reported a 7.5% increase in sales to €2.3 million in the first half as it continued to roll out the cell therapy, ChondroCelect. In response to an auditor's note, it announced plans to raise working capital.

Medivir revises interferon-free HCV strategy

Country
Sweden

Medivir AB has announced plans to discontinue development of one type of hepatitis C virus drug in order to concentrate exclusively on nucleotide-based polymerase inhibitors. It will discontinue work on NS5A replication complex inhibitors.