The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has turned down an application from Genzyme (Sanofi) to market an antisense compound for familial hypercholesterolaemia citing safety concerns. Genzyme said it will appeal against the opinion.
AstraZeneca Plc has signalled its interest in antisense technology with the recent announcement of a new strategic alliance with Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc in oncology. The main asset is an inhibitor of the STAT3 protein which is overexpressed in numerous cancers.
Switzerland-based Biocartis SA has raised €34.5 million in a Series D round to commercialise a molecular diagnostics platform that is aimed at the life science research market. The round was led by the Flemish investment company, PMV NV.
GlaxoSmithKline will continue to look for ways to improve the efficiency of its research and development operations even though it is on the cusp of achieving more new product launches in the next three years than at any time in the recent past.
Venture-capital backed Bicycle Therapeutics Ltd has secured Astellas Venture Management as a new investor as part of a tranched equity financing that will bring it £3.75 million in new money to support a move from research into drug discovery.
Two out of the three patients with chronic lymphoid leukaemia (CLL) who were treated with a novel immunotherapy in 2010 remain healthy and in full remission more than two years after treatment, according to University of Pennsylvania researchers.
Genome-based drug discovery received a lift on Monday with the announcement that Amgen Inc has agreed to pay $415 million in cash for DeCODE Genetics of Iceland, long considered to be a leader in population-based studies of human disease.
Sanofi SA has reported data from a Phase 2 trial of a Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2) inhibitor in myelofibrosis which showed the therapy achieved reductions in spleen size and other disease symptoms in 31 randomised patients.
Another potential therapy for patients with melanoma has emerged with the disclosure on 6 December of preliminary results of a therapeutic cancer vaccine in which four patients showed an immune response. The vaccine has been developed by Scancell Holdings Plc.
The Roche Group is to coordinate a new project under the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) under which 1,500 induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines will be generated and characterised for use in the study of disease.