Theravectys SAS of France, which is developing vaccines based on lentiviral vector technology, has secured €7.48 million from a group of private French investors. The new funds will help the company develop a candidate therapeutic vaccine for HIV.
Merck Serono SA is spinning out a second new enterprise in connection with the closure of its Geneva, Switzerland office – this time focused on bioinformatics. The new company, Quartz Bio SA, will offer biomarker analysis services to the pharma industry.
On the heels of a successful share placement in July, Oxford BioMedica Plc is moving its gene therapy and cancer vaccine programmes ahead with a near-term focus on completing the dosing of patients in a Phase 1 study of a gene therapy for ‘wet’ age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Topotarget A/S of Denmark has engaged ABG Sundal Collier to lead a review of the company’s strategic options that could include a new partnership for its lead product, a merger with an industrial partner or a sale of the company.
Genmab A/S has entered into a licensing deal and equity investment with Johnson & Johnson Inc potentially valued at $1.1 billion for an early-stage antibody that targets CD38, a molecule that is highly expressed on multiple myeloma cells. The deal is the largest partnership in the Danish company’s history.
Pascal Soriot of Roche is to become the new chief executive of AstraZeneca Plc on 1 October following the retirement on 1 June of David Brennan. Simon Lowth, the acting CEO, will stay in this job until Mr Soriot joins, after which he will continue as CFO.
The US Food and Drug Administration has told Genzyme (Sanofi SA) to re-do its marketing authorization application for Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) for MS to change the presentation of the data. No additional data is being requested, Sanofi said.
Eli Lilly and Company is to seek advice from regulators about the possible next step for its investigative Alzheimer’s treatment, solanezumab, following the failure of two Phase 3 trials in patients with mild-to-moderate forms of the disease.
Zealand Pharma A/S has raised its revenue forecast and is predicting a higher profit for 2012 as its clinical programmes, especially in diabetes, continued to generate healthy milestone payments. Payments in the first half alone amounted to €25 million.
Agennix AG has announced plans to reduce its staff by 55% in order to conserve cash following the failure of a Phase 3 trial of its lead product for non-small cell lung cancer, talactoferrin alfa (talactoferrin).