Company News

Evotec AG has entered into a three-year collaboration pact with Novartis AG to develop small molecule therapies.

Evotec AG has raised its forecast for revenue in 2008 on the basis of higher-than-expected income from its research collaborations.

MediGene AG is expecting to conclude a strategic partnership in 2009 for its treatment for pancreatic cancer, EndoTAG-1. The forecast is contained in the company’s financial report for the first nine months of 2008, which was issued on 7 November.

The French biopharmaceutical company, Innate Pharma SA, reported a 16% increase in revenue for the first nine months of 2008 compared with a year earlier, largely due to income from its strategic partnership with Novo Nordisk A/S.

The German drug discovery and development company, 4SC AG, has restructured its drug portfolio to include oncology projects acquired from Switzerland’s Nycomed in July 2008. It is now preparing to take one of these compounds into Phase 2.

After a period of restructuring, Paion AG has started to look for partners to develop its candidate products for central nervous system and cardiovascular disorders. The German company outlined its revised business strategy in a financial report for the first nine months of 2008, issued on 5 November.

Newron  Pharmaceuticals SpA has consolidated its research programme for central nervous system (CNS) disorders and pain following the takeover earlier this year of Hunter-Fleming Ltd of the UK.

Pronova BioPharma ASA, the Norwegian producer of omega-3 derived prescription drugs, reported sharply higher revenues and earnings in the third 2008 quarter because it was able to raise the production capacity for its best selling treatment for coronary artery disease, Omacor (Lovaza).

Neuropharm Group Plc said that it is on track to complete its new drug application (NDA) for the treatment for autism in the second quarter of 2009. If approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the treatment could be launched in the US in the first quarter of 2010.

MorphoSys AG has revised upward its expected operating profit for 2008 to take into account continued strong demand for its antibody technology.