Roche is to acquire 89bio Inc of San Francisco, US, to expand its cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disease portfolio with a drug that is being developed for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). MASH (previously called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) is a liver disease that develops when fat builds up and causes inflammation. Without treatment, it can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Novartis is to spend $1.4 billion to expand its pipeline of drugs for cardiovascular diseases with the acquisition of US-based Tourmaline Bio Inc. Tourmaline’s lead asset, pacibekitug, a monoclonal antibody in development for atherosclrotic cardiovascular disease. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is caused by a build-up of plaque in the arterial walls and includes coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease.
Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) of the UK and Crown Bioscience have formed a strategic global alliance to accelerate innovation in radiopharmaceuticals through an integrated translational biology platform. The collaboration aims to support companies across the drug development pipeline by combining MDC’s expertise in radiochemistry, imaging and tissue analysis with Crown Bioscience’s preclinical oncology capabilities.
Quotient Sciences and CPI, a UK manufacturing entity, have agreed to form a joint venture aimed at accelerating the development of RNA-based therapies. The partnership, announced on 2 September, will combine Quotient’s Translational Pharmaceutics platform with CPI’s expertise in RNA manufacture and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) encapsulation, creating what the partners describe as the first fully integrated offering for mRNA drug product development.
Servier has entered into an agreement with Kaerus Bioscience, a UK-based biotechnology company co-founded by Medicxi, to acquire KER-0193, a potential treatment for Fragile X syndrome (FXS). Financial details include an upfront payment, with development and commercial earn-outs that could bring the total value of the deal to $450 million.
Enlaza Therapeutics Inc and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc agreed to collaborate on drug discovery aimed at creating small format drug conjugates and T cell engagers to treat certain autoimmune diseases and to improve conditioning in sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. Enlaza will receive $45 million in an upfront payment and equity investment. Vertex will work with Enlaza’s covalent biologics platform, called War-Lock, which uses proprietary non-natural amino acids to precision-engineer biologic medicines, resulting in an expanded therapeutic window.
Replicate Bioscience has entered into a multi-year research collaboration with Novo Nordisk A/S to develop self-replicating RNA (srRNA) therapies for obesity, type 2 diabetes and other cardiometabolic diseases. The deal combines Novo Nordisk’s expertise in metabolic disorders with Replicate’s proprietary srRNA platform, designed to enable scalable and durable protein expression.
Britain’s plans for expanding its position as a global centre for biopharmaceutical research and development hit a barrier on 10 September when Merck & Co Inc announced a decision to stop development of a £1 billion research centre in London, and vacate two other laboratories in the city.
UK-based CHARM Therapeutics Ltd has raised $80 million from an international investor syndicate to support a preclinical product, based on a novel algorithm, for patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). AML accounts for about one out of three leukaemias in adults in the US, but for those over the age of 65 years, the incidence is much higher. Announced on 2 September, the financing was co-led by new investors New Enterprise Associates and SR One with participation from existing groups including NVentures, the investment arm of the chipmaker Nvidia Corp.
Scientists across 25 countries representing 51 different nationalities have been awarded €761 million from the European Union to support original research in the physical and life sciences, social sciences and the humanities. The awards were announced on 4 September by the European Research Council, a public body established by the European Commission in 2007. The programme falls under Horizon Europe, the European Union’s seven-year programme for research and development.