Addex Therapeutics Ltd of Switzerland has raised $10.3 million in a private placement of its shares with international, institutional investors to support the development of its pipeline of small molecule drugs based on allosteric modulation technology.
The non-profit drug developer, Aeras, has signed an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines SA to advance the clinical development of a new vaccine against tuberculosis. A Phase 2b trial of the vaccine is scheduled to start in Kenya, India and South Africa.
UCB SA of Belgium is to provide up to $4.5 million over three years to fund a new research project at Harvard University to study the human microbiome and its impact on the immune system. This is the company’s third research alliance with the US university.
AstraZeneca Plc is to pay $35 million upfront for exclusive rights to a Phase 2 compound designed to treat complications associated with end-stage renal disease and chronic kidney disease. Potential development milestones are valued at $237.5 million.
Affimed Therapeutics AG of Germany has raised €15.5 million in venture capital to finance the early clinical testing of two bispecific antibody products developed to treat lymphomas. The Series D funding is being lead by existing investors.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd is to pay $60 million upfront to buy the privately-owned US developer of vaccine technology, LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals Inc. The acquisition will give Takeda a candidate product to prevent norovirus gastroenteritis.
ArGEN-X BV of the Netherlands has taken the unusual step of out-licensing its lead preclinical antibody compound to a Shanghai-based company which will take it into human studies in China and thereafter develop it.
Janssen Biotech Inc is in-licensing a Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitor for rheumatoid arthritis from Astellas Pharma Inc – a second US pharma company to secure access in recent months to a new small molecule compound for this disease.
Ipsen SA’s haemophilia alliance with Inspiration Biopharmaceuticals Inc has come under strain following the US company’s failure to raise external financing. Ipsen announced on Wednesday that the ‘parties continue to explore various options.’
Ablynx is set to receive €6.5 million upfront under a new collaboration with Merck & Co to develop and commercialise candidate antibody therapeutics that target a voltage gated ion channel, with an option to develop an antibody against a second target.