News

Abivax SA has raised €28 million from US and European investors to advance development of its lead small molecule drug, ABX464, in several inflammatory indications and Covid-19. ABX464 recently reported positive data in a Phase 2a study of patients with ulcerative colitis including a high remission rate at the end of a second year of treatment.

A readout of Phase 2b data in this indication is expected in the second quarter of 2021. ABX464 is also being studied in Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and as an antiviral treatment for HIV.

Addex Therapeutics Ltd is to receive $2.8 million in new research funding as part of an extended agreement with Indivior Plc, a specialty pharma company developing treatments for addiction disorders. The two companies have been working together since early 2018 and the amended agreement will now run until 30 June 2021.

From the personal computer to the iPhone, digital technologies have long been a feature of global communications. More recently, they have also begun to alter the landscape in healthcare. This was one of the themes addressed by Zaïde Frias of the European Medicines Agency to attendees of the Medtech & Pharma Platform virtual conference on 22 October. Ms Frias is head of the digital business transformation task force at the EMA, one of four groups set up by the agency in early March to prepare for new medical technologies.

Bimekuzumab, a monoclonal antibody developed by UCB SA, has achieved superior skin clearance in a Phase 3 trial of patients with plaque psoriasis compared adalimumab (Humira), a standard of care for the disease. Data from the study were presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress on 31 October.

Sanofi SA moved several new oncology and immunology programmes into Phase 3 in the third quarter while simultaneously completing enrolment of a Phase 1/2 trial of a candidate vaccine for Covid-19. The company also paid $3.36 billion to acquire Principia Biopharma Inc of the US, giving it a pipeline of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Novartis has expanded its presence in the gene therapy field with the acquisition of Vedere Bio Inc, a US gene therapy company launched in 2019 by Atlas Venture, an early-stage venture capital fund. Vedere has technology for potentially restoring vision in patients whose sight has been impaired by the loss of photoreceptor cells. The technology is based on optogenetics which describes a biological technique for using light to control neurons related to sight.

A Phase 2 study evaluating the safety and efficacy of bamlanivimab, an experimental antibody treatment developed by Eli Lilly and Co, has shown potential for treating Covid-19 patients outside a hospital setting. The study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine on 28 October 2020.

Bamlanivimab is an IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds to the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 in order to block entry of the virus into human cells. The antibody was derived from convalescent plasma from a Covid-19 patient.

GlaxoSmithKline Plc reported turnover of £8.6 billion for the third quarter, down by 8% from a year earlier, with all three of its business units showing anticipated sales declines. However there were signs of a recovery in the company’s vaccine business. This, plus measures to control costs, enabled the company to reaffirm its earnings guidance for the current year. On an adjusted basis, earnings per share are expected to be at the lower end of a one to four percent decline. The adjusted figure excludes amortisations and impairments of intangible assets.

Turnover at Novartis was $12.3 billion in the third quarter, up by 1% from a year earlier, as gains in sales volumes were partially offset by a fall in prices and generic competition for the legacy medicines Afinitor and Exjade. The pattern was similar for the first nine months of the year when sales rose by 2% to $35.9 billion.

Bayer AG is to pay up to $4 billion to acquire Asklepios BioPharmaceutical Inc (AskBio), a US gene therapy company with a clinical-stage pipeline and a significant manufacturing capacity. It will pay $2 billion upfront for the company and up to $2 billion in success-based milestones, of which three quarters are expected to be due over the next five years.