News

Autolus files for potential US IPO

Country
United Kingdom

UK-based Autolus Ltd has made a submission to the US Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a potential initial public offering of its shares. As of 8 March, the timing and terms of the potential offering had not been determined.

Ipsen moves ahead in cancer

Country
France

Ipsen SA reported its best annual results so far in 2017 with consolidated revenue rising by 20.4% to €2.0 billion and operating profit gaining 30.4% to €397.2 million. The French company’s market value rose by 45.5% for the year to €8.3 billion, reflecting the strong performance.

Sanofi to transfer infectious disease research to Evotec

Country
Germany

Evotec AG is to gain rights to a group of infectious disease assets from Sanofi SA in a transaction that will see the German company become a research hub for the development of medicines for diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.

Minoryx spins off asset into new Swiss company

Country
Spain

Spain-based Minoryx Therapeutics s.l. has spun out a platform technology into a new company, enabling it to focus on its lead programme MIN-102 for the treatment of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, a genetic disorder affecting the nervous system.

Zealand Pharma reports 2017 results

Country
Denmark

With two products on the market and four wholly-owned compounds in late-stage development, Denmark’s Zealand Pharma A/S has positioned itself to grow as an independent biopharma company.

Margins show further improvement at Lundbeck

Country
Denmark

Lundbeck A/S continued to bear the fruits of a rolling restructuring programme as earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) as a percentage of revenue in 2017 grew to 25.6%, up from 14.7% a year earlier. This was just above the company’s target of 25%.

Novartis invests in digital trials

Country
Switzerland

Novartis has expanded an alliance with Science 37 Inc of the US to launch up to 10 clinical trials over the next three years that will be conducted at a participant’s home or a physician’s officer rather than at a formal clinical trial site. Science 37 is a mobile technology and clinical trial company.

New Alzheimer’s guidance

Country
United Kingdom

With new evidence showing that the biological changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease start earlier than expected, the European Medicines Agency has revised its guideline for companies developing drugs for the disease.

FDA focuses on neurology

Country
United States

Citing the urgent need for new drugs to treat neurological diseases, the US Food and Drug Administration has shaken up its review teams to encourage experts to work across disciplines and identify new opportunities for treatment.

Verona reports positive data from CF trial

Country
United Kingdom

Verona Pharma Plc has reported positive top-line data from a Phase 2a trial of its inhaled drug for patients with cystic fibrosis, a rare inherited disease that causes impaired lung function and premature death. The data showed an improvement in lung function that was statistically significant.