Amgen Inc said that its licensed drug, Kyprolis (carfilzomib), produced a better survival benefit in a Phase 3 trial of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma than Velcade (bortezomib). The trial results were published in The Lancet Oncology on 23 August.
With more than 20 clinical studies ongoing, Bavarian Nordic A/S has reported a further strengthening of its cash position, largely due to a new licensing and equity agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc which raises the US company’s stake in the Danish company to 5.8%.
Ablynx NV is putting the finishing touches on a commercialisation strategy for its lead product caplacizumab, following the submission of a marketing authorisation application to the European Medicines Agency and the completion of enrollment in a final Phase 3 study.
Macrophage Pharma Ltd has topped up a Series A financing round announced in January with an investment from Merck Ventures BV, a subsidiary of Merck KGaA. The size of the investment is reportedly £3 million, bringing the total raised in the A round up to £12 million.
Nordic Nanovector ASA is on track to start a pivotal Phase 2 study of its radioimmunotherapy Betalutin in patients with relapsed follicular lymphoma following promising early efficacy data.
A Munich-area company specialising in messenger RNA (mRNA) technology has entered into a drug discovery deal with AstraZeneca Plc. Ethris GmbH will receive €25 million upfront, plus research funding, to develop therapies for respiratory diseases.
Karenann Terrell, an electrical engineer and former executive at Walmart, is to join GlaxoSmithKline Plc on 4 September to help manage the pharmaceutical company’s use of digital technologies to improve performance.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Besponsa (inotuzumab ozogamicin), an antibody-drug conjugate, to treat adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).
GlaxoSmithKline Plc has entered into a collaboration with Insilico Medicine Inc to use the US company’s artificial intelligence (AI) platform to discover new drugs. This is its second AI deal in less than two months.
Underwriters for the US initial public share offering of Zealand Pharma A/S have exercised an option to buy more shares, increasing proceeds for the Danish company to DKK 566.4 million ($89.4 million), up from DKK 492.5 million ($78.3 million) previously.