News

MorphoSys is poised to reap the rewards of a decade-long strategy as a technology provider with the regulatory filing by it partner Janssen for the approval of guselkumab, an antibody treatment for plaque psoriasis.

One of the biggest European Series A financings so far this year has been arranged by venture capitalists for a new company with technology to treat patients with lung transplants who are at risk of dying because of a condition known as bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS).

Novo Nordisk A/S, the global producer of diabetes products, has put Doug Langa in charge of its US operations following the resignation of Jakob Riis. Mr Riis will move to Falck A/S, an emergency services company, as president and chief executive officer, on 1 May.

A research collaboration dating from 2015 has yielded a licensing agreement for Argenx NV of Belgium. The deal involves an antibody targeted ApoC3, a protein involved in dyslipidemia, a disorder caused by an abnormal amount of lipids in the blood.

Denmark-based ALK-Abelló A/S is preparing for an expansion of its business in the US following the Food and Drug Administration’s approval on 1 March of its allergy immunotherapy tablet Odactra for adults with house dust mite allergies.

Ipsen SA, the French specialty pharma company, reported substantial increases in revenue and operating profit for 2016. It expects the momentum to continue in 2017 when its $1 billion acquisition of Onivyde (irinotecan liposome) for treating metastatic pancreatic cancer should be completed.

Nordic Nanovector ASA has its sights on expanding the application of its experimental radioimmunotherapies in haematological cancers following positive early data for its lead product Betalutin in follicular lymphoma. Betalutin is an antibody conjugated to a radionuclide.

Congenica Ltd has raised £8 million in a Series B financing round to support the expanded marketing of its technology for analysing genome-scale DNA data. Known as Sapientia, the platform produces diagnostic reports that can be linked to symptoms patients show for genetic diseases.

InDex Pharmaceuticals Holding AB, which is developing treatments for immunological diseases, reported unchanged revenue for 2016 and a widening of its operating deficit as it prepares to take its lead product for ulcerative colitis into a proof-of-concept trial.

Lead Pharma Holding BV has reported progress in its collaboration with Sanofi SA to develop new medicines for autoimmune diseases. A second milestone, the size of which was not disclosed, has been paid to the Dutch company by its Big Pharma partner.