Nextech Invest AG, a Zurich, Switzerland-based, oncology fund manager, has closed its fourth fund, Nextech Oncology Fund IV, with an investment of $64 million. The funds were supplied by limited partners based in the US, Europe and Asia.
UK-based Storm Therapeutics Ltd, which is developing small molecules that target RNA-modifying enzymes in cancer, has raised £12 million in Series A equity financing. Two heavy-weight corporate venture capitalists participated in the financing, suggesting interest in the technology.
Roche has confirmed its forecast for a low to mid-single digit growth in sales this year, with a slightly faster increase in earnings per share. The Swiss company also said that its Swiss franc dividend will likely increase for 2016.
Novartis reported a 1.8% decline to $12.47 billion in sales from continuing operations in the second quarter and an 8% drop in operating profit to $2.1 billion.
London, UK-based Tiziana Life Sciences Plc has expanded into genomic medicine with the purchase of a large biobank from Shardna SpA of Italy that has information on 13,000 genealogically linked residents of the Ogliastra region of Sardinia.
Netherlands-based Pharming Group NV has achieved positive results for its protease inhibitor replacement therapy Ruconest for the prevention of hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare disorder caused by a deficiency of the C1 esterase inhibitor protein.
AstraZeneca Plc has received further evidence that its new personalised medicine for lung cancer is effective in patients with a specific genetic mutation. New Phase 3 data show that Tagrisso (osimertinib) increased progression-free survival compared with chemotherapy.
A Phase 3 study of the Roche therapy Gazyva (obinutuzumab) in patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma failed to meet its primary endpoint, even though two previous studies of the same drug in different blood cancers succeeded.
Bayer AG, whose name is usually associated with aspirin, has signaled its intention to deepen its commitment to crop science by raising its takeover bid for Monsanto Inc to $125 per share. The move values the company at $64 billion.
Cell Medica Ltd has completed another stage of its strategy for developing immunotherapies for solid tumours with the acquisition of Delenex Therapeutics AG, an antibody specialist based in Switzer