A Phase 2b trial of elsiglutide, a peptide drug designed to prevent diarrhoea in patients undergoing chemotherapy, has failed to meet its primary endpoint even though there was some evidence of patient benefit.
Ergomed Plc, a listed UK clinical-trial services organisation, is raising between £9 and £13 million with a share placement that will help finance the takeover of Haemostatix Ltd, which is developing products for inducing rapid blood clotting.
The European Medicines Agency is recommending that the Roche medicine Gazyvaro (obinutuzumab) be used to treat patients with follicular lymphoma, in addition to its approved indication for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).
A review of the safety of Zydelig (idelalisib) as a combination cancer agent is ongoing, with a report expected to be made to the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) in June, according to the European Medicines Agency.
Ablynx NV has reported positive top line results from a first-in-infant study of its therapeutic protein for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a leading cause of lower respiratory tract disease in infants and young children. The results were reported on 3 May.
Wilson Therapeutics AB, a Swedish company owned by venture capital firms, is to make an initial public offering of its shares on Nasdaq Stockholm in order to take the company’s copper removal product for Wilson’s disease through Phase 3 and registration and to the market by 2020.
MorphoSys AG boosted spending on proprietary antibody development in the first quarter as its lead product was readied for combination studies in separate B cell malignancies. Financial results for the period showed a steep drop in revenue and a rise in expenses. But liquidity remained strong.
Bispecific, which is the term given to a molecule that binds to two different antigen, has largely been associated with therapeutic antibodies. But research has also been underway to discover whether the same concept can be applied to small molecules.
Galapagos NV and AbbVie Inc have raised the stakes in their bid to overtake Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc in cystic fibrosis with plans to start human trials in 2017 of a new triple combination therapy for the disease.
France-based Ipsen SA has reported a rise in sales for the global specialty care market and a decline in revenue from primary care. Overall first quarter sales were €362 million, up by 3.4%, of which specialty care sales represented nearly 80%.