News

BioNTech AG, a German company with messenger RNA technology suitable for human therapeutics, has signed a multi-year licensing deal with Sanofi SA to discover and develop up to five cancer immunotherapies.

A drug-discovery partner for many years, MorphoSys AG is putting a new emphasis on developing its proprietary portfolio with the goal of commercialising its lead antibody therapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL) later in the decade.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new combination therapy for patients infected with HIV-1 that contains a new form of tenofovir, an antiretroviral medicine already use in other HIV combination treatments.

Germany-based CureVac, which is developing vaccines based on messenger RNA technology, has raised $110 million in a private share placement to support development of its pipeline. Concurrently it is changing its legal structure to become a joint stock company.

AstraZeneca Plc continued to build its pipeline of new medicines in the third quarter and first nine-months in preparation for a period of renewed growth. Revenue for the nine months was $18.3 billion, unchanged from a year earlier at constant exchange rates, but down by 2% at $5.9 billion for the third quarter.

Shire Plc has announced an agreed takeover of Massachusetts-based Dyax Corp for $5.9 billion upfront while saying that it still has the resources to pursue an unsolicited all-share bid for Baxalta, a recent spin-out of Baxter International.

Infirst Healthcare Ltd, which improves and repackages existing retail drugs, has obtained further funding from its principal investor, Invesco Asset Management Ltd, in order to launch its cold and pain relief products on the UK retail market. 

Sanofi SA has scheduled a briefing for 6 November to discuss the group’s mid-term strategic and financial outlook following an unexpectedly large decline in sales of diabetes medicines, its most important business unit.

Ireland-based Allergan Plc has confirmed that it has been approached by Pfizer Inc regarding a potential merger, and that preliminary friendly discussions are underway. The talks come 18 months after Pfizer abandoned an unsolicited bid for AstraZeneca Plc.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc, a pioneer in the field of cystic fibrosis, has turned to gene editing technology to help it advance its portfolio of drugs that target gene-based diseases.