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.
Germany-based Curetis BV has announced the terms of an initial public offering of its shares on the Euronext exchanges in Amsterdam and Brussels which aims to raise €29.3 million for the commercialisation of its molecular diagnostic system for serious infectious diseases.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc has confirmed that earnings should start to grow again in 2016 after a period of strong pressure on the company’s respiratory franchise, and declines in sales of the off-patent medicine Advair.
Circassia Pharmaceuticals Plc continued to build revenue in the third quarter following the acquisition in the summer of asthma diagnostics and therapeutics companies, a move that also gives it a commercial platform from which to launch its future allergy products.
Novartis reported a decline in net income in the third quarter and for the first nine months due to provisions for the conditional settlement of a lawsuit in the US and the impact of a one-time financial gain the previous year.
Ireland-based Shire Plc achieved a 4% increase in revenue in the third quarter of 2015. But a 17% rise in expenses to $1,199 million caused operating profit to decline by 20.3% to $456 million on the basis of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
France-based TxCell SA plans to outsource the manufacture of its experimental cell therapies, and make new investments in process development to increase efficiencies and make way for the introduction of a second technology platform using engineered regulatory T cells.
A new treatment for melanoma, which is based on a genetically engineered virus, has received a positive opinion from the European Medicine Agency – the first step towards marketing authorisation in Europe.