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The German vaccine producer CureVac NV has completed a follow-on share issue on Nasdaq giving total gross proceeds of $517.5 million, including the exercise of the underwriters’ option. This comes five months after the company, which is developing a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine for Covid-19, raised $245.3 million in an initial public offering. In the latest financing, CureVac issued 5.75 million shares at a price of $90 per share.

A vaccine developed by Russia to prevent coronavirus disease has been shown to be 91.6% effective, according to data from a Phase 3 trial published in The Lancet on 2 February 2021. The vaccine, Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V), is a combined vector vaccine carrying the gene for the SARS-CoV-2 full length glycoprotein S. It is intended to elicit antibodies to the virus glycoprotein as well as antigen-specific cellular immunity.

The Roche group stepped up its diagnostic activities in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic created demand for new tests to track the virus and measure a person’s vaccine-induced immune response. Sales of diagnostics were CHF 13.8 billion in 2020 for a rise of 6%. By contrast, pharmaceutical sales fell by 8% to CHF 44.5 billion.

Ireland-based Jazz Pharmaceuticals Plc is to expand its presence in neuroscience with the acquisition of GW Pharmaceuticals Inc which has pioneered the development and commercialisation of medicines derived from cannabinoids. The transaction is valued at $7.2 billion, or $6.7 billion net of GW Pharma’s cash.

GlaxoSmithKline Plc reported a 1% increase in turnover to £34 billion in 2020 as gains for its vaccines and newer respiratory medicines were partially offset by generic competition for legacy products. However cost controls and asset disposals contributed to a 12% rise in operating profit to £7.78 billion giving an operating margin of 22.8%.

A primary analysis of trial data from a vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca Plc and Oxford University shows that the product is safe and effective at preventing Covid-19 with no severe cases of the disease or hospitalisations more than 22 days after the first dose. The data were contained in a preprint edition of The Lancet which was issued on 3 February 2021.

Verona Pharma Plc has reported further positive data for its drug ensifentrine for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In a Phase 2 trial of patients with moderate to severe disease, the drug achieved a statistically significant and clinically meaningful increase in lung function compared with a placebo. The trial was evaluating ensifentrine in a pressurised metered-dose inhaler formulation.

A joint venture cell and gene therapy company set up by UK-based Avacta Group Plc and South Korea’s Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co Ltd has closed a Series A financing of $7.3 million to further develop its pipeline of advanced therapies. The venture, AffyXell Therapeutics, was established in 2020 and is located in South Korea.

A Phase 3 trial designed to find out if adding ipilimumab (Yervoy) to Keytruda would improve the outlook for patients with non-small cell lung cancer has failed. As a result, Keytruda (pembrolizumab) monotherapy is still the better option for treating the disease, according to Merck & Co Inc.

Ofatumumab, a monoclonal antibody originally developed for cancer, is being recommended to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. The European Medicines Agency has given the drug a positive review based on data from two Phase 3 studies which showed that it is superior to teriflunomide (Aubagio), a marketed multiple sclerosis treatment.