News

Innate Pharma SA made further progress in 2014 in developing antibodies that enable the innate immune system to kill cancer but the cost of clinical development pushed its losses sharply higher.

UK-based Heptares Therapeutics Ltd, which has drug discovery technology targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), has agreed to be taken over by Sosei Group Corporation of Japan enabling it to develop and commercialise its pipeline within a larger, global group.

Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (Sobi), which specialises in treatments for rare diseases, reported a 19.8% increase in revenue in 2014 but its loss widened sharply, mainly because of a write-off connected with a product failure.

Sanofi SA has recruited Olivier Brandicourt, an industry veteran, to be its new chief executive officer following the departure of Christopher Viehbacher in October of last year. Dr Brandicourt, most recently chair of the Board of Management at Bayer HealthCare AG, will take up his post on 2 April 2015.

Denmark-based Genmab A/S and BioNovion BV of the Netherlands have upgraded a research agreement in oncology to a full co-development and commercialisation deal in order to progress work on candidate bispecific antibody products that inhibit immune checkpoints.

Eli Lilly and Company Inc has decided to extend the duration of a Phase 3 trial of a new drug to treat atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in order to further test the hypothesis that the compound has a beneficial effect when used with statins compared with statins alone.

Lead Pharma Holding BV, a Dutch company with a novel approach to drug discovery, has entered into a research collaboration and licensing agreement with Sanofi SA to identify small molecule compounds that moderate pro-inflammatory proteins.

Norway-based Biotec Pharmacon ASA, which produces beta-glucan products for the treatment of immune-related diseases, increased its sales by 49% in 2014. But high personnel and other expenses produced an operating loss of NOK 23.6 million (€3.4 million).

Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd expressed confidence in its 2014 annual report that it can maintain its franchise in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), despite the loss of  exclusivity on its best-selling drug that accounts for 76% of its business.

H. Lundbeck A/S, which develops products for brain disorders, launched four new products in 2014 but the ensuing revenue was not enough to offset the effects of generic competition. Its revenue declined by 11.7%, a 2013 profit turned into a 2014 loss and the Danish company’s dividend was passed.