News

Adaptimmune raises $104 million

Country
United Kingdom

Adaptimmune Ltd, which is developing a T cell therapies for cancer and infectious disease, has raised $104 million in a Series A financing round to support its ongoing work in multiple cancer indications. The oversubscribed round was led by New Enterprise Associates of the US.

Probiodrug to launch IPO in Amsterdam

Country
Germany

Probiodrug AG, a German specialist in Alzheimer’s disease, is planning to make an initial public offering of its shares on the Amsterdam Euronext exchange to support development of a drug that targets small amyloid-beta aggregates.

Nicox glaucoma drug meets trial endpoint

Country
France

A candidate treatment for patients with glaucoma, Vesneo, has reached its primary endpoint in a Phase 3 development programme, showing that it can effectively lower intraocular pressure, according to Nicox SA, the developer.

Shire to pay $56.5 million US fine

Country
United States

Shire Plc said that it has reached agreement with the US government to pay $56.5 million in fines to settle a civil investigation relating to its sales and marketing practices for three medicines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and two for ulcerative colitis.

Regeneron to appeal against patent decision

Country
United States

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc is to appeal against a decision of the European Patent Office (EPO) to revoke its patent for transgenic mouse technology, a patent that was successfully challenged by Kymab Ltd of the UK.

Merck KGaA to buy Sigma-Aldrich

Country
Germany

Merck KGaA has become the second large German pharmaceutical company to reconfigure its profile with the acquisition of Sigma-Aldrich Co for $17 billion. The deal, announced on 22 September, has been approved by the boards of both companies.

CureVac to work with BI in lung cancer

Country
Germany

CureVac GmbH, a pioneer in RNA technology, is set to work with Boehringer Ingelheim on two new oncology projects that will seek to improve outcomes for patients with non-small lung cancer by leveraging existing treatments with a cancer vaccine.

Kymab succeeds in patent challenge

Country
United Kingdom

Kymab Ltd has successfully challenged a European patent issued to its competitor, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, for transgenic mouse technology that is a foundation for developing therapeutic antibodies. The patent was said to lack an inventive step as required by European patent law.

GSK’s China entity ordered to pay fine

Country
United Kingdom

A court in Hunan Province, China has found GlaxoSmithKline’s subsidiary, GSK China Investment Co Ltd (GSKCI), guilty of bribing non-government personnel and ordered it to pay a fine of £297 million, the UK company announced on 19 September.

Evotec to sue Andromeda

Country
Germany

Evotec AG is to take legal action against Andromeda Biotech Ltd following allegations that certain employees of the Israel-based company had engaged in misconduct in relation to a Type 1 diabetes programme for which Evotec was due milestone payments and royalties.