News

GlaxoSmithKline Plc said that it has been informed by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office that the office has opened a formal criminal investigation into the group’s commercial practices.

A spin-out from a German government-funded incubator has produced technology for potentially delivering drugs across the blood-brain barrier. The spin-out, Neuway Pharma GmbH, has now received €2.7 million in an A financing round led by Wellington Partners.

There have always been regional discrepancies in the way capital markets operate. But only recently have the differences in the valuations of life science companies in the US and Europe been such a big topic for discussion. This was in full display at the 2014 BioTrinity meeting held in London on 12-14 May,

Pfizer Inc said it won’t pursue its nearly £70 billion bid for AstraZeneca Plc in light of the UK company’s rejection of its final offer on 19 May. The statement came just hours before the legal period for a final deal expired under UK takeover rules.

The European Medicines Agency is recommending conditional approval of a new treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a genetic disease that can lead to loss of muscle function. The drug, Translarna (ataluren), acts by stimulating dystrophin production.

BioAlliance Pharma SA of France and Topotarget A/S of Denmark have signed a definitive agreement for their all-share merger which will combine the portfolios of the two companies into a new orphan oncology company called Onxeo. The final agreement was announced on 21 May. 

Privately-owned PolyTherics Ltd of the UK has reorganized its pharmaceutical service business under a new holding company that includes the assets of Antitope Ltd, a company it acquired in July 2013 to expand its offering of antibody-related technologies.

Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG of Switzerland has reported further positive data from a Phase 3 trial of a new treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a genetic disease that causes severe degeneration of the muscle.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first gene-based test to identify certain antigens in red blood cells that could prevent the successful transfusion of blood from a donor to a patient. By using the test, physicians can determine the compatibility of donor and patient cell types.

The UK specialty pharmaceutical company BTG Plc reported a 24.3% increase in revenue for the fiscal year ended 31 March to £290.5 million with slightly more than 88% of this figure generated in the US.