The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor developed by Topotarget of Denmark to treat patients with peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL), a rare and fast-growing type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Arzerra (ofatumumab), a monoclonal antibody that targets CD20, has been approved in Europe for a new use in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia – this time as a first-line combination therapy for those who are ineligible for fludarabine chemotherapy.
Roche is set to strengthen its breast cancer franchise with the acquisition of privately-held Seragon Pharmaceuticals Inc of San Diego, California. Seragon has new technology for treating estrogen-driven cancers.
Nicox SA of France is acquiring Boston, Massachusetts-based Aciex Therapeutics Inc with new shares valued at $65 million and contingent value rights potentially worth $55 million. The acquisition will significantly expand the company’s ophthalmic portfolio.
Ablynx NV has raised €41.7 million in a private share placement to support development of its portfolio of therapeutic proteins, including products targeting immune checkpoint proteins. Called Nanobodies, the company’s compounds are derived from natural antibodies in the llama.
A Dutch company specialising in drug delivery has raised €10 million in a Series C financing round to advance its early-stage portfolio of treatments for brain tumours and neuroinflammatory conditions. The company is called to-BBB technologies BV.
The German antibody company, Affimed Therapeutics AG, is proposing to launch an initial public offering of its shares in the US, taking advantage of the favourable climate for biopharmaceutical companies which are developing immunotherapies for cancer.
Desmoteplase, one of the few new therapies under development for patients suffering from stroke, has failed to show efficacy in the first of two Phase 3 clinical trials. The developer, H. Lundbeck A/S, said it will seek advice on the way forward.
A monoclonal antibody being developed by GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Genmab A/S for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) has failed to meet its primary endpoint of progression-free survival in a small subset of patients with the disease.
Eisai Co Ltd said that real-world data for its epilepsy drug Fycompa (perampanel) show that the treatment is “generally effective and well tolerated” in a variety of patient populations including those with highly refractory epilepsy and comorbidities.