AstraZeneca Plc’s new chief executive, Pascal Soriot, is expected to give a fuller view of his strategy for the company on 31 January when the UK multinational releases its financial results for 2012. Mr Soriot has already eliminated two positions from his senior executive team.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Flublok, the first trivalent influenza vaccine made from an insect virus expression system and recombinant DNA technology. The prophylactic vaccine has been approved for people from 18 to 49 years.
Galápagos NV of Belgium will be adding structure-based drug discovery to its stable of technologies with the acquisition of Cangenix Ltd, a UK start-up that was created by scientists from the former Pfizer Inc subsidiary in Sandwich UK.
AstraZeneca Plc has entered a research collaboration with Vanderbilt University of the US to identify allosteric modulators that could be used to treat psychosis and other symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia.
Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AS (Sobi) has announced US Food and Drug Administration approval of its arthritis drug, Kineret (anakinra), for the treatment of children and adults with neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease (NOMID).
Biotech Pharmacon ASA of Norway has announced the successful placement of 9.5 million new shares with private investors thereby raising NOK 40 million (€5.45 million) in gross proceeds for product launch and development.
Shire Plc has taken further steps to strengthen its franchise in rare diseases with an agreement to acquire privately-owned Lotus Tissue Repair Inc which has a preclinical product for the treatment of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). Financial terms were not disclosed.
ArGEN-X BV has announced the initiation of a Phase 1b clinical study in cancer patients of a new antibody targeting CD70, a member of the tumour necrosis factor superfamily. The company also announced an expansion of its discovery alliance with Shire Plc.
ISA Pharmaceuticals BV of the Netherlands has secured €8 million in funding from the Aglaia Oncology Fund and private investors to finance a Phase 2 study of its lead therapeutic vaccine candidate in cervical cancer. This a follow-on to an earlier Series A round.
The Swiss vaccine developer, GlycoVaxyn AG, has announced its second collaboration within a month with a member of the Big Pharma fraternity – this time with Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc (Johnson & Johnson). The latest deal follows a collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline Plc.