Amgen Inc has agreed to pay $1.16 billion in cash to acquire Micromet Inc, a developer of bispecific antibodies. Micromet’s key asset is blinatumomab, an antibody in early clinical development against acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Celgene Corp said it has reached agreement to acquire venture-capital backed Avila Therapeutics Inc for $350 million in cash, plus milestones, thereby strengthening its position in the area of haematologic cancers.
BTG Plc, the specialist UK healthcare company, said it expects revenue for the financial year ending 31 March 2012 to be between £160 million to £165 million, or in line with a forecast delivered at the end of its first half year.
A UK start-up, CN Creative Ltd, which has developed an electronic smoking cessation device, has raised £2 million in a Series A round led by Advent Life Sciences. The money will support final development of its novel inhaler product.
The Roche group has stepped up its commitment to personalised medicine with the announcement of a hostile $5.7 billion bid for Illumina Inc of the US, a leading provider of molecular diagnostics. The all-cash offer values each share at $44.50.
Privately-owned Prosensa Therapeutics BV of the Netherlands has raised €23 million to support its pipeline which includes a Phase 3 RNA-modulating therapeutic for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. New Enterprise Associates Inc led the financing.
A new life science facility is set to open in Scotland providing small companies with shared resources for their drug discovery and development. Called BioCity Scotland Ltd, the facility is being housed at a former Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) research site.
Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH has reported that a Phase 2 study of its experimental vaccine for colorectal cancer, IMA910, was able to stimulate immune responses from a majority of patients and that this was associated with a better clinical outcome.
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Sanofi SA has received FDA approval of its plant in Framingham, Massachusetts with the result that it can start restoring supplies of its treatment for Fabry disease. The FDA approval follows earlier approval by the European Medicines Agency.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first diagnostic that will enable healthcare professionals to determine whether a patient taking the multiple sclerosis drug, Tysabri (natalizumab), faces a risk of the brain infection, PML.