MorphoSys AG increased its proprietary research and development spending by 40% in the first nine months of 2010 – an indicator of the growing importance of its portfolio of internally-generated therapeutic antibodies.
Financial results from Sanofi-Aventis for the third quarter and first nine months indicate that the French pharmaceutical company’s strategy of diversifying into developing countries while cutting costs is working well.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new indication for the cancer drug, Sprycel (dasatinib), enabling it to be administered to patients with a rare blood cancer when it is first diagnosed.
Novo Nordisk A/S, the Danish specialist in diabetes products, raised its guidance for 2010 sales and earnings following strong results for the third quarter.
Despite revenue and profit declines in the 2010 third quarter, AstraZeneca Plc has confirmed that core earnings per share for the year as a whole should show an increase from 2009. Restructuring and legal costs depressed the Q3 results.
The UK drug-device company, Biocompatibles International Plc, is in advanced talks with another party which may or may not lead to an offer being made for the company. The talks were disclosed on 28 October to the London Stock Exchange.
Index Ventures, the Geneva-based venture capital company, is providing the initial funding of €1.5 million for a company that has been set up to exploit a new technology for treating serious brain diseases.
Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH has announced plans to invest $60 million over three years in bispecific antibody technology which has been developed by the US, venture capital-backed biotechnology company, MacroGenics Inc.
Elan Plc said that it has developed an assay that appears to identify those multiple sclerosis patients on Tysabri (natalizumab) who are at risk of developing the rare brain disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).
Genmab A/S has announced further plans to reduce its headcount and generate savings for the ongoing development of its therapeutic antibody programmes. This follows the launch of a new strategy in September under new management.