The value to Big Pharma of novel antibiotics has been underscored by AstraZeneca’s decision to acquire Novexel SA of France for a total cash consideration of up to $505 million. Novexel currently has two anti-infectives in Phase 2 development.
Innate Pharma SA, a pioneer in the field of cancer immunotherapies, has raised €24.3 million gross in a share placement supported by France’s Fonds Stratégique d’Investissement and existing investors, Novo Nordisk A/S and Alta Partners.
The European Medicines Agency has given a negative opinion to a proposed gene therapy developed by Ark Therapeutics Group Plc for malignant brain cancer, saying the product failed to show efficacy. Ark said it will appeal against the decision.
Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the UK have completed the first complete genomic analysis of lung cancer and melanoma, revealing all of the genetic mutations that are present in the two diseases.
Silence Therapeutics Plc, a company that has moved quickly to capitalise on the new science of ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi), has announced plans to merge with the privately-owned Intradigm Corp of the US, which is in the same business.
Merck Serono has entered into a research collaboration in multiple sclerosis with the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass, US, aimed at identifying new biomarkers and possible drug targets. Financial details were not disclosed.
Galápagos NV said that it has expanded its collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline to discover new drugs for multiple indications in the field of arthritis. The two companies are exploring drugs directed at the kinase target GT622.
Addex Pharmaceuticals Ltd said that it is ending development of its negative allosteric modulator, ADX10059, for chronic indications including long-term treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and migraine prophylaxis.
Cancer Research UK has reported that an experimental radioactive cancer therapy showed clinical benefit in a Phase 1 study of patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The study was published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research on 15 December 2009.
Evolva SA of Switzerland has raised an additional CHF 21 million (€13.9 million) to finance its takeover of Arpida Ltd, creating a new publicly-listed company with a technology platform that uses synthetic biology to create new small molecule drugs.