An advisory committee of the US Food and Drug Administration has recommended that the multiple sclerosis drug, fingolimod, be approved, according to Novartis, the drug’s manufacturer. The drug is an oral therapy that has a novel mode of action.
UCB SA of Belgium has raised its stake in the German biopharmaceutical company, Wilex AG, to 18.05% from 11.4% following the purchase of a block of shares from a fund managed by Apax Partners. The transaction was reported on 10 June 2010.
Ipsen SA of France will be listed on the over-the-counter market in the US following its agreement with Deutsche Bank to implement a level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programme. The company’s shares are already listed in Paris.
Apogenix GmbH of Heidelberg, Germany has begun recruitment for a Phase 2 study of a compound for treating glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive type of primary brain tumour. Interim results are expected in the first half of 2011.
Sanofi Pasteur has become the second European company in a month to invest in antibody technology in order to discover new treatments for infectious diseases. It is paying €3 million upfront to Vivalis of France for access to the technology.
The French privately-owned immune therapy company, Cytheris SA, has raised €12 million in a Series D financing to accelerate development of its recombinant human interleukin-7 product, CYT107, for cancer and other indications.
Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV of the Netherlands has signed an agreement with the US discovery-stage company, RXi Pharmaceuticals, to explore the use of ultrasound for the delivery RNA interference compounds in cells.
A team of researchers in the US has reported that the CD95 receptor promotes tumour growth, a finding that advances work done at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, and at its spin-out, Apogenix GmbH.
Imperial Innovations Group Plc, a UK technology transfer company, said that it has realised £9.5 million in cash following the sale of its portfolio company, Respivert Ltd, to the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc.
Sanofi-Aventis said that it has reached an agreement to set up a joint venture in Japan with Nichi-Iko Pharmaceutical Co Ltd to develop genetic medicines. Sanofi will have a controlling interest in the venture to be called Sanofi-Aventis Nichi-Iko KK.