Biomérieux SA is stepping up investments in the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) space through a new new €40 million ($40.75 million) joint venture with Evotec SE and Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. The companies are teaming up to launch a new company, Aurobac Therapeutics SAS which will develop AMR diagnostic tests and antimicrobial therapies.

Hot on the heels of a groundbreaking deal brokered by the U.K.’s NICE to finance an antibiotic with a subscription-style payment plan, three European life sciences companies have formed a joint venture (JV) to create next-generation antimicrobials and diagnostics to fight antimicrobial resistance.

LONDON – Evotec SE put the biggest ever headline figure on one of its pharma drug discovery collaborations, announcing a $1 billion deal with Eli Lilly and Co. in metabolic diseases. The Hamburg, Germany-based company will be responsible for the discovery of drug candidates for the treatment of diabetes and chronic kidney disease against targets identified by Lilly or Evotec, or sourced externally. Lily has rights to up to five programs, to be developed in the partnership and to take on any subsequent development, clinical validation and commercialization activities. The collaboration initially runs for three years.

DUBLIN – A strong performance in the final quarter of 2021 pushed equity investment in European biotech firms engaged in discovering and developing therapeutics to a new record of $15.193 billion, a 19.8% increase on last year’s total of $12.682 billion. European biotech firms have now set a new investment benchmark for each of the past five years.