Roche Holding AG has revealed a partnership with Moderna Inc. involving the use of the Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibody test in the latter’s mRNA-1273 vaccine research trials. The news comes shortly after Roche received emergency use authorization from the U.S. FDA for the antibody test.
DUBLIN – Noema Pharma AG closed a €54 million (US$59.8 million) series A round to take forward four clinical-stage assets it has in-licensed from Roche Holding AG. The drug candidates are being lined up for orphan neurological indications that fall outside of Roche’s strategic focus.
DUBLIN – Synox Therapeutics Ltd., a spin-out from Celleron Therapeutics Ltd., has raised €37 million (US$43.7 million) in a series A round to conduct a pivotal trial of emactuzumab, an antibody its parent company in-licensed from Roche Holding AG in August.
With the next big wave of biologic patent expirations soon to wash over the U.S. market, companies developing biosimilars are optimistic about the future. “We’re at a place where we’re seeing really strong uptake of biosimilars, which has resulted in cost savings,” Chad Pettit, executive director of marketing for Amgen Inc.’s biosimilars unit, told BioWorld.
Roche Holding AG, already advancing multiple therapies and diagnostics for COVID-19, is adding its support for Boston-based Atea Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s AT-527 to the lineup.
Privately held Dyno Therapeutics Inc., an early stage biotech company applying artificial intelligence to gene therapy, entered a collaboration and license agreement with Spark Therapeutics Inc. that could bring Dyno milestone payments exceeding $1.8 billion.
LONDON – Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd. has sold its TMEM16A cystic fibrosis portfolio to Roche Holding AG for an up-front payment of £75 million (US$96.9 million), with more to come on achievement of predetermined milestones.
Michael Engsig, CEO of Oslo, Norway-based Vaccibody AS, said the company’s deal with Roche Holding AG lets his firm “fully set in motion” the plan to explore infectious diseases as well as cancer, and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) Agnete Fredriksen pointed out that “an exceptional cross-functional team” has been put in place to get the job done. Vaccibody signed the new contract with Basel, Switzerland-based Roche’s Genentech arm to develop and sell DNA-based individualized neoantigen vaccines for cancers. The tie-up brings as much as $715 million for Vaccibody.
HONG KONG – Tokyo-based Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Roche Holding AG, has received approval from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) to add new indication to the list of those treatable with its combination of Tecentriq (atezolizumab) and Avastin (bevacizumab): unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Both medicines originated at Genentech Inc.
The always-busy American Society of Hematology meeting in December promises to include some especially intriguing datasets from the bispecific antibody space, as multiple players are likely to unveil findings related to their CD20xCD3 prospects.
