In a move to address both prevention and treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV), Brii Biosciences Ltd. has acquired from VBI Vaccines Inc. a global exclusive license to HBV therapeutic vaccine BRII-179 (VBI-2601) and an exclusive license for HBV prophylactic vaccine Prehevbri in the Asia Pacific region, excluding Japan.
Privately held F-star Therapeutics Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have completed their third license agreement, one that could bring F-star about $1 billion. The new collaboration is focused on R&D against undisclosed cancer targets.
Both the value and number of reported biopharma nonprofit deals has fallen significantly, being at the lowest amount in the past five years. Compared to the first five months of last year, the value of biopharma nonprofit deals has decreased by about 63%. Meanwhile, money raised via grants has fallen slightly, 6.11%, but is vastly less than the value and number seen in 2020.
Cerevasc Inc. has formed a partnership with Lianmedical Co. Ltd. to introduce Cerevasc’s medical devices for neurological diseases in the Asian market. Shanghai-based Lianmedical will help market Cerevasc's eshunt system and related products in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau. It’s eshunt system provides percutaneous transvenous-transdural access to the central nervous system.
Sensome SAS reported a partnership with Asahi Intecc Co. Ltd. to develop the next generation Clotild smart guidewire. Asahi Intecc is taking on the manufacturing role for Sensome’s smart guidewire designed for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.
Just over a month after scoring U.S. FDA clearance for dry eye disease therapy Miebo (perfluorohexyloctane), Bausch + Lomb Corp. is adding Xiidra (lifitegrast) to its arsenal in the same indication as part of the potential $2.5 billion deal with Novartis AG, which is divesting its “front-of-eye” ophthalmology assets.
The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has declared its opposition to a proposed merger between Cochlear Ltd. And Oticon Medical A/S, two of the prime movers in the bone conduction implant space.
More evidence of big pharma’s interest in type 1 diabetes (T1D) arose as Eli Lilly and Co. disclosed its plan to buy encapsulated-cell-therapy collaborator Sigilon Therapeutics Inc., bringing aboard SIG-002, the early-stage drug on which the pair has been working since 2018. The news blasted upward shares of Cambridge, Mass.-based Sigilon (NASDAQ:SGTX), which closed June 29 at $21.15, up $17.24, or 441%.
Sometimes a merger or acquisition brings a device that has a set of indications for use that cannot be practicably expanded, but Nathan Downing of Gardner Law of Stillwater, Minn., said this is not always the case. Downing said that preliminary conversations between the two parties to mergers and acquisitions can clarify a lot about whether a particular device has ample room to grow.
Conformis Inc. has inked a definitive agreement to be acquired by Restor3d Inc., in a move that could potentially create a formidable presence in the personalized orthopedics space. Under the agreement, Restor3d will acquire all outstanding shares of Conformis common stock (NYSE:CFMS) at $2.27 per share in cash. The purchase price represents a roughly 96% premium to Conformis’ closing price on June 22, 2023.
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