Alkermes plc’s decision to explore separating its commercial-stage neuroscience business from earlier-stage oncology efforts – forming a distinct, publicly traded company to investigate cancer therapies – drove speculation about the launch of the firm’s Lybalvi (olanzapine and samidorphan), approved by the U.S. FDA in the middle of 2021 for schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder.
CSL Ltd. subsidiary CSL Seqirus signed a licensing and development deal with Arcturus Therapeutics Inc. to in-license Arcturus’ late-stage self-amplifying mRNA vaccine platform technology. Arcturus will receive $200 million up front and is eligible to receive more than $1.3 billion in development milestones and over $3 billion in commercial milestones. In addition, it could capture a 40% net profit share for COVID-19 vaccines and up to double-digit royalties for vaccines against flu, pandemic preparedness and three other respiratory pathogens.
Black Friday is still weeks away, but Exelixis Inc. has gone shopping and inked two deals that together are potentially worth more than $1 billion, bolstering its pipeline with cancer drugs from Cybrexa Inc. and Sairopa B.V. Both deals are eye-catching, not just because of their potential value but also because of the technologies involved. Cybrexa’s drug is a peptide-drug conjugate, a class where only one drug is FDA approved and established, and Sairopa is working on an antibody targeting SIRPα, a potential next-generation immunotherapy.
JW Therapeutics Co. Ltd. has formed a partnership with 2seventy Bio Inc. to launch a translational and clinical cell therapy development program for the development of T cell-based immunotherapies in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has agreed to acquire The Binding Site Group (BSG) from a shareholder consortium in a $2.6 billion cash transaction that folds in neatly with Thermo Fisher’s existing product portfolio. The acquisition should be completed in the first half of 2023, but while the news had only a modest effect on Thermo’s share prices, this transaction should boost adjusted earnings per share by seven cents in the first full year after the transaction has closed.
JW Therapeutics Co. Ltd. has formed a partnership with 2seventy Bio Inc. to launch a translational and clinical cell therapy development program for the development of T cell-based immunotherapies in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao.
Shares in Inventiva SA (Paris:IVAA) fell about 18% after development partner Abbvie Inc. quit development of the inflammatory disease drug cedirogant following an unfavorable readout from a phase II toxicology study. The companies had worked on the asset together for about a decade. Inventiva emerged from Abbott in 2012, before the healthcare giant split in 2013 to form pharma specialist Abbvie and Abbott Laboratories, focused on medical devices.
With its acquisition of Subintro Ltd., Rigimmune Inc. put a building block in place to further its development of stem-loop RNA therapeutics that selectively activate the innate immune sensor RIG-I. Subintro specializes in development and delivery of antiviral therapeutics for respiratory diseases caused by RNA viruses, including influenza, rhinovirus and SARS-CoV-2. Subintro’s technology allows the company to consider topical and nasal delivery.
The changes continue at GSK plc as the pharma giant stepped away from its NY-ESO cell therapy program in moves that touch two collaborators. The company is terminating its three-year partnership with Lyell Immunopharma Inc. to develop candidates targeting NY-ESO-1, including the second‑generation product candidates, Lyell’s genetic and epigenetic reprogramming technologies (LYL-132 and LYL-331), and some other second-generation approaches GSK was considering.
Ixlayer Inc. partnered with CVS Health Corp. to streamline lab testing, lower costs and provide actionable steps for patients through a new at-home testing service. Starting with vitamin D levels, Lyme disease, sexually transmitted infections and thyroid function, the collaboration will put a wide range of common lab tests on the pharmacy giant’s shelves and online service for consumers to buy without a prescription or doctor’s visit and at a reduced cost compared to conventional testing channels.
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