One company was looking to add to its royalty stream and R&D portfolio. The other was seeking strategic alternatives in the wake of clinical misfires over the last few years. In an agreement aimed at satisfying both goals, Zymeworks Inc. will acquire Theravance Biopharma Inc., paying $17 per share, or about $929 million, though the transaction is structured in a way that minimizes the former’s current capital position.

ALK5 mediates the core profibrotic TGF-β signaling cascade that promotes fibroblast activation, myofibroblast differentiation and extracellular matrix production, ultimately leading to persistent tissue remodeling and lung fibrosis.

The outbreak of hantavirus infection first reported on the MV Hondius cruise ship on May 2 is all but over, with most isolating passengers, crew members and other contacts leaving quarantine over the past week, as the 42-day incubation period drew to an end.

Molecular subtyping of disease is typically associated with cancer. Now, researchers at the University of Cambridge are applying it to infections.

The industry is stepping up its campaign to persuade European governments to increase their drugs budgets, in what is described as a landmark report making the case that spending on patented drugs is not a cost to be contained, but an investment in health and the economy.

Molecular subtyping of disease is typically associated with cancer. Now, researchers at the University of Cambridge are applying it to infections. Some patients with severe pneumonia progress in different ways. Predicting their trajectories could help tailor treatments and prevent fatal outcomes. To do this, the scientists analyzed bronchoalveolar fluid from several patient cohorts and identified three biological pneumotypes based on which cells are present, which genes are active, and which inflammatory proteins are produced.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic, progressive disease of unknown etiology, is the most common and fatal interstitial lung disease. Currently available treatments for IPF, such as pirfenidone and nintedanib, can slow disease progression and reduce mortality in patients who can tolerate them. However, these drugs frequently cause significant side effects and have been unable to improve quality of life in pivotal trials, which highlights the critical need for discovering novel IPF treatment strategies.

After raising HK$1.255 billion (US$160 million) in its IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange earlier this month, Longbio Pharma Co. Ltd.’s lead candidate, LP-003, met the primary endpoint of total nasal symptom scores during peak pollen season in moderate to severe seasonal allergic rhinitis.

After raising HK$1.255 billion (US$160 million) in its IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange earlier this month, Longbio Pharma Co. Ltd.’s lead candidate, LP-003, met the primary endpoint of total nasal symptom scores during peak pollen season in moderate to severe seasonal allergic rhinitis.

The microbiome and a frontline innate antimicrobial sensor, Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5), play an essential role in the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). A scientific collaboration led by researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has revealed how TLR5 protects against fibrosis through its ability to modulate the lung microbiome. Their study also shows that activating TLR5 protects against fibrosis and corrects pulmonary dysbiosis.