Insilico Medicine Inc. nabbed a potential $550 million-plus deal with Menarini Group’s Stemline Therapeutics Inc. for an unnamed preclinical small-molecule drug targeting solid tumors, adding to a $500 million deal inked by the duo in January 2024.
Galapagos NV is abandoning its small molecule roots to focus on cell therapy and at the same time splitting in two, with the spinout company, dedicated to acquiring a portfolio of assets, taking the lion’s share of the capital.
Joining the dealmaking spree to kick off the 2025 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, Eli Lilly and Co. announced it was picking up an early clinical-stage PI3Kα inhibitor program from Scorpion Therapeutics Inc. in a deal that could be worth up to $2.5 billion, while GSK plc is adding to its cancer pipeline with the acquisition of Idrx Inc. for $1 billion up front.
New Anglo/U.S. obesity and cardiometabolic specialist Verdiva Bio Ltd. has launched with a massive $411 million series A and a portfolio of GLP-1 and amylin agonists in-licensed from China.
Yuhan Corp., Oscotec Inc. and Genosco Inc. were three companies with Asian ties to reap benefit from Johnson & Johnson’s stellar top-line Mariposa study results, wherein J&J’s Rybrevant (amivantamab-vmjw) and Lazcluze (lazertinib) combo regimen beat out Astrazeneca plc’s standard of care in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Strong interim safety and efficacy data from Hoth Therapeutics Inc.’s phase IIa study of HT-001 helped boost the company’s stock (NASDAQ:HOTH) on Jan. 7 as shares rose 178% to close at $2.28 each.
The curtain is coming down on one of Europe’s longest-established biopharmas, with Novartis AG announcing it is to shut Morphosys AG’s facilities, following its 2024 acquisition of the one-time antibody pioneer for $2.9 billion. The closure of sites in the U.S. and Germany by the end of 2025 will affect 330 employees.
Dimerix Ltd. and Fuso Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. signed a license agreement for the development and commercialization of Dimerix’s phase III candidate, DMX-200, for the treatment of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in Japan for ¥10.5 billion (US$66.5 million) plus royalties.
Ophthalmic diseases specialist Oculis Holding AG announced positive phase II data showing its serum-glucose corticoid kinase-2 activator OCS-05 protected nerve cells and improved vision in patients with acute optic neuritis. The placebo-controlled, randomized trial assessed the neuroprotective effect of OCS-05 in combination with standard-of-care steroid injections, against steroids alone, with a benefit seen in preserving both ganglions and retinal cell nerve fibers.
Certa Therapeutics Pty Ltd. has acquired Occurx Pty Ltd. in a move to strengthen its pipeline to target multiple fibrotic diseases as both companies share a focus on targeting GPR68, a defined G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) receptor that mediates signaling pathways associated with inflammation and fibrosis and is thought to be a master switch of fibrosis.
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