Illumina Inc.’s acquisition of cancer diagnostic specialist Grail Inc. is on go in a $7.1 billion transaction that is structured so that it can be unwound with limited impact on Illumina. However, a number of regulatory entities are closely scrutinizing the deal for a potential regulatory challenge, a fact of life that shaved nearly 10% off the value of the company’s shares in early Aug. 19 trading, and which could ultimately scuttle the transaction altogether.
Burning Rock Biotech Ltd. has formed a global strategic partnership with Impact Therapeutics Inc. to develop companion diagnostics for a pipeline of drugs in the field of synthetic lethality.
While regulators and policymakers across the world are stressing the need for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, therapies and devices, their own policies and regulations may be getting in the way of that goal. The World Trade Organization (WTO) released a list of trade-related bottlenecks July 20 that are hindering access to pandemic-related medical products.
DUBLIN – Panakès Partners SGR SpA has raised €150 million (US$177 million) in a first close of its second fund and is looking to secure a final tally of €180 million by year-end. That would represent more than twice the size of its first fund of €80 million and reflects its move into therapeutics investing.
10x Genomics Inc. launched its latest platform for single-cell analysis, the Chromium X Series, to cost-effectively "enable massively large-scale experiments," according to the company.
Cancer Research UK took a significant hit when its U.K.-wide charity shop chain had to close last year because of the pandemic. But, according to latest figures, its commercial arm could help it to bounce back after seeing its income more than double in the recent biotech boom. The organization reported record levels of investment in its spinout companies, which more than doubled in 2020-2021 compared with the previous year, jumping from £400 million (US$555 million) to £822 million (US$1.14 billion)
All the primary endpoints were met in Hepion Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s phase IIa trial of CRV-431 for treating nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The market, however, wasn’t celebrating as the Edison, N.J.-based company’s stock (NASDAQ:HEPA) sagged 15.27% on July 13 to close at $1.72 per share.
As the first flagship action of Europe’s plan to beat cancer, the European Commission launched its Cancer Knowledge Center June 30. The new online platform will map the latest evidence on cancer, provide health care guidelines and quality assurance schemes, and monitor and project trends in cancer incidence and mortality across the EU, where cancer is the No. 1 killer for people younger than 65.
PERTH, Australia – Cyclopharm Ltd. said it received a complete response letter (CRL) from the FDA for its Technegas NDA for pulmonary embolisms. The CRL relates to better defining and validating production and delivery of the Technegas particle and other aspects of crucible manufacturing and dosimetry that need to be addressed before the NDA can be approved.
LONDON – New data from a randomized community study involving more than half a million people has shown that of 92,116 who had symptomatic COVID-19, 38% were still reporting symptoms 12 weeks later.