Sense Biodetection Ltd. closed a $65 million series B investment round on a high note with an additional $15 million pouring in from previous investors. The Abingdon, England-based company raised $50 million in a first tranche of the round in April. Koch Disruptive Technologies LLC, a subsidiary of Koch Industries Inc., led both parts of the round.
Pfizer Inc. scored a $5.29 billion deal with the U.S. government to provide 10 million courses of the company’s oral antiviral candidate Paxlovid (PF-07321332; ritonavir) for COVID-19, as Astrazeneca plc and Novavax Inc. also generated news in the space. Paxlovid, if approved or authorized, would be the first oral antiviral of its kind: a 3CL protease inhibitor specifically designed to combat SARS-CoV-2. New York-based Pfizer is seeking emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA. Rolling submissions have also commenced in several other countries, and the company continues to build its case for regulatory agencies around the world.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Abbvie, Astrazeneca, Biogen, Biohaven, Cytodyn, Eisai, Mirati, Moderna, Novavax, Owp, Pfizer, Prilenia, Santhera, Serum Institute, Zentalis.
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Abeona, Aglaia, Arcus, Artizan, Biohaven, Clover, Entheotech, Enveric, Eqrx, Filament, Genomma, Gilead, Linus, Mymd, Oramed, Oravax, Owkin, Pierre Fabre, Ribonexus, Sanofi.
Roche Holding AG is walking away from a deal with Atea Pharmaceuticals Inc. to co-develop the COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment AT-527 after the mid-October failure of a global phase II study testing the medicine in non-hospitalized adults with mild or moderate disease missed its primary endpoint. Roche’s decision tosses the rights and licenses back to Atea so it can continue its development and commercialization efforts.
A research report by global investment bank Jefferies has found increased investor optimism in the health care market amid COVID-19, with respondents expecting stocks to rise throughout 2022. The Jefferies Healthcare Temperature Check summarizes the views of 500 leaders across the health care sector. Sixty percent of respondents said they believed the MSCI World Health Care Index would be higher by the end of 2022 than at present.
A busy regulatory environment globally throughout most of 2021 has translated into more than 15% of all actions taken relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet only one product has been approved in the U.S. for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
A futility analysis of Molecular Partners AG’s ensovibep for treating hospitalized COVID-19 adults prompted an independent data safety monitoring board to recommend discontinuing recruitment of patients in the phase III ACTIV-3 study.
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