Lysogene SAS raised €16.5 million (US$22.6 million) in a series A round to continue its clinical development of SAF-301, a gene therapy treatment for Sanfilippo syndrome type A, a rare neurodegenerative disorder arising from impaired breakdown of the cell surface and extracellular matrix component heparan sulfate.
Shares in Genmab A/S opened Tuesday morning down 11 percent on overnight news that its anti-CD20 antibody Arzerra (ofatumumab) failed to demonstrate a progression-free survival (PFS) benefit over Rituxan (rituximab) in a phase III head-to-head study in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).
Kymab Ltd., one of a clutch of antibody developers with next-generation transgenic mouse platforms, raised $40 million in a series B round, with equal amounts coming from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust.
Although the immediate future of biosimilar insulin may be determined in the courtroom rather than the clinic, the EMA is updating its guidance on the development of biosimilar insulin products.
Aganirsen, a topical antisense drug in development for treating inflammation-related corneal neovascularization (CNV), failed to reach the primary endpoint of visual acuity in a phase III trial, but its developer Gene Signal International SA plans to start a confirmatory trial later this year based on a different endpoint, having seen a significant reduction in the extent of neovascularization between the two treatment groups.
DUBLIN – Investors in Lumena Pharmaceuticals Inc. are in line for a big payday, as Shire plc is buying the San Diego-based drug developer for $260 million up front, plus undisclosed milestones linked to the results of clinical trials of one of its pipeline assets – and whatever cash it has left on its balance sheet when the transaction closes.
DUBLIN – Ireland's phantom pharma sector, a growing roster of Irish-domiciled pharmaceutical companies that perform little if any activity within the country yet which channel much of their earnings through it, is attracting uncomfortable levels of scrutiny in the global industry's current cycle of M&A and drug licensing activity.
The London-based soccer club that shares its name may not have had much of a season, but Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd. got a result Thursday when H. Lundbeck A/S lined up an agreed bid worth $530 million initially. Milestones attached to the commercial performance of Northera (droxidopa), its recently approved drug for neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH), could push the total value of the deal up to $658 million.
Pascal Soriot, CEO of Astrazeneca plc, and his senior management team came out fighting against Pfizer Inc.'s takeover bid Tuesday, setting out an ambitious long-term growth plan for the company based on current growth drivers and a rapidly maturing pipeline which, they claim, will lead to $45 billion in revenue by 2023.
Enterome Bioscience SA raised €10 million (US$13.9 million) in a first closing of a planned €20 million series B round to further development of its microbiome-based biomarkers in development for disease management.
