DUBLIN – Galapagos NV is in line for a $200 million payday, as positive 24-week data from a phase IIb monotherapy trial in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) testing selective Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) inhibitor filgotinib (GLPG0634) completed the clinical picture and formally set the clock ticking on Abbvie Inc.'s option on the program.
DUBLIN – Sanofi SA has stepped in where Johnson & Johnson stepped out, signing up to a diabetes alliance with Evotec AG focused on beta cell regeneration, in return for €3 million (US$3.3 million) up front and more than €300 million in milestone payments.
DUBLIN – Heptares Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sosei Group Corp., is getting $10 million up front and potentially more than $500 million in milestones by out-licensing to Astrazeneca plc its A2A adenosine receptor (A2AR) antagonist HTL-1071 for development in immuno-oncology indications.
DUBLIN – Having absorbed the lessons from Abbvie Inc.'s failed $55 billion takeover bid last year, Shire plc unveiled an unsolicited $33.9 billion all-stock offer for newly spun out Baxalta Inc.
DUBLIN – Stem cell developer Tigenix NV is entering the cardiology arena through the acquisition of Madrid, Spain-based Coretherapix SL in a deal worth up to €266.7 million (US$291 million), the vast bulk of which is loaded toward the back end.
DUBLIN – Merck & Co. Inc. is going large on Ablynx NV's Nanobody single-domain fragment antibody platform, adding as much as 12 more immuno-oncology programs to the existing five that it previously signed up for.
DUBLIN – Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd. reported Tuesday on its ongoing delicate balancing act of ramping up sales of its next-generation endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA), Opsumit (macitentan), while managing the decline of its venerable blockbuster, Tracleer (bosentan), the first product of that class to gain approval for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
DUBLIN – French immunotherapy firm DBV Technologies SA put down a big marker by pricing biotech's largest secondary offering on Nasdaq so far this year, a hefty $244.8 million raise, which will further development of its peanut allergy therapy, which is entering pivotal trials later this year.
DUBLIN – Cell therapy firm Reneuron plc’s forthcoming £68.4 million (US$106 million) capital increase is further evidence of the continued buoyancy of the public funding environment for European biotech companies.
