DUBLIN – After receiving a second rebuff, Novo Nordisk A/S has gone public on its bid to acquire nanobody pioneer Ablynx NV for almost €2.6 billion (US$3.1 billion). Read More

In a step toward interoperability of electronic health records (EHRs) and the use of big health data, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the draft Trusted Exchange Framework, as required by the 21st Century Cures Act. Read More

Aptevo Therapeutics Inc., of Seattle, commenced patient dosing in a phase II clinical evaluation of otlertuzumab in a new indication – peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). Otlertuzumab is a monospecific antibody targeting CD37 that was built on Aptevo’s Adaptir modular protein therapeutic platform. Read More

TG Therapeutics Inc., of New York, and Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co. Ltd., of Shanghai, entered an exclusive global license deal in which TG will obtain worldwide rights, excluding Asia but including Japan, to develop Hengrui’s Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor program. Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – The 36th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference started off with a bang Monday, as Celgene Corp. talked up a proposed $7 billion acquisition of San Diego-based Impact Biomedicines Inc. built around Impact’s lead candidate, the phase III JAK2 inhibitor fedratinib, a potential treatment for myelofibrosis, a rare disease of the bone marrow. Read More

Staphylococcus aureus’ role as a human pathogen may present a headache for gene editing. Looking at blood samples from human donors, researchers found that the majority of samples had pre-existing antibodies to the Cas9 from both S. aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – Last year was a mixed bag for biopharma dealmaking, and not just by the numbers. Lofty valuations tamped down M&A, with buy-side companies also awaiting the outcome of U.S. tax reform. Oncology assets continued to rule, although first-in-class approvals actually showed a decline. Read More

In what seems to be an eternally growing partnership, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Sanofi SA plan to accelerate development of two drugs already partnered under their multidrug agreements. Read More

Ilise Lombardo, clinical research head of Axovant Sciences Ltd., said the firm’s ongoing efforts will “certainly be informed” by the late-stage clinical work with approved pimavanserin (Nuplazid, Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.) as tests proceed with similarly 5HT2A-targeting nelotanserin. Read More

LONDON – Sosei Group Corp. has raised $200 million in a placing to fund clinical development of proprietary assets discovered by its U.K. subsidiary, G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) specialist Heptares Therapeutics. Read More

HONG KONG – Apollobio Corp., of Beijing, has updated and finalized its development and commercialization deal with Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., for a vaccine developed for pre-cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). Read More

Alder Biopharmaceuticals Inc., of Bothell, Wash., entered a preferred stock purchase agreement with certain institutional and other accredited investors affiliated with or managed by Redmile Group LLC. Read More