LONDON – Amal Therapeutics SA announced the first closing of its series B funding, raising €8 million (US$9.5 million) of a proposed €20 million round to progress its lead cancer vaccine, ATP-128, into the clinic. Read More

Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc., of New York, closed a $300 million debt financing structured as senior secured loans from CRG LP, a health care-focused investment firm, and its lender syndicate. Read More

Eagle Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Woodcliff Lake, N.J., reported results from an initial study in more than 50 rodents to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of Ryanodex (dantrolene sodium) in an established model of nerve agent-(NA) induced seizures and seizure-related brain damage. Read More

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, reported top-line results from a phase II trial testing LGD-6972, an oral, small-molecule glucagon receptor antagonist, as an adjunct to diet and exercise in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately controlled on metformin monotherapy. Read More

The FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research will hold a public workshop Oct. 30 at its White Oak campus in Silver Spring, Md., to help the rare disease community better understand what the agency needs to enhance drug development. The workshop will include presentations on engaging with the FDA and on strategies, tools and best practices for drug development for rare diseases. Read More

HONG KONG – China has for several years stood out as the major emerging market for multinational pharmaceutical companies, and it will likely continue to do so with deeper, widespread reform expected to improve the pharmaceutical and health care industry in the near future. Read More

Deciphera Pharmaceuticals LLC and Nucana Ltd. became the latest entrants into the 2017 IPO queue, filing with the SEC to raise up to $100 million and $115 million, respectively. Read More

In the wake of Kymriah's approval, the ability to ensure a sustainable manufacturing and supply chain emerged as a major differentiator among CAR T contenders. With deep pockets, Novartis AG leveraged its global R&D and manufacturing expertise "to take a cutting-edge, complicated individualized process from the first three patients treated at Penn and expand it to a clinical trial program across 25 centers and four continents, forming the basis for the regulatory filing in the U.S. and, soon, Europe," explained Bill Hinshaw, general manager of U.S. Oncology for the Basel, Switzerland-based company. Read More

The death of a 78-year-old man with a rare blood cancer in an early trial of Cellectis SA's gene-edited chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy, UCART-123, triggered an FDA clinical hold on the study and a second test of the experimental treatment. Following closely on last week's FDA approval of Novartis AG's CAR T immunotherapy, Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel), the fatality offered a stark reminder of the risks faced by both companies and patients participating in efforts to advance new gene-edited T-cell-based treatments. Read More

SHANGHAI – Innovent Biologics Inc., of Suzhou, has acquired the global rights for a preclinical indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) inhibitor discovered by the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry. By adding an IDO candidate to its immuno-oncology pipeline, Innovent aims to increase the effectiveness of its PD-1 candidate currently in phase III studies in partnership with Eli Lilly and Co.. of Indianapolis. Read More

DUBLIN – Almost 12 months after its initial cash raise, Immunic AG finally closed out its series A round with an additional €10 million (US$11.9 million), taking the grand total to €31.7 million. Read More

LONDON – The German government will donate €51.35 million (US$61.1 million) to the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) as part of €56 million pledged by a number of countries at a meeting in Berlin on Monday. Read More