LONDON – Twenty-three pharma companies are joining forces in the AMR Action Fund and have raised $1 billion in new money for the clinical development of antibiotic drugs addressing the most resistant bacteria. Working with philanthropic backers, the fund aims to bring two to four new antibiotics through to approval by 2030. Read More
The industry's expanding quest for protein degraders grew a little larger on July 9 with Sanofi SA tapping Kymera Therapeutics Inc. to advance two new protein degrader programs, one of which will target IRAK4 in patients with immune-inflammatory diseases and another for an undisclosed target. Each program could yield multiple therapies.
Zymeworks Inc.’s business update – which included a new, potential $891 million deal for multispecific antibody drugs with longtime partner Merck & Co. Inc. – drew mixed reviews from Wall Street, especially with regard to phase I prospect ZW-49. Read More
LONDON – Forbion has faced down COVID-19 to reach the first close of €185 million (US$208 million) for a new growth opportunities fund, which will be dedicated to late-stage investments in companies with mature assets. Read More
Exercise is a powerful way to keep the elderly brain working well, not just in individuals that are healthy, but also in those with neurodegenerative disease. Even individuals with familial Alzheimer’s, though they will develop dementia regardless of whether they exercise or not, will have relatively better cognitive function if they exercise than if they don’t. Read More
HONG KONG – The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved Mylan NV’s remdesivir 100-mg vial for restricted emergency use in COVID-19 cases. Read More
HONG KONG – China and U.S.-based Zai Lab Ltd. has inked a deal to develop and commercialize Turning Point Therapeutics Inc.’s lead drug candidate, repotrectinib, in the greater China markets. Read More
Shanghai-based Fosun Kite Biotechnology Co. Ltd. secured another $20 million investment from Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co. Ltd. and Kite Pharma Inc., which each contributed $10 million. The fund will support further clinical trials and manufacturing of its CAR T candidates, including FKC-876, which looks likely to become the first CAR T therapy approved in China. Read More
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Acer, Bayer, Biogen, Enanta, Ideaya, JS Innopharm. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Allergy, Anaptysbio, Assembly, Astrazeneca, Chemocentryx, Crinetics, Fate, Fujifilm, Immodulon, Leo, Merck, Mylan, Osmotica. Read More