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Novartis taps UCB in $1.65B Parkinson's disease deal
Novartis AG, keen to expand its central nervous system franchise as generics chase down crown jewel Gilenya (fingolimod), has secured rights from UCB SA to co-develop and commercialize two potential Parkinson's disease therapies for $150 million up front and milestone payments approaching $1.5 billion.

Novartis taps UCB in $1.65B Parkinson's disease deal
Novartis AG, keen to expand its central nervous system franchise as generics chase down crown jewel Gilenya (fingolimod), has secured rights from UCB SA to co-develop and commercialize two potential Parkinson's disease therapies for $150 million up front and milestone payments approaching $1.5 billion.
Humanigen’s lenzilumab shows positive results in treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients
While discussing positive data on its lead candidate lenzilumab for treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients, Humanigen Inc.’s CEO sparred a bit with the FDA and its refusal to grant the treatment emergency use authorization. The monoclonal antibody, Cameron Durrant told investors on a Dec. 2 call, could possibly have saved 60,000 to 70,000 patients while the company waits for another meeting with the FDA.
Tests of boosters with six different COVID-19 vaccines show they are safe, effective
LONDON – Each of six different COVID-19 vaccines given as booster doses were safe and increased immunity when administered after two doses of either Pfizer Inc.’s or Astrazeneca plc’s vaccine, according to the latest data from the U.K. Cov-Boost trial.
UK steps up Omicron response with GSK/Vir antibody approval and 114M vaccine dose order
The U.K. is stepping up its response to the Omicron COVID-19 variant after the country’s regulatory agency approved Xevudy (sotrovimab), the antibody therapy from Glaxosmithkline plc and Vir Biotechnology Inc. At the same time the country placed orders for 114 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc., for use in 2022 and 2023.
Aviadobio targets frontotemporal dementia with gene therapy
LONDON – Aviadobio Ltd. has raised $80 million in a series A round to take a precision microdosed gene therapy for treating familial frontotemporal dementia into a phase I/II clinical trial.
Today's news in brief
BioWorld briefs for December 2.
Tune Therapeutics ups the ‘Tempo’ in epigenetic editing with $40M investment
Tune Therapeutics Inc. launched with $40 million in initial financing and plans to pursue both rare and complex disease indications with a series of epigenetic editors that employ CRISPR-Cas9 DNA recognition to modulate gene expression in a targeted fashion, without introducing potentially problematic DNA strand breaks or changes to the genetic code.
Fed Circuit rulings strike at MS drug, COVID-19 vaccine
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit struck a blow Nov. 30 to Biogen Inc.’s blockbuster multiple sclerosis (MS) drug, Tecfidera, affirming a lower court’s determination that a patent claiming a method of treating MS was invalid for lack of written description. In two other precedential cases the next day, the appellate court opened the door for Arbutus Biopharma Corp. to seek royalties on Moderna Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Tot Biopharm’s first ADC bevacizumab gets China lung cancer approval
Tot Biopharm International Co. Ltd.’s self-developed Pusintin (bevacizumab), a biosimilar to Roche Holding AG’s Avastin, has won marketing approval from China’s NMPA. It was approved for the treatment of patients with advanced, metastatic, or recurrent non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer and those with metastatic colorectal cancer.

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