Biotech - Today Stories

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. has unveiled its new initiative named Rise, an open-innovation platform designed to partner with startups and technology firms to tackle pressing challenges in drug development, manufacturing, supply-chain and digital health. The company says Rise will focus on areas such as using artificial intelligence to model clinical-trial outcomes, replacing animal models with human-derived platforms, and developing smart devices to monitor patients on long-acting injectable therapies. Teva plans to invest tens of millions of dollars into global collaborations with innovative firms through Rise. The platform marks a strategic push by Teva to embrace digital transformation and strengthen its innovation pipeline at a time when the pharma industry is rapidly evolving.…

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has announced that it will acquire Halda Therapeutics for approximately US$3.05 billion in cash. The acquisition brings Halda’s novel drug‐discovery platform and pipeline into J&J’s expansive oncology franchise. Halda specialises in a new class of small-molecule therapies called RIPTAC™ (Regulated Induced Proximity Targeting Chimeras) that selectively kill cancer cells by forging a harmful interaction between a tumour‐specific protein and an “essential” survival protein in the cancer cell. Early clinical data for Halda’s lead candidate HLD-0915, targeting metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), showed encouraging signs of antitumour activity and a favourable therapeutic index. Through this deal, J&J aims to enhance its solid tumour p…

GSK (GSK) and LTZ Therapeutics have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at developing novel myeloid-cell engager (MCE) therapies in oncology, leveraging LTZ’s proprietary Myeloid Engager Platform. LTZ’s platform is designed to harness the innate immune system by activating myeloid cells to phagocytose tumour cells, reprogram the tumour-microenvironment, enhance antigen presentation and engage adaptive immune responses. The approach offers potential advantages over T-cell engagers by tapping into the abundance of macrophages and other myeloid cells in many solid tumours and possibly reducing cytokine release risks. LTZ’s platform emphasises activation of innate cells with minimal pro-inflammatory cytokine release, enabling potent tumour cell killing with a more controlled immune-react…

Global life sciences company Bayer has unveiled its new “Science Delivers” campaign, designed to highlight how science shapes everyday life and fosters progress across society. Launched on World Science Day, the initiative includes a wide-reaching advertising push, a public “Declaration on Science,” and interactive experiences that invite people to share personal stories of how science has made a difference in their lives. A central video montage showcases individuals in diverse settings while a voiceover narrates how scientific discovery powers medical breakthroughs, cleaner water, sustainable agriculture, and better energy solutions. The message is clear: for every community and for every tomorrow, science truly delivers. The campaign also features installations and a digital hub where p…

Global pharmaceutical leader Eli Lilly and Company has entered into a major research and licensing collaboration with clinical-stage biotech SanegeneBio. The deal is focused on advancing RNA interference (RNAi) drug candidates targeting metabolic disorders by leveraging SanegeneBio’s proprietary Ligand and Enhancer Assisted Delivery (LEAD™) platform, which is designed to enable tissue-specific silencing of disease genes. Under the agreement, SanegeneBio will discover and optimise LEAD-based RNAi molecules across undisclosed metabolic disease targets, while Lilly will take responsibility for IND-enabling studies, clinical development and worldwide commercialization. The agreement includes an upfront payment and equity investment, and stretches to potential milestone payments of up to US$1.2…

Braveheart Bio has officially launched with a mission to transform cardiovascular medicine through advanced small-molecule therapies. The new biotech, led by CEO Travis Murdoch, is backed by leading investors including Forbion and OrbiMed, and debuts with a high-value licensing agreement with Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals. Under the deal, Braveheart Bio gains exclusive global rights, excluding China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, to develop, manufacture and commercialise the cardiac myosin inhibitor HRS-1893. The agreement includes an upfront payment of 65 million USD, split evenly between cash and shares, with additional potential milestones worth over 1 billion USD and royalties on future sales. HRS-1893 is currently in Phase III trials in China for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopat…

Eli Lilly and Company has announced a landmark collaboration with NVIDIA to build what they describe as the most powerful artificial intelligence supercomputer ever operated by a pharmaceutical company. The new infrastructure, based on NVIDIA’s DGX SuperPOD design and powered by over one thousand B300 GPUs, will form the backbone of Lilly’s new AI factory. This supercomputer will accelerate the discovery and delivery of medicines by training models on millions of experiments, exploring vast chemical and biological spaces, and optimising production and manufacturing processes. It will also enhance medical imaging, support digital twins for manufacturing sites, and power enterprise-wide AI assistants. Lilly emphasises that artificial intelligence is no longer just a tool but a scientific col…

UK-based specialty pharmaceutical company CNX Therapeutics has agreed to acquire the global rights to Sativex (nabiximols) from global biopharma firm Jazz Pharmaceuticals. The deal transfers the worldwide business of the cannabinoid-based medicine, which is approved in many markets for symptoms of moderate to severe spasticity in adult patients, from Jazz to CNX. The acquisition deepens CNX’s focus on central nervous system (CNS) therapies and strengthens its specialty medicines platform across Europe and beyond. For Jazz, the move streamlines its portfolio by handing over an established asset to a partner with a targeted commercial infrastructure. According to one report the acquisition was announced just recently. With Sativex already licensed across multiple countries, CNX aims to lever…

Novo Nordisk has launched an unsolicited acquisition offer for Metsera Inc., greatly exceeding a prior agreement between Pfizer Inc. and Metsera. Novo’s bid values Metsera at as much as US$9 billion, offering US$56.50 per share plus contingent value rights (CVRs) tied to clinical and regulatory milestones. This is up from Pfizer’s earlier bid of US$47.50 per share plus US$22.50 in CVRs, valued at around US$7.3 billion. Metsera is developing next-generation obesity treatments, including its lead candidate MET-097i (a GLP-1 analogue) and MET-233i (an amylin analog), both designed for monthly dosing and aimed at the fast-growing obesity market. Novo’s aggressive move appears to reflect pressure on its position in the category as competitors close in. Pfizer responded by alleging Novo’s bid mi…

Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) has secured an exclusive, worldwide licence from Kyowa Kirin for a pre-clinical, first-in-class small molecule targeting fibro-inflammatory diseases, an area that includes many autoimmune conditions. The deal is valued at up to €410 million in upfront, development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, plus royalties on future sales.  The programme will join BI’s immunology and respiratory research portfolio, supporting its ambition to develop breakthrough therapies in areas of high unmet need. The licence will enable BI to progress the compound globally, building on Kyowa Kirin’s discovery expertise and BI’s clinical development and commercialisation strengths. Meanwhile, Kyowa Kirin retains potential upside via milestone and royalty payments.  Fibro-infl…

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has announced a strategic collaboration with ModeX Therapeutics, a subsidiary of OPKO Health, to develop multispecific antibody treatments designed to target multiple disease pathways within a single molecule. The agreement includes an upfront payment to ModeX of around seven million dollars, with potential milestone payments exceeding two hundred million dollars per program and a total deal value that could surpass one billion dollars if multiple products reach development milestones. ModeX contributes its proprietary MSTAR platform, which enables the creation of antibodies with up to six binding sites in one construct. This technology is designed to address complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases that involve multiple biolog…

Novartis has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Avidity Biosciences in an all-cash transaction valued at around US$12 billion. Avidity shareholders will receive US$72 per share, representing a premium of approximately 46 percent to its recent closing price. The acquisition reinforces Novartis’ strategy to expand its leadership in RNA-based medicines and strengthens its late-stage neuroscience and neuromuscular disease portfolio. Avidity Biosciences is known for its Antibody Oligonucleotide Conjugates, or AOCs, which deliver RNA therapeutics directly to muscle tissue. The company has multiple clinical programs in development for rare neuromuscular disorders such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy type 1, and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Under the terms of…

Novartis has agreed to acquire Avidity Biosciences in an all-cash deal valued at approximately US$12 billion. The transaction will give Novartis full ownership of Avidity’s RNA-based antibody-oligonucleotide conjugate platform and three advanced programmes targeting neuromuscular disorders, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Myotonic dystrophy type 1 and Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. The purchase, one of the largest biotech acquisitions of the year, underscores Novartis’s strategy to expand into rare and genetic diseases as it faces increasing competition for some of its established medicines. Avidity’s innovative platform enables precise delivery of RNA therapeutics to muscle tissue, a capability that has generated strong industry interest. As part of the agreement, Avidity…

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has struck a deal to acquire exclusive rights to develop and commercialise an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) from Syndivia targeting metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The agreement is reported to be worth up to £268 million, reflecting GSK’s push to broaden its oncology pipeline. Syndivia, a France-based biotech firm specialising in next-generation ADCs through its proprietary platform, has shown this candidate delivered enhanced tumour reduction in preclinical studies while maintaining an encouraging safety profile. GSK noted the therapy addresses a significant unmet need given the limited targeted treatment options for this advanced form of prostate cancer. Under the terms of the transaction, Syndivia will receive an upfront payment, followed by additi…

Owkin has launched K Pro, its new agentic AI “co-pilot” tailored for the biopharma sector. The tool is designed to support decision-making throughout drug research and development by linking deep biological reasoning with pipeline strategy. K Pro builds on Owkin’s existing platform of multimodal patient data and AI modeling to deliver insight, de-risk key steps, and accelerate alignment across teams. The platform allows users to explore hypotheses, evaluate biomarkers, and assess competitive landscapes through a natural language interface, translating biological complexity into clear, actionable insights. K Pro’s architecture rests on “agentic spaces” — modular agents that analyze, activate, and amplify insights for trial design and biology translation. Behind it all is a curated networ…

Bristol Myers Squibb has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Orbital Therapeutics in a transaction valued at approximately $1.5 billion. Orbital is a privately held biotechnology company focused on RNA medicines that reprogram the immune system in vivo. Central to the acquisition is Orbital’s lead experimental candidate, OTX201, a next generation CAR T approach being developed for autoimmune diseases. Unlike traditional CAR T therapies that rely on modifying cells outside the body, OTX201 delivers RNA instructions inside the body to reprogram immune cells directly. Bristol Myers Squibb believes this in vivo approach could simplify treatment and expand access to cell therapy. The acquisition also includes Orbital’s RNA engineering platform, which combines circular and linear RNA desig…

Mission Therapeutics has announced a new financing round of $13.3 million to accelerate its lead Parkinson’s-disease drug candidate, MTX325, into clinical development. The fresh capital is earmarked for advancing safety, dosing, and brain-penetration studies as the company transitions from preclinical to human trials. MTX325 is designed to modulate mitophagy, the cellular process for clearing dysfunctional mitochondria, via inhibition of the deubiquitylating enzyme USP30. Dysfunctional mitochondria are increasingly implicated in Parkinson’s disease pathogenesis, and targeting USP30 may help protect dopamine-producing neurons from degeneration. Earlier, Mission began dosing healthy volunteers in a Phase I trial of MTX325, assessing safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and central nervous…

Discovery Park in Sandwich, Kent, has announced the launch of a new specialist sixth form for science-focused students aged 16 to 18. Named Carbon 6 Academy of Science, the school will open in September 2026 and will deliver a dedicated STEM curriculum. Located within the Discovery Park innovation campus, Carbon 6 will give students direct access to professional laboratories and real-world scientific environments. The academy will offer A-levels in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics, with options for Further Maths and an Extended Project Qualification. Students will benefit from close connections to the science and pharmaceutical companies based at Discovery Park, gaining opportunities for mentoring, guest lectures, and research placements. The programme is designed to prepare lea…

The UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) and Japan Bioindustry Association (JBA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen ties between the UK and Japanese biotech ecosystems. The agreement, formalised at BioJapan 2025 in Yokohama, aims to accelerate medical innovation and the commercialisation of engineering biology. Both countries are recognised as major global biotech hubs, with governments prioritising life sciences to drive economic growth. The MOU outlines plans to foster collaboration through delegations, joint events, and information sharing, and to align on global policy impacting the sector. This partnership builds on a longstanding relationship, furthered by recent UK Government visits to Japan. The agreement was signed by JBA’s CEO Mr Tetsuya Tanaka and BIA’s Di…

Concept Life Sciences has officially opened its expanded integrated drug discovery facilities in Chapel-en-le-Frith, creating one of the UK’s largest drug discovery research sites. The opening was marked by local MP Jonathan Pearce, who praised the investment for bringing high-skilled jobs to the High Peak region and strengthening the UK’s role in global life sciences. The site now brings together chemistry, ADMET and screening biology expertise under one roof, with 130 scientists based on site. The expansion is designed to accelerate early-stage drug discovery by streamlining workflows and providing clients with tailored, solution-oriented services. Jonathan Critchley, Chief Financial Officer at Concept Life Sciences, highlighted the company’s ability to turn breakthrough science into via…