Biotech - Today Stories

Improvements also demonstrated in quality of life, lung function and nasal polyposis symptoms 05 August 2020  Results from the positive Phase IIIb ANDHI trial showed AstraZeneca’s Fasenra (benralizumab), when given on top of standard of care, demonstrated a statistically significant 49% reduction in the annual rate of asthma exacerbations at week 24 compared to placebo (0.94 vs. 1.86; p≤0.0001) in patients with baseline blood eosinophil counts greater than or equal to 150 cells per microlitre.1 These data were presented today at the American Thoracic Society 2020 Virtual International Conference.1 In key secondary endpoints, Fasenra demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in health-related quality of life at week 24 compared to placebo (p≤0.0001), wi…

Heidelberg (Germany), 3 August 2020: Pharma business development requires meeting other people but this has become very difficult in times of distancing, travel restrictions and quarantine. The traditional model of "partnering events" has suffered a blow and so have organisers. The workaround of merely replacing physical by video one-on-one meetings on the same conference days meets organisational and technical glitches.RauCon has developed an entirely novel, Corona-proof partnering concept which is now online and running. The new Marketplace for Pharma Business Opportunities provides an unprecedented degree of flexibility in pharma partnering by adding full four weeks of pre-arranged and secure, one-hour video meetings to the physical two-days euroPLX or asiaPLX events. Attendees can move…

Today the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has awarded £100 million to fund a Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult Manufacturing Innovation Centre to accelerate production of a COVID-19 vaccine in the UK. The centre, located in Braintree, Essex, is due to open in December 2021 and will have the capacity to produce millions of doses of vaccines. An additional £4.7 million will be awarded for upskilling in advanced therapy and vaccine manufacturing. The funds will be utilised to expand existing training facilities and develop a virtual learning platform to address the demand for skills in the UK cell and gene therapy industry. Steve Bates OBE, CEO of the BioIndustry Association (BIA) commenting on the funding for the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult said: “The funding will he…

OXFORD, 20 JULY 2020: Vaccitech Ltd, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing immunotherapies to treat and prevent infectious diseases and cancer, today announces that Oxford University’s Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group have taken the next step towards the discovery of a safe, effective and accessible vaccine against coronavirus. The vaccine, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, now known as AZN1222, was co-invented by Vaccitech and Oxford University’s Jenner Institute. The results of the Phase I/II trial published today in the scientific journal, The Lancet, indicate no early safety concerns and the induction of strong immune responses in both parts of the immune system. The vaccine provoked a T cell response within 14 days of vaccination (a cellular immune response, it cou…

Edinburgh, UK, July 14, 2020 – Macomics Ltd, an immuno-oncology company with world-leading expertise in macrophage biology, launches today with a £3.2 million seed financing round led by transatlantic VC Epidarex Capital, with the Scottish Investment Bank, the investment arm of Scottish Enterprise, also investing. Company formation and in-licensing of the technology has been facilitated by Edinburgh Innovations, the commercialisation service for the University of Edinburgh. Macomics, which was spun out from the University of Edinburgh, will use the proceeds of this fundraising round to develop novel, first-in-class immunotherapies designed to modulate macrophages, increasing the body’s immune defence against tumours.  Macomics’ approach is based on leading academic research around macropha…

London, 30 June, 2020 – Freeline, a biotechnology company focused on developing curative gene therapies for chronic systemic diseases, today announced the closing of a $120 million extended Series C financing. The financing augments Syncona’s previously announced Series C investment in Freeline of $40 million (£30.6 million) with an additional $80 million (£61.2 million) of new capital. The round was led by Novo Holdings A/S, Eventide Asset Management and Wellington Management Company, with additional participation from Cowen Healthcare Investments, Acorn Bioventures and Ample Plus Fund. Freeline expects to use the proceeds from the financing to bring its lead program in Haemophilia B into a pivotal trial, as well as to continue its Phase 1/2 clinical program for Fabry Disease and further…

New UK fund cornerstoned by £50 million investment from the British Business Bank, through its Enterprise Capital Funds (ECF) programme Epidarex Capital III UK LP will invest in new life science companies from emerging research hubs across the UK, including spinouts from highly regarded universities Edinburgh, UK, 22 June 2020 - Epidarex Capital (“Epidarex”), a transatlantic life science venture firm, announces that it has closed Epidarex Capital III UK LP (the “Fund”) at £102.1 million. The Fund will build new life science companies based on world-class research and innovation from emerging hubs across the UK, including spinouts from highly regarded universities. Typical initial investments will range from £2 million to £5 million. The new Fund has been cornerstoned by the British Busin…

--- Royal Society of Chemistry gathers publishers of more than 4,400 scholarly journals and tens of thousands of books in landmark commitment to reduce bias --- --- Publications range across disciplines including STEM and medicine to humanities and social sciences --- --- American Chemical Society, BMJ, Elsevier, the Royal Society, Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press among those to sign up --- --- Nobel Prize-winning chemist Professor Frances Arnold endorses RSC leadership --- Publishers responsible for tens of thousands of peer-reviewed journals and books have signed an agreement to take a proactive stance against bias, as they commit to working together to better reflect the diversity of their communities and to remove barriers for under-represented groups. The joint…

The House of Lords International Agreements Sub-Committee has today launched its first call for evidence, seeking views on the ongoing UK-US trade negotiations. The committee is seeking evidence on the full range of areas being negotiated with the US, with an initial focus on agriculture and food safety, healthcare and drug pricing, and digital trade and services. The committee is asking for submissions of written evidence to be received by Friday 26 June, but the call for evidence will remain open throughout the negotiations. Lord Goldsmith, Chairman of the Internaional Agreements Sub-Committee, said: “The International Agreements Sub-Committee has been established to scrutinise how the Government negotiates new international agreements for a post-Brexit UK. This includes new trade deals.…

PharmiWeb Ltd, owners of Europe's largest Pharma Job Board, are pleased to announce that they have launched their latest job board for Pharma and Life Science Jobs in Australasia. The new job board will focus on the Pharma, Life Sciences & Medical Devices sector in Australasia and will give the region's job seekers a new dedicated website for their job hunting.    The site is built upon on the well-established Madgex job board platform already used by many major organisations globally, and ensures it will be continually updated with new technological advances such as AI and machine learning and new features that will help candidates find the best jobs and recruiters find the best candidates. For life science candidates, it provides the perfect platform to help them with their career de…

London, United Kingdom, Tuesday 10 March - George Health, a profit-for-purpose company, today announces £27 million / $35 million of new financing to accelerate the commercialisation of affordable drug treatments and technologies for some of the world’s biggest killers. This funding round was led by Bupa Australia, Federation Asset Management and the Australian Government-backed Medical Research Commercialisation Fund Biomedical Translation Fund (MRCF BTF), managed by Brandon Capital Partners. The investments are set to fast-track the growth of George Health Enterprises, the commercial arm of the world-leading George Institute for Global Health, and George Medicines, its late-stage drug development company. George Health Enterprises will receive almost £17 million from Federation Asset Man…

– Gilead Gains Forty Seven’s Investigational Immuno-Oncology Therapy in Multiple Clinical Studies for Diseases Including Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma – – Transaction Supports Gilead’s Strategic Focus in Oncology and Gives Access to Potential New First-in-Class Program and Innovative Pipeline – FOSTER CITY, Calif. & MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) and Forty Seven, Inc. (Nasdaq: FTSV) announced today that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Gilead will acquire Forty Seven for $95.50 per share in cash. The transaction, which values Forty Seven at approximately $4.9 billion, was unanimously approved by both the Gilead and Forty Seven Boards of Directors and…

CROMSOURCE announced today the achievement of a significant milestone in the digital management of clinical research projects for their clients. In February 2020 CROMSOURCE initiated the 1000th trial to be managed within the advanced TheClinical digital environment. TheClinical, developed by Techorizon, consists of customisable, integrated modules dedicated to the efficient digital management of every aspect of clinical research and development projects. ‘Digitalisation is a key foundation of our working philosophy, and has been a significant source of our investment for many years’, commented CROMSOURCE CEO, Dr. Oriana Zerbini. ‘Our adoption and development of digital technologies provides our clients with benefits in efficiency, quality and visibility on their projects.’ ‘Our clients typ…

Developing drugs to treat rare diseases is fraught with challenges; these range from trying to recruit from tiny patient populations to fill much-need clinical trials to the complex reimbursement landscape for these innovative, and often bespoke, therapies. GlobalData’s Pharmaceutical Technology writer Allie Nawrat looks at three case studies of companies on the verge of having treatments for largely ignored rare diseases approved. Restoring DNA repair functionality to cells: Rocket’s Fanconi gene therapy Nawrat Says: “Fanconi anaemia (FA) is a rare paediatric inherited disease caused by a mutation in the FANC genes. Patients with Fanconi experience bone marrow failure as they are unable to create new blood cells. “Rocket wants to change this situation with its lentiviral vector gene the…

The Office for Life Sciences announces Harwell as one of six new designated Zones in the UK - the only one in Oxfordshire/ Thames Valley Thursday 20th February, Harwell, Oxfordshire: Announced today by the Office for Life Sciences, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus has been designated as a Life Sciences Opportunity Zone, which is awarded for a 10-year period. Harwell, already a world-renowned science and technology campus, is now one of only seven locations in the UK [six announced today], and the only one in Oxfordshire / Thames Valley, to hold the title. With this status secured, Harwell’s Life Sciences capabilities will continue to grow as the announcement further underscores the role of the Campus as a national hub for health and Life Sciences research, and a launch platform for co…

19th February 2020: Cegedim UK announces the launch of a new Mobile App for Healthcare Professionals. The app showcases Cegedim’s powerful clinical decision support web-services which everyday enable over 5,000 pharmacies to dispense and over 4,000 GP’s to safely select and prescribe medicines for patients. The app brings together technology and data to demonstrate the novel capabilities of Cegedim’s solutions to support clinicians, solutions providers and healthcare providers to provide safe and effective care in a scalable and cost effective package. The new online application is aimed at GPs, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals and provides access to up to date, unbiased and reliable medical information, for optimum clinical decision-making.  The App references Cegedim’s drug…

The Wuhan coronavirus outbreak shows no signs of slowing down, and developments in the unfolding story are so rapid that it can be difficult keep track of them. GlobalData’s Pharmaceutical Technology team have produced a free-to-access dashboard to keep industry, media, and the public, up-to-date with the latest developments in the coronavirus outbreak and a range of tools to provide key information. The dashboard contains: Breaking news and regional reports Maps and trackers of confirmed cases, global spread, deaths and recoveries Timeline of events from the first cases to the latest news Social media tracking analysing trending keywords, hashtags, mentioned companies and countries An FAQ resource answering common questions Click on the link below to visit the web page. https://www.phar…

Both Edwards Lifesciences and Teva won four Golds and one Silver each, making them joint top of the pharma charts. Roche won two Golds and two Silvers and Reckitt Benckiser (RB) two Golds. Other Gold winners on the client side included ALK, Heart UK, Immunocore, Janssen, Mundipharma, Novo Nordisk and Santen.    The event is the largest in the industry awards calendar and attracts around 900 people from across pharma companies and agencies to the largest ballroom in Park Lane. The ceremony was skilfully hosted by Claudia Winkleman in combination with comedian Zoe Lyons and everyone’s favourite voice, Alan Dedicoat, the voice of Strictly.  Although the Gold Awards were dominated by Havas Lynx Group and VCCP, there were 21 different agencies and 30 different pharmaceutical or healthcare organ…

Both Edwards Lifesciences and Teva won four Golds and one Silver each, making them joint top of the pharma charts. Roche won two Golds and two Silvers and Reckitt Benckiser (RB) two Golds. Other Gold winners on the client side included ALK, Heart UK, Immunocore, Janssen, Mundipharma, Novo Nordisk and Santen.    The event is the largest in the industry awards calendar and attracts around 900 people from across pharma companies and agencies to the largest ballroom in Park Lane. The ceremony was skilfully hosted by Claudia Winkleman in combination with comedian Zoe Lyons and everyone’s favourite voice, Alan Dedicoat, the voice of Strictly.  Although the Gold Awards were dominated by Havas Lynx Group and VCCP, there were 21 different agencies and 30 different pharmaceutical or healthcare organ…

From an increase in sales of interleukin inhibitors to the prevalence of biosimilars, this decade has been an eventful one in the immunology industry. Patrick Aiyes, Senior Immunology Analyst at leading data and analytics company GlobalData, observes the key trends that has shaped the immunology market in the last decade: Key immunology drugs “The immunology market has seen a continuous increase in the sales of interleukin inhibitors and a decrease in the sales of TNF inhibitors - primarily because of the entry of biosimilars into the market and the increased safety profile associated with interleukin inhibitors. Abbvie’s Humira will end the decade as the highest grossing drug of 2019, generating sales of approximately $19bn globally, while Janssen’s Stelara will be the highest-grossing i…