Biotech - Today Stories

The Chief Executive of the UK’s pharmaceutical industry association has today warned MPs about the consequences of not agreeing a comprehensive post-Brexit trade deal or an urgent agreement on medicines while the trade talks continue. Richard Torbett told the Commons EU Future Relationship Committee that negotiators must consider the impact of causing unnecessary disruption and delays for UK and EU medicines whilst in the midst of a global pandemic. The Committee heard that companies were working in a constant state of emergency with supply chains under incredible pressure from COVID-19: "We need the bare minimum in order to safeguard risk to the supply chain [for medicines]. If we don’t get this there will be increased complexity, duplication and cost – the last thing we need during COVI…

It’s been 6 months since PharmiWeb, Europe’s largest pharma job board, launched our job board in Australia. Despite the backdrop of COVID-19, a massive thanks go out to all of our clients and all of the talented individuals who have engaged with our site, and come on board!We’re looking forward to the next 6 months as we continue to raise PharmiWeb’s profile across the continent, and help more and more Australian Life Sciences organisations recruit the best talent from PharmiWeb's ever-growing talent pool.If you would like more information regarding Pharmiweb and what our unique services can do for you, contact Sue or Laurel:Sue van Vuurensue.vanvuuren@pharmiweb.comTel: +61 (0) 468 625 626Laurel Steynlaurel.steyn@pharmiweb.comTel: +61 (0) 423 665 441Find Out More Here #pharmiweb #pharmajob…

*Principia Biopharma Inc. is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Sanofi PARIS – September 28, 2020 – Sanofi announced today the successful completion of its acquisition of Principia Biopharma Inc. (“Principia”) for $100 per share in cash. “The Principia acquisition further strengthens our core areas of autoimmune and allergic diseases, giving us full control of tolebrutinib (SAR442168), as well as additional BTK inhibitors to further develop,” said Paul Hudson, Sanofi Chief Executive Officer. “The Principia integration into Sanofi augments our small molecule research capabilities as we look to maintain leadership in the discovery and development of oral medicines for serious illnesses.” The tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of Principia common stock expired as scheduled at one mi…

After months of waiting, the official NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app for England and Wales is now available.   Protect your loved ones with the official NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app for England and Wales. It's the fastest way of knowing when you're at risk from coronavirus (COVID-19). The quicker you know, the quicker you can alert your loved ones, and your community.  The more of us that use it, the better we can control coronavirus. Protect your loved ones. Please download the app.

Inflazome is a pioneering inflammasome company developing orally available NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors to address clinical unmet needs across a wide variety of inflammatory diseases   Acquisition of Inflazome gives Roche full rights to the Inflazome portfolio   Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the body is implicated in many diseases caused by chronic, uncontrolled inflammation   Inflazome shareholders received €380 million upfront, and are eligible to receive additional milestone payments   Dublin (IE), Cambridge (UK), 21 September 2020: Inflazome announced today that it has closed a share purchase agreement with Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) in which Inflazome’s shareholders received an upfront payment of €380 million, and are eligible to receive additional conting…

In Phase III KITE study, Beovu (brolucizumab) 6 mg achieved its primary endpoint of non-inferiority to aflibercept 2 mg in mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at year one (week 52)1  In a key secondary endpoint, more than half of Beovu patients were maintained on a three-month dosing interval through year one, following the loading phase1  Beovu showed superior improvement versus aflibercept in change of central subfield thickness, a secondary endpoint, over the period of week 40 through week 521   Beovu demonstrated an overall well-tolerated safety profile comparable to aflibercept; in addition the rate of intraocular inflammation was equivalent between Beovu and aflibercept1   Novartis actively progressing full clinical development program of Beovu, with studies across we…

Responding to the news that the Covid-19 vaccine trial being run by Oxford University in conjunction with AstraZeneca has been halted for a second time, Kate Shaw, CEO of Innovative Trials, a clinical trials patient recruitment company, hoped it would not deter people from participating in clinical trials, either now or in the future. Shaw said: “I wish the clinical trial participant in question a swift recovery, but it’s important to note that a temporary halt on research is not uncommon and does not automatically mean a medicine is unsafe. Many treatments and vaccines can experience a pause during their development, even ones that are ultimately successful and brought to market.  “This news highlights the need for greater public awareness of what clinical research involves in order to av…

David Spencer-Percival founded Spencer Ogden and Huntress - two globally successful recruitment firms Life Science People launches with a commitment to boost employment opportunities post Covid-19 London, 01 September 2020: David Spencer-Percival, serial entrepreneur and founder of two globally successful recruitment businesses, Huntress and Spencer Ogden, is launching his latest venture, Life Science People. With a personal investment of £2m and an initial team of 20, Spencer-Percival’s team have set their sights set on ambitious growth, with plans to have a London office of 100 by December, and nine international offices within five years. In launching Life Science People he continues his commitment to hiring and training graduates, something he has maintained throughout all of his ven…

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: MNTA, “Momenta” or the “Company”), a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing novel biologic therapeutics to treat rare immune-mediated diseases announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement for Johnson & Johnson (“Johnson & Johnson” or “J&J”) to acquire Momenta for $52.50 per share in an all-cash transaction, implying a fully-diluted equity value of $6.5 billion. The agreement was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both Momenta and Johnson & Johnson. "The agreement with J&J recognizes the value created by years of commitment and dedication to our mission by the many current and past Momenta employees. Programs such as nipocalim…

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…